Vasse Virgin’s sweet scents from Seppeltsfield

The first thing you notice as you enter the beautifully repurposed stone building that is Vasse Virgin at Seppeltsfield, is its smell.

Far from the acidic odour which would have once enveloped this over a century old former vinegar factory, the aroma is now light, floral, earthy and calming, a medley of natural scents crafted into a range of soaps, skincare and diffusers.

Tourists to Seppeltsfield will be well familiar with the store, but for Barossa residents, it may be a place which is not always thought of to visit for everyday skincare needs.

General Managers Joy Thorpe and Carmen Nemet are hoping to change that.

“Headquarters is WA based, but we are based here in SA at Seppeltsfield. We get a lot of travellers coming here, but we would love to see more of the locals finding us,” said Joy.

“All of our products are based on olive oil – our skincare range, from our soaps to our face creams, hand lotions. And we’ve got a beautiful wash station in store, so people can come and try the products that need water.”

While Vasse Virgin has built a reputation as being a premium brand, appearing in Airbnbs and restaurants, its origin is actually based in necessity, with WA couple Louis and Edwina Scherini seeking to find a safe, chemical-free alternative to soap for their three young children diagnosed with eczema 20 years ago.

Their creation blossomed into a full range of skincare products, and later, condiments and olive oils.

Joy gives a brief run down of the various ranges in store – Aloe Vera and Seaweed, Chamomile and Lavender, and Rose Geranium and Pomegranate to name a few – and explains that Vasse Virgin’s local team is more than happy to walk customers through the products and how they are best used, an advantage to visiting in person.

“We make all our own products down here from start to finish. So they’re made, then put into their bottles or tubes, labelled by us, batched by us...” she said.

“We have our products in the Barossa that people can purchase, at the Visitor Centre and places around, but (we encourage people) really to come out and experience it first hand – all the testers are on the shelves, the face creams, the hand creams are there to try in store before you purchase as well.”

Workshops are another way to engage with Vasse Virgin products, with sessions focussing on perfume, lip balm and olive oil.

And there is an incentive to becoming a repeat customer at Vasse Virgin, with a points program specifically for members.

“It’s made local (and we’re) proud to support local...we just want to try and make known that Vasse Virgin is at Seppletsfield and we’re really proud of it, and the Barossa should be proud to have a company that’s employing locals and producing such beautiful quality products,” said Joy.