Since we first discovered this handcrafted botanical skin and hair care line inspired by ancient beauty regimes and remedies, Sangre de Fruta has been a steady bestseller at Onda Beauty. Founded by Allison Audrey Weldon, and named for a Pablo Neruda poem that inspired her journey from fashion to holistic beauty, Sangre de Fruta’s indulgent products are intended to enchant the senses and awaken one’s inner radiance.
“I like to look to the Old World for inspiration,” says Weldon, who is based on Bowen Island, an idyllic enclave in the Howe Sound near Vancouver, Canada. “There’s value in their rituals, indulgences, and the idea of celebrating and enjoying life.” It was Weldon’s own interest in alternative therapies and healing modalities that led her to return from London, where she was working in trend forecasting and fashion design, to her native Canada and open a yoga studio.
“I loved yoga and alternative health, but back at home, it felt like we were missing the Old World, European richness in our approach to health; the focus was on deprivation and austerity, rather than joy and holistic indulgence,” she says.
Exquisite botanicals transcend conventional beauty trends to promote lasting health and wellness
It was during this time that she also began learning about botanical ingredients and essential oils under the tutelage of her friend Elena Orrego, at Vancouver’s Gaia Garden Herbal Dispensary, and making small-batch creams and lotions. “I learned the art of mixing precious oils and saw an opportunity to use my love of botanicals and my background in fashion and design to create a brand with sensual, wildcrafted formulas,” she says. And so Sangre de Fruta was born: a range of organic skin and hair care products created to show that quality botanicals, rituals, and indulging the senses are foundational elements for true self-care, and a deeper appreciation for the quiet power of the natural world.
Sangre de Fruta’s luxurious, plant-based products draw from a rich history of holistic health
Transcending conventional beauty trends and sidestepping empty marketing speak in favor of lasting health and wellness, Sangre de Fruta’s luxurious, plant-based products draw from a rich history of holistic health and beauty practices and are formulated with ingredients that are biodynamic, wild-crafted, and often locally sourced. “For me, it’s all about mixing the texture and scent, the indulgence, the rituals, and even the aesthetically beautiful, like treating the senses with the sound of glass jars when you open them,” she says. “Everything we make has to nourish the skin and bring the wearer aromatherapy benefits, too.”
Made from the fruit of the earth in small batches off the west coast of British Columbia
While the brand has grown over the last few years, Weldon still develops the initial formulas herself and oversees the company’s boutique on Bowen Island along with their two formulating facilities. “The majority of the products are made in our production studio here, which is attached to the head office and our shop,” says Weldon. “You can even watch the production team blend, whip, measure, and the studio team box and pack your products.” She is also currently working on increasing the number of ingredients that are locally sourced. Ultimately, she says, “Sangre de Fruta was born out of a raw and deep place and I’ve been set on maintaining the values and integrity even as business grows, and not compromising what’s important to me. I think that really comes through in the experience.”