TheIndustry.beauty Awards Winners’ Interview: Neal’s Yard Remedies co-owner Anabel Kindersley on staying true to values and leading with purpose

TheIndustry.beauty Innovators Awards 2026 celebrated the people, products and businesses driving the beauty industry forward - recognising not only groundbreaking innovations, but also the diverse range of expertise, disciplines and leadership required to achieve true market distinction.

In a special Hall of Fame Award presented in partnership with logistics experts Bleckmann and awarded by Scott Wimsett, TheIndustry.beauty honoured Anabel Kindersley, owner and CEO of Neal's Yard Remedies, for her outstanding contribution to the beauty industry. Recognised for her tireless advocacy of sustainability and purpose, Kindersley has played a pivotal role in championing environmental responsibility across the industry since acquiring the business with her husband, Barnabas Kindersley, in 2006.

Under her leadership, Neal's Yard Remedies has become a benchmark for ethical beauty, pioneering certified organic products, championing biodiversity, and demonstrating that commercial success and sustainability can go hand in hand.

Kindersley reflects on this journey, the core values that drive the business, the achievements she is most proud of and the advice she would give to her younger self.

Anabel Kindersley was awarded the Hall of Fame Award by Scott Wimsett, presented in partnership with Bleckmann.

Neal's Yard Remedies has always stood for more than just beauty products. How have you stayed true to those founding values while growing the business?

Staying true to our values is non-negotiable. Neal’s Yard Remedies was founded on the belief that the health of people and the health of the planet are closely connected.

Of course, that is not always the easiest path. It would be simpler to scale using cheaper alternatives, but we have always chosen not to. That is where trust is built. Many of our customers come to us at important moments in their lives, and they want to know that what they choose is effective without compromising on quality, purity or care for the planet.

You were championing sustainability and responsible business practices before they became industry-wide priorities. What have you learned from leading that journey over the years?

The biggest lesson has been perseverance. When Romy Fraser founded the business, it was a radical idea that wellbeing, nature and business could go hand in hand. For many years, sustainability and organic beauty were not part of the mainstream conversation. At times, it did feel as though we were swimming against the tide. But if you believe deeply in something, you have to be willing to keep going before the world catches up. That takes a lot of resilience.

What excites me most is how much the doors are opening in beauty innovation with organic beauty, and what we can now achieve. Over the last decade, we have invested in high-performance organic ingredients and clinical innovation to show that you do not have to choose between efficacy and ethics. For me, that is the future of beauty: products that perform beautifully while respecting the living systems we all depend on.

How have you balanced commercial growth with your commitment to environmental and social responsibility?

I have always believed that the long-term health of a business depends on the health of the ecosystems, communities and relationships that support it. For us, responsibility is not a separate initiative; it shapes our decisions every day.That means choosing certified organic ingredients, supporting the growers and communities behind them, investing in our eco factory in Dorset, and making decisions that protect biodiversity for generations to come. It is not always the easiest path in the short term, but it is the right one for the future.

Looking back over your career, what achievements are you most proud of, and what makes them particularly meaningful to you?

I have had a varied career before Neal’s Yard Remedies, as a teacher, homeopath and author, and each part has shaped how I think today.

Travelling the world writing Children Just Like Me and meeting children and their families from different cultures stayed with me. Most probably, that perspective of rural communities growing ingredients has carried through into my business. Behind every ingredient, there is a story; every supply chain involves people, and every decision has consequences.

And, most recently, I am especially proud of leading the Stand By Bees coalition and standing up in Parliament to protect our pollinators. After years of campaigning, seeing the government finally put a stop to the use of hazardous pesticides in UK farming was profoundly moving. It was a powerful reminder that when organisations come together around a shared cause, we can effect change. For me, the most powerful lesson is that collaboration is key.

What continues to inspire you and motivate you today?

What continues to inspire me is how much more people now want to understand. Our customers, and particularly the next generation, are becoming increasingly discerning.

Customers are looking not only at how well a product performs, but also at what they are putting on their skin, where the ingredients come from, and what impact those ingredients may have on the environment and their long-term health.

They are thinking beyond themselves, too. They want to know what their choices mean for the wider world. That encourages us to keep asking more of ourselves, to create increasingly effective products while remaining true to the quality, care and responsibility that have always guided us.

The beauty industry is evolving rapidly. What do you see as the biggest opportunities for growth and positive change in the sector today?

I will always be an advocate for organic. There is huge potential in what we can now achieve, both in terms of performance and formulation. There is huge potential in organic innovation and in what is possible in terms of sophisticated textures and actives that mean they can truly compete in the mainstream beauty arena.

Positive change across the industry will also require greater collaboration. We need to work together to improve packaging, raise standards around ingredients, and make sourcing more responsible and transparent. These are challenges no single business can solve alone. In a market that is constantly launching new products, I think the real opportunity is not simply to create more, but to create better products that genuinely make a difference.

For me, it comes back to a simple idea: buy fewer, buy better.

How do you define innovation within the beauty industry, and how is that reflected in the products you offer?

For us, innovation is not about chasing trends. It is about doing things more intelligently and responsibly, while delivering real performance. A good example is our Wild Rosehip collection.

With our Glow Cream, we went through many rounds of formulation to achieve a lightweight, fast-absorbing texture, something that would once have been very difficult using only ingredients permitted under rigorous organic certification. Achieving that level of performance while meeting such strict ingredient and environmental standards is something we are very proud of.

With the Cleansing Oil, plant-based squalane allowed us to achieve the silky finish we wanted in a way that remained true to our standards. That is what innovation means to us: pushing what is possible within organic formulation, without compromising on performance or our principles.

You were recently honoured with the Hall of Fame Award at TheIndustry.beauty Awards. What does receiving this recognition mean to you?

It was a very special moment. I have never had a linear career, and certainly not the traditional pathway into beauty, so it still feels quite surreal.

What makes it less surreal is that I also see it as recognition for many people beyond myself: our teams, our growers and suppliers, and everyone who has helped us stay true to our values over the years. That is what made it particularly meaningful.

If you could go back to the very beginning of your career, what piece of advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell my younger self not to let self-doubt hold her back. It can make you question what, deep down, you already know to be right. Trust your instincts, follow your heart and stay true to what you believe in. There will always be pressure to follow what others are doing, but knowing what you stand for becomes your compass.

As the Hall of Fame Award was presented by Bleckmann, we asked UK Sales Manager Rachel Dyche about the logistics experts' role in supporting the beauty industry.

What sets Bleckmann apart as a strategic partner for beauty brands in today’s market?

Our ability to offer solutions that are flexible and scalable, bespoke to each brand's requirements, and enable growth ensures we can provide a partnership that is crucial in helping brands realise their potential.

Bleckmann partners with beauty brands of all sizes, from emerging labels to global leaders. What does a successful partnership look like and how do you help brands scale effectively while maintaining quality, agility and brand consistency?

A successful partnership is one built on trust, transparency and open communication. Bleckmann strives to deliver best-in-class partnerships to all our brands, and our dedicated teams provide the perfect logistics partner to enable brands to deal with the important day-to-day - we do the logistics, and we let the beauty experts focus on the product. Our ability to be entrepreneurial and agile in our approach means we are capable of providing an elite service to our brands, regardless of their scale.

What key trends do you believe will shape the future of the beauty industry and how is Bleckmann positioned to help brands and retailers navigate these changes and meet evolving consumer expectations?

There will be a definite requirement for automated solutions with the bigger beauty brands to ensure efficient solutions are provided, while SLAs and delivery times are constantly being challenged. It is our role to advise and educate on changes in the market before brands need them, so we are here to provide the best possible solution to meet consumer expectations.

TheIndustry.beauty Innovators Awards will be back for 2027.

For sponsorship enquiries, please email partnerships@theindustry.beauty.