Saint Charles Apothecary has been developing a wide variety of medicines, cosmetics and edibles for several decades. The products are based on the highest quality of natural, organic-grade ingredients. Up until June 2008, this unique product assortment was only sold in the Saint Charles Apothecary which is located in Vienna's 6th District.

We sat down with pharmacist Alexander Ehrmann from Saint Charles Cosmetics who founded the pharmacy's store brand more than 10 years ago. The natural cosmetics line is based on their mission statement "Right to the Roots".

What sparked the idea to develop a Saint Charles store brand?

Natural cosmetics have been an interest of mine from a very early age. It made sense to use face and body care products that encompass the benefits that nature has to offer. The focal point of our product formulas is effectiveness. Similar to pharmaceuticals, our cosmetics tackles various (skin) concerns.

That is an interesting approach. Would you mind elaborating?

When creating the formulas, I follow my passion for developing natural and effective cosmetics. Products, such as our Saint Charles SOS Balm soothes sunburnt skin whilst the Apothecary Soap naturally disinfects.

How do you convince your customers to opt for natural cosmetics?

That's a no-brainer: natural cosmetics contain natural substances that are better absorbed by the skin. High-quality, organic products are exclusively formulated with purely organic ingredients that naturally restore skin radiance.

Pharmacists have a rather old-fashioned image. Would you agree and how does your personal image differ from this viewpoint?

At Saint Charles Apothecary we value tradition and age-old wisdom. We unite traditional knowledge with the herbs that are native to our region. Our mission statement reads: "The herbs that can be found at our doorstep can be processed into medicine, cosmetics and edibles." This is combined with modern findings: Right to the Roots.