Four audiences.
One clear voice.
Every Veld touchpoint — label, listing, post, trade email — is written for one of these four people. Know which one you're addressing before you write the first word.
Who they are
Home user with a diffuser. Buys for relaxation and light topical use. Has been burned by fragrance oils sold as "essential oil." Values purity but lacks technical vocabulary. Discovers on Instagram, buys on Takealot reviews.
What they need
- Confidence the bottle says what it is
- Plain-language instructions
- Clear price-to-quality signal
- Packaging they're proud to display
- A natural starter-kit pathway
Their oils
Their triggers
- "100% pure" — backed by INCI name
- Made in South Africa
- White glass = credibility signal
- Real dilution instructions on label
- Price that feels fair, not budget
"Lavender · L · 12. Steam-distilled, single-origin. 30 ml — nothing added, nothing removed. 3–5 drops in your diffuser."
"Unlock the calming magic of our lovingly curated lavender blend. Let the stress melt away."
Who they are
Hobbyist turned side-hustle — soap, candle, balm, skincare. Buying 50–250 ml at a time. Cares about price-per-ml, batch consistency, and not second-guessing their supplier. Has an Instagram shop or sells at markets.
What they need
- Honest volume pricing — no markups
- Consistent batch quality to formulate around
- Correct INCI names for their own labels
- Wide range from a single supplier
- Frictionless reorder process
Their oils
Their triggers
- Clear price breaks at 100 / 250 ml
- Correct INCI saves label compliance work
- Batch code = traceability for their buyers
- COA/SDS = they can answer questions
- Maker-fluent language
"100 ml for your formulations. INCI: Lavandula angustifolia (Lavender) Flower Oil. Batch-coded — COA/SDS on request. Same farm, every order."
"Perfect for your crafting journey! Our artisanal lavender adds a luxe touch to any handmade creation."
Who they are
Indie cosmetic brand or microformulator. Uses oils as defined raw material inputs. Has product safety reports and INCI-compliant labels. Needs batch codes matched to retrievable COAs. Treats Veld as a supply partner, not a shop.
What they need
- COA/SDS per batch — no friction
- Exact, reproducible INCI naming
- Supply continuity — same species, same farm
- Scale from 250 ml to bulk drums
- Direct trade account relationship
Their oils
Their triggers
- Batch code + COA/SDS on every invoice
- Latin binomial on all documentation
- "Same farm, every batch" — explicit
- Bulk pricing tiers clearly published
- Direct contact — not just a form
"INCI: Boswellia serrata (Frankincense) Oil. Steam-distilled, single-origin. Batch code on every unit. COA/SDS on request — hello@veldbotanicals.com."
"Our frankincense is sourced with love from ancient resin traditions. Feel the transformative difference."
Who they are
Aromatherapist, massage therapist, spa, or small clinic. Buys the same 8–12 oils on rotation. Needs consistent quality for client safety and professional credibility. Loyalty is high — deliver reliably and they stay.
What they need
- Trade pricing with clear volume tiers
- Consistent supply — never out of stock
- Predictable quality, every order
- Easy reorder — minimal friction
- Professional documentation for clients
Their oils
Their triggers
- Trade account — relationship, not transaction
- Consistent spec across every order
- Proactive comms if anything changes
- 500 ml minimum at practitioner pricing
- Predictable lead time, every time
"Trade accounts: same supplier, same method, batch to batch. 500 ml from R___. Email trade@veldbotanicals.com — we'll confirm pricing and lead times directly."
"Treat your clients to the ultimate wellness experience with our premium spa-quality oils!"
A lab tech at
a market stall.
Informed, calm, honest. Clinical without being cold. If a sentence wouldn't sit comfortably on a Certificate of Analysis, it's probably not Veld.
01 · Precise
02 · Plain
03 · Honest
04 · Useful
We say freely
Use sparingly
Never use
| Platform | Tone & Length | Lead with | Avoid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual-first. 15–40 words. Confident, dry. | Element symbol or bottle. One fact. | Exclamation marks. Emoji overload. "Imagine…" | |
| 30–80 words. Practical. Older audience. | Use-case or batch update. Direct value. | Hashtag stacking. Promotional urgency. | |
| TikTok | Educational. Dry. 30–45 sec. Hook in 1.5 sec. | Element tile on colour. A counter-intuitive fact. | Trending audio that clashes with clinical tone. |
| Takealot | 5 factual bullets. INCI first. | INCI name → volume → method → origin → COA/SDS. | Adjective-heavy claims. Wellness promises. |
| Amazon | Lead-capped bullets. Title ≤200 chars. | "PURE & SINGLE-ORIGIN:" — factual, scannable. | "Treats", "cures", "heals". Never therapeutic claims. |
| Trade email | Direct. No preamble. First sentence = the point. | The offer or update. Price and lead time. | Inspirational quotes. Boilerplate footers. |
Three families.
Specific roles.
The typography system is fixed. Avenir Next handles the periodic-table tile. Raleway handles brand voice and Latin binomials. Helvetica Neue LT Std (Medium Condensed) handles all utility copy. No substitutions in print.
Avenir Next
The element tile is built entirely in Avenir Next. Its geometric clarity is what makes the periodic-table system read at every scale, from a 10 ml label to a 200 L drum.
| Use | Specification | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Tile symbol (e.g. Cw) | Cw | |
| Tile atomic number | 3.23 | |
| Tile EO / CO flag | EO | |
| Tile element name | CEDARWOOD |
Raleway
Raleway carries the brand voice — the wordmark, tagline, and Latin binomial. It is also the system typeface for any digital surface (web, social, email).
| Use | Specification | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| Wordmark | VELD BOTANICALS | |
| Tagline | elements of wellness | |
| Latin binomial | cedrus atlantica |
Helvetica Neue LT Std (Medium Condensed)
All utility copy on the label uses Helvetica Neue LT Std in its Medium Condensed cuts (57 and 67). The condensed proportions allow dense legal and ingredient information to fit at small sizes without sacrificing legibility.
| Use | Specification | Sample |
|---|---|---|
| ESSENTIAL OIL header | ESSENTIAL OIL | |
| Volume (30ml/1 fl.oz) | 30ml/1 fl.oz | |
| DIRECTIONS / CAUTION / INCI heads | DIRECTIONS: | |
| Body text · purity statement · INCI · address | 100% pure oil, steamed distilled, unrefined | |
| BARCODE label (vertical) | B A R C O D E |
| Approved (print + design) | Web fallback | System fallback |
|---|---|---|
| Avenir Next Demi Bold / Bold | Nunito Sans 600/700 (Google Fonts) | system geometric sans |
| Raleway SemiBold / Regular / Italic | Raleway (Google Fonts) — same family, freely available | system sans |
| Helvetica Neue LT Std 57/67 Med Cond | "Helvetica Neue", "Arial Narrow" | condensed system sans |
For any printed or production artwork — labels, brochures, retail point-of-sale, trade documentation — the licensed Avenir Next and Helvetica Neue LT Std must be used. Web fallbacks are only acceptable on the live website and email signatures where the user does not have the licensed font installed locally.
A chemistry catalogue
built on a farm.
veldbotanicals.com should feel like a well-organised supply catalogue designed by someone who grew up in KwaZulu-Natal. Clinical structure, warm provenance, zero clutter. Raleway throughout — the same brand voice as the wordmark.
of Wellness.
SKUs at launch
12 essential oils now. 24 EO + 12 CO at full range. Each one an element.
Batch traceability
Every bottle carries a batch code. Certificate of Analysis on request.
One range, any scale
Same brand, same label — retail bottles to 200 L bulk drums.
80% Neutral · 20% Element
Typography is structure
Photography rules
Empty space is intentional
One colour per element.
Always.
The element colour is a property of the oil. It doesn't change for seasons, sizes, or campaigns. Neutrals hold 80% of every composition so the element colours speak at full volume.
Type, wordmark, primary
Captions, secondary text
Background, packaging
Label stock, page white
⚑ Lemon (#FFCF14) — light tile exception. Number, symbol and name render in Veld Ink (#1A1A1A). EO triangle renders in Ink. Test all future pale-ground oils against WCAG AA (4.5:1) contrast ratio before production.
One bottle.
One soft light.
Veld product photography is documentary, not commercial. Every bottle shot uses a single soft light source from the upper-right, a Stone or pale-grey backdrop, no props, no styling. The shadow is the second subject — it's what gives the bottle weight on the surface. The reference below is the standard. Every product image on the site, every social tile, every press asset is shot to this exact specification.
Reference shot — 30 ml dropper, white
This is the visual the entire site, every social asset and every press appearance is built around. The bottle sits in the upper-right third of the frame. A soft directional light from the upper-right creates a defined silhouette shadow on the back wall and a softer ground shadow displaced slightly to the left. No reflections, no props, no surface texture beyond the bare Stone backdrop. The bottle reads as an object on a surface — not a styled scene.
| Light | Single soft source · upper-right · 45° from bottle face |
| Background | Veld Stone (#F7F5F2) seamless · graduated darker toward bottom-left |
| Bottle position | Upper-right third · base sits on visible horizon line |
| Shadows | Wall silhouette + ground ellipse · both soft-edged · ~40% opacity |
| Composition | Bottle slightly off-axis · pipette dead-vertical · no tilt |
| Crop | Square 1:1 for grid · 4:5 portrait for PDP hero · 16:9 for social header |
| Resolution | 3000 × 3000 minimum · web export 1200 × 1200 |
| Post-production | Minimal · no skin-smoothing equivalents · preserve true label colour |
01 · One light, no fill
Single soft source. No fill light, no reflectors, no rim. The shadow is the second subject — it's what makes the bottle real. A reflector kills it.
02 · Stone, never wood
Background is Veld Stone (#F7F5F2) seamless paper. Never wood, never linen, never marble, never plant leaves. The product is the subject — the surface is invisible.
03 · No props
No dried lavender, no pipette in the frame, no flat-lay clutter. If a second object appears, it's another bottle in the same shot — never a styling decoration.
04 · Documentary, not commercial
The bottle is photographed the way a chemist would photograph a sample — to document it accurately, not sell it through atmosphere. The credibility IS the conversion driver.
| Type | Where | Spec |
|---|---|---|
| Bottle on Stone | PDP hero (image 2 after tile) · range cards · social asset | 1:1 square · 1200×1200 · single bottle · reference shot above |
| Bottle group | Range index header · trade landing · press kit | 4:5 portrait · 2–4 bottles in same lighting · staggered depth |
| Plant in the veld | About page · Journal articles · element profiles | Macro or wide · natural light · never styled · taken at Windermere or supplier farm |
| Process shot | About page · method explainer · trade trust signal | Distillation equipment · hands working · documentary · no posed shots |
| Hands working | Maker Journal · trade page · packaging line | Hands in motion · never posing · environmental light · natural skin tones |
No wood backgrounds · no marble surfaces · no dried botanicals as props · no candles · no bath imagery · no models · no hands holding bottles · no overhead flat-lays of multiple oils · no soft pink lighting · no Instagram filters · no logo overlays on hero shots · no quotes pasted on images · no lifestyle "wellness" cliché.
Ready to use.
Built on the voice.
Adjust oil name, INCI, method and volume. Keep the structure. Consistency is what makes the system work.
30 ml Label — standard copy blocks
ESSENTIAL OIL 100 % pure oil, [steam distilled / cold pressed], unrefined INGREDIENTS INCI [Botanical binomial] ([Common name]) [Plant part] Oil. DIRECTIONS: Topical: Dilute 1-5 drops in 10ml carrier oil. Diffuser: Add 3-5 drops to water. CAUTION: Keep out of reach of children. Avoid use during pregnancy and use on infants. Do not take internally or apply undiluted to the skin. MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA Windermere Farm, Gingindlovu, 3800 · veldbotanicals.com
Takealot listing template
TITLE: Veld Botanicals [Oil] Essential Oil — [Volume] | Pure, [Method] BULLETS: • 100% pure essential oil — INCI: [Binomial] ([Common]) [Part] Oil. • [Volume] in white powder-coated glass with [cap type]. • [Method], single-origin, unrefined. No carriers, no synthetics, no fragrance oils. • Batch-coded. Certificate of Analysis available on request. • Made in South Africa at Windermere Farm, KwaZulu-Natal. PARA 1: [Oil] is one of the most-used oils in aromatherapy. Veld Botanicals supplies it as a single ingredient — pure, traceable, identified by its botanical name. PARA 2: Topical: dilute 1–5 drops in 10 ml carrier oil. Diffuser: 3–5 drops in water. Avoid use during pregnancy and on infants. Do not take internally.
Amazon listing template
TITLE (≤200 chars, brand first): Veld Botanicals Pure [Oil] Essential Oil, [Vol] / [fl.oz], [Method], Single-Origin South Africa BULLETS (lead-capped): • PURE & SINGLE-ORIGIN: 100% [Binomial] [part] oil. No carriers, synthetics, or fragrance oils. • [METHOD]: extracted to preserve volatile aromatic compounds. Unrefined. • RETAIL & TRADE SIZES: [vol] retail; 10/100/250 ml retail and 500 ml–200 L trade available. • BATCH-CODED & COA/SDS AVAILABLE: traceable to production batch. COA/SDS supplied on request. • MADE IN SOUTH AFRICA: Windermere Farm, Gingindlovu, KwaZulu-Natal. White powder-coated glass.
The Element
"Element 12. Lavender. Steam-distilled, Western Cape, 30 ml. ↗ veldbotanicals.com"
The Process
"30 kg of rosemary leaf goes into the still. 12 hours later, 200 ml of pure essential oil comes out."
The Science
"INCI: Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil. That's the only thing in the bottle."
The Use
"Topical: dilute 1–5 drops in 10 ml carrier oil. Diffuser: 3–5 drops in water."
The Place
"Windermere Farm, Gingindlovu, KwaZulu-Natal. Where every Veld bottle comes from."
Per-platform
Facebook: 2–3×/week
TikTok: 2×/week
Stories/Reels: daily IG · weekly TikTok
Trade enquiry response
Hi [Name], Trade pricing for [Oil]: R___ per [volume] ex-VAT. Batch-coded, COA/SDS on request, same supplier every run. Sizes: 500 ml / 1 L / 5 L / 25 L. Lead time: [X] working days from order confirmation. Reply to set up your account — we'll send a trade application form. [Name] · [Role] · Veld Botanicals · trade@veldbotanicals.com