At one with nature

In Austria’s oldest soap factory, soaps have been produced from natural raw materials for more than 230 years. Over the years, other care products have been added, but they are all produced with the same intention: to offer customers the best possible experience for their bodies.

In 1777, Peter Walde I. founded the Walde company, which has remained in family ownership until today – over seven generations. The company has borne its present name since 1851. Over three different centuries, soaps of the highest quality and gradually more and more ecological were produced. In the 21st century, after a reorientation of the company, more sustainably produced articles and product series found their way into the portfolio. The ‚Tiroler Reine‘ expands the soap range, while high-quality candles, edible fats, cosmetics and cleaning products are also produced. For Peter Walde, the current managing director of Walde Seifen, the size of the company is above all a decisive factor for sustainability: ‚I hope that we can remain at this size, because only with an overview of the whole can you also run a company in such a way that sustainability is guaranteed. Walde Seifen should be one big family. In juxtaposition with our products, the people who make them should also be satisfied.‚

Sustainable and diverse
Refreshing, pampering, invigorating – the soaps have many positive effects on their users. They are also available in a wide range of variations, including salt soap, liquid soap and organic soap. Like many other soaps, the salt soap is made by hand. ‚There is a lot of work behind such a bar of soap, especially handmade soap,‚ says Walde. If it is not handmade, it is made from vegetable oils in a kettle, like liquid soap, for example. The vegetable oils in Walde’s organic soaps come from controlled organic and sustainable cultivation. The company, which is based in Innsbruck, also refrains from using preservatives, colourants and fragrances, palm oil and animal raw materials, among other things. Walde Seifen also pays attention to sustainability when it comes to packaging. So you often see soaps without any packaging at all or only with paper bows. And even the table displays are 100% recyclable.

Tiroler Reine – Connected with Nature
A special brand in the range of the family business – one of the oldest in the country – is ‚Tiroler Reine‘, which was developed in collaboration with organic pioneer Therese Fiegl. What makes the soap so unique are the scents created by master craftsmen and inspired by nature. From the aromatic alpine spice to the freshness of mountain mint to the harmonising stone pine, the nose is pampered by natural scents. The stone pine soap not only smells good, but is also said to help with poor concentration, insomnia and mental exhaustion. In addition to the soaps, there are also shampoos and scented candles from the ‚Tiroler Reine‘ brand. Here, too, only carefully selected ingredients are used that promise alpine fragrances. The scented candles were also produced on Fiegl’s initiative and with regional ingredients. Pure beef tallow from Tyrolean grey cattle mixed with high-quality sunflower and beeswax forms the basis of the handmade candles.

Natural ingredients with a powerful effect
The range is not limited to the ‚Tiroler Reine‘ product series. Other cosmetics include hair shampoos, bubble baths, creams, body lotions and bath salts, all of which have different uses but are all sustainable and beneficial for the body. While solid hair shampoo is characterised by being much more economical than its liquid counterpart, bath salts, for example, stimulate circulation. The products are made with numerous caring ingredients such as aloe vera, mare’s milk, nettle extract or real herbs. To ensure that as many people as possible can enjoy the sustainable and high-quality products, Walde also manufactures cleaning agents, soaps and cosmetics in wage production and also offers the development of individual care products.

Further link:

• Walde Seifen

The Carl Alois Walde KG is a member of the Green Filming Database Marktplace Tirol. There you will find products and services from regional and sustainable Tyrolean companies that can be used for your film production.

Moreoever, the Walde Seife is a ‘Natürlich in Tirol’ success story. Lebensraum Tirol Holding, in cooperation with its subsidiaries (Tirol Tourist Board, Standortagentur Tirol and Agrarmarketing Tirol), brings special companies, projects, initiatives and people before the curtain. What they all have in common is that they play a pioneering role and act as role models for sustainability and responsible business. They contribute to the sustainability of the Tyrolean economy, society and environment and encourage the dissemination of sustainable change concepts. You can find more ‘Natürlich in Tirol’ success stories here (in German only).