Unravelling Neal's Yard Remedies with Tipper | How Organic Began 1980's | Neal's Yard Remedies

When NYR opened its doors in 1981 it joined a group of forward thinking businesses in Neal’s Yard. All businesses looked in same direction, with goals that are even more important today than they were 40 years ago. Sustainability, Purity of ingredients, Simple packaging, Value, Equality, Community and Upcycling. The business originally sold only natural remedies, but soon started making natural cosmetics, initially in the back of the shop. The products were hand-made and crafted using organically produced herbal extracts. The iconic blue glass bottles were used to protect the integrity of the ingredients inside. In 1983 we launched Frankincense & Myrrh Cream, using botanical ingredients like wheatgerm and jojoba oils with frankincense and myrrh essential oils to help you to age well. It’s still with us, renamed FNC and still a customer favourite. By using natural and botanical ingredients we were pushing against the trends of the 80’s. This was the decade that anti-ageing skincare became big news, with new active ingredients like collagen and retinol extracts added to moisturisers. Romy had started sowing seeds, she wanted to start selling organic essential oils. So, in the mid 1980’s Romy and Susan went to the South of France to source organic lavender essential oil. They literally went from farm to farm asking to buy a small quantity to trial. Only one farmer said yes, and we still work with him today. He’s grown with us, and now works with 20 different farmers all gr