Oriflame Cosmetics: From lab to bottle — passion for beauty and science

Are you looking for high-performing skincare based on natural ingredients? Well, you can now look no further. The products developed by scientists in Oriflame’s lab are not only highly advanced and credible, they might well be the Nordics’ best-kept beauty secret, too.

Using natural products has been a part of Oriflame’s ethos since it was established 52 years ago. Today, it’s found in no less than 60 countries. “Our Swedish nature has always played an important role for us. The plants that live and survive in our harsh Nordic climate – withstanding cold, dark winters and short, intense summers – inspire us when we create our products. We were among the first in the world to create cosmetics made from natural extracts such as birch sap, decades before other brands started doing so,” says Jessica Andersson, managing director in Scandinavia.

Different dried plant material is grinded before extraction and analysis of active ingredients. Photo: Martin Rosengren

Oriflame’s products are more affordable than most other well-known high-street brands. “That’s because we own the whole chain of the process of making our products – right from the initial thought to selling the new product. We have our own labs, marketing departments and factories,” says Andersson.

Jessica Andersson.

Oriflame Skin Research Institute in Stockholm uses pioneering science. It is staffed by international chemists and biologists from eight different countries. Research studies are performed in-house as well as in collaboration with world-renowned research institutions such as Karolinska Institutet.

“When we develop a new product, we discuss gaps in the market, like protecting the skin from pollutants. We then research science communities to find what is out there – to seek opportunities for innovation. We only look at natural ingredients; unlike pharmaceutical companies, we don’t make our own chemical ingredients. When we’ve found interesting ingredients, we’ll take them to the lab for activity testing,” says Susanne Fabre, director of Oriflame Skin Research Institute.

Susanne Fabre.

In the lab, the natural ingredients get extracted, mostly from plant stem cells. Plant stem cells are a sustainable source that requires 90 per cent less water consumption by comparison to the cultivation of plants. As they are processed in a lab, they are free from pesticides and can be regenerated.

“We’re constantly finding new and exciting ingredients for skincare. Bacteria is a very trendy topic. We have them in our gut, but we also have them on our skin. Microorganisms are important for a healthy skin, so by targeting some specific bacteria we can potentially prevent and treat things like eczema and acne,” says Fabre.

Web: www.oriflame.se and www.oriflame.no
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Instagram: @oriflame_sverige and @oriflame_norge