Laponie of Scandinavia: ”Quite an innovative formulation — if I may say so myself”
Founded in 2015, Finnish skincare brand Laponie of Scandinavia is aimed at problem and sensitive skin.
— All of our products are without added fragrance. We have a rather narrow product portfolio and all the products are multi-use, so one product will perform many functions, Jaana Ailus, Head of R&D, explains. We’ve developed all the products ourselves and sometimes it will take years. We take forever in the lab and don’t really have a set time when we have to launch something. We do that when it’s perfect. I’m quite proud to say that we’ve never had to reformulate a product. That happens quite a lot when either something is discontinued or you have a limited amount of certain raw materials but we make sure that the raw materials will be available. We’ve changed the name of a few products, but never changed the insides of the products.
The brand just launched its Rich Face Cream, suitable for Scandinavian winters.
— It came about because our customers liked our regular face cream — which we’ve now renamed to Light Face Cream — but, as the name says, it’s quite light and not suitable for extremely dry skin. The oils and the INCI are very much the same (as in Light Face Cream, Ed’s note) but the percentages are very different. The first ingredient in the INCI is oil instead of water. It has an extremely high oil phase and a lot more of basically everything. It is a ’pumped-up’ version of the other one — very, very nourishing, moisturizing, and rich.
— Still, it’s quite easy to absorb because we don’t use fatty alcohols. For the problem skin and the most sensitive, Cetearyl Alcohol or Cetyl Alcohol in leave-on products are an issue. This has a single emulsifier and it’s suspended with a thickening gum system, so it does not have the regular stabilising agents that you would see in an emulsion with such a high oil phase. So, quite an innovative formulation — if I may say so myself, Ailus concludes.
Health Royals: ”The established techniques for home use is a revolution in our part of the world”
Magnus and Ebba von Geijer is the duo behind brand-new luxury food supplements brand Health Royals, that also carries a range of skincare and a beauty-tech device for home use.
— It combines four international recognised techniques; radio frequency, microcurrent technology, sonic vibration, and LED therapy, Ebba von Geijer explains. It comes with three predefined programs and the effects in terms of skin elasticity and the glossiness of the skin has been validated in a clinical trial. Simplified programs combine those four techniques in a preset fabrication where you can also increase the energy level and can be used in both the face and other areas of your body that need some body lift. The techniques are gentle, not harmful, but you still get the positive effects on skin health.
What makes it so unique?
— The simplified use program and also that it uses the mentioned technologies in the established quality protocols when it comes to energy levels. Those wavelengths of the LED lights, it’s been established, has the most effects.
And an accessible price point as well.
— Yes, it is.
LED is huge now. What is the next big thing? What new technologies do you see coming?
— The established techniques for home use is a revolution in our part of the world. LED is pretty much everywhere, yes, but all the other techniques also for home use in a more common way is the next thing. To have it easy accessible, ease of use — if you don’t use it, you won’t have the effects. You need to use it frequently or according to the treatment protocols in order to get the desired effects, so I think that’s what’s next on the agenda.
Hwarang: ”There is not one reason to hate cleansing balms”
Elisa Ahonpää-Kim is the founder and owner of Finnish K-Beauty retailer Yeppo & Soonsoo. The company just launched its own brand, Hwarang, which was also the name of the royal knights who were the first men to use makeup in Korea, 1,000 years ago.
— We named our brand that because we want everyone’s skin to be strong since the barrier is the most important thing and you have to protect the barrier and hydrate your skin, she says. Many of us enjoy makeup and we want everyone to cleanse their skin without damaging the barrier and the skin. So, the first product, a cleansing balm, has calming ingredients yet and is the only make-up remover we’ve tried that removed even the most waterproof mascaras.
— We tested a lot over one year with different items, foundations, eye makeup, and such, to find out that this is highly effective. It’s made by using a patented formula and so is the manufacturing formula — how they melt, pour, and solidify it.
How come it’s so popular with cleansing balms?
— It is definitely a trend when many companies are also learning how to create it. Our laboratory has the longest history in Korea in creating them. It’s so easy to use — with liquid items like cleansing oils, it’s harder to travel. It’s quite fun to use if you enjoy scooping it and you don’t need a lot of product, so it’s also very cost-effective and time-effective. There is not one reason to hate cleansing balms.
