Let’s be honest: the beauty world has a “green” problem. Words like natural, clean, and eco-friendly are thrown across packaging as if they automatically mean something — yet most of these claims are unregulated and loosely used. Anyone can say “green.” Anyone can say “natural.” And consumers, hungry for purity, are left navigating confusion and marketing noise.
This is precisely why my recent experience in Paris felt so significant.
On September 29th, I had the honour of presenting Zalina Swiss Organic at the Embassy of Denmark, showcasing my formulations before buyers, media, retailers, investors, and industry professionals from across Europe. As I stood there speaking about ingredients, integrity, skin health, and transparency — not trends or shortcuts — I could see how deeply people resonated with honesty. The world is craving truth in beauty.
And that moment brought me back to where everything truly began: Night Goddess.
Four years ago, in a small Swiss lab, I stood over a beaker holding a rich, dense, waterless overnight balsam I had spent months perfecting. It was my first formula — the one that carried my entire philosophy. Yet, ironically, it was the one that made me doubt myself the most.
At the time, consumers were conditioned to expect light, fluffy emulsions filled with water and synthetics that only pretended to hydrate. When I presented my formula to the chemist and lab team, they hesitated.
“Are you sure?” they asked. “This is extremely rich. People might not be ready for this.”
I smiled and answered with conviction:
“I will only create skincare that is high-performance, planet-friendly, and supports human well-being. Nothing less. Never sell anything you wouldn’t use yourself.”
I refused to dilute my vision — literally and figuratively.
No water. No fillers. No microplastics.
Just pure botanicals, potent actives, and science-backed ingredients that honor the skin barrier.
And I took sustainability a step further by packaging Night Goddess in a biodegradable molten-wood jar — long before anyone in the industry was talking about zero-waste or circular beauty. At that time, very few brands had the courage or vision to embrace that level of sustainability. But I knew that if I was going to create natural beauty, every detail had to reflect nature.
Fast forward to Paris, inside the Théâtre Marigny, at the European Natural Beauty Awards (ENBA) — one of the most rigorous recognitions in clean beauty worldwide.
Out of over 1,200 entries from 35 countries, only 17% qualified. Four of my formulas made it — but I entered just one:
Night Goddess Rich Overnight Balsam.
And then came the moment I will never forget.
They called my name — twice.
🏆 Media’s Choice of the Year – Night Goddess Rich Overnight Balsam
🏆 Excellence Award – Zalina Swiss Organic
Standing on that stage, representing Switzerland, the Caribbean, and brown-skin women globally, I felt something shift inside me.
The formula I once questioned became the formula celebrated by Europe.
The jar made from molten wood became a symbol of innovation.
And Night Goddess became more than skincare — she became a statement.
She was never created to follow the industry.
She was created to transform it.
Note about the jury -
Media Jury: composed of beauty editors, journalists, and influential content creators, the Media Jury selects the Media Choice Award. These experts bring a sharp understanding of trends, consumer behavior, and brand storytelling. Their role is to spotlight natural beauty products that not only meet exceptional standards, but also spark conversation and build genuine trust in today’s media landscape.
Excellence Award Jury: The shortlisted products will be tested for 12 weeks by a world-class, star jury composed of European Stars that represent European consumers across Europe. Products attaining a minimum evaluation score of 4.0 out of 5.0 will be honoured with the Excellence Awards. This recognition signifies that the product has been deemed effective, aligned with its claims, and endorsed by the jury.
ENBA snippet from Elle Magazine Hungary written by ELLE Author, Mónika Kassai
Zalina Wälchli
Founder & CEO, Zalina Swiss Organic 🇨🇭