Indie beauty conversation with Phystine

13 Jan 2022 --- Kicking off our Indie beauty conversations for 2022 is Phystine, a finalist in the sustainable packaging category in last year’s Ecovia Sustainable Beauty Awards. We caught up with Co-founder Clemens Bechter to learn more about its eco-conscious approach to the beauty and personal care industry.

Can you tell me about your inspiration behind launching Phystine? 

We wanted to use skin care that we are 100% sure does not contain any harmful substances, is 100% natural and effective and that we can enjoy with a good conscience for our body and planet. 

We wanted to prove that it is possible to have a complete skin care portfolio that has 100% plastic-free packaging. We are proud that we have this for our liquid and solid products. The development of our products began in early 2019 and we launched on the market in mid-2020.

What was missing from the mainstream beauty and personal care market that you sought to fill with Phystine?

Click to EnlargeClemens Bechter is aiming for an all-natural offering. Source: Phystine. We were missing a brand that combined pure nature with a scientific background while being completely sustainable in an ecological as well as socially responsible way.

We were also missing a completely plastic-free brand with a full assortment. Most brands combined two of the mentioned elements but we could not find a brand that ticked all of these.

What are consumers demanding from their favorite beauty and personal care products and brands?

Phystine customers are after purely natural, effective skin care that is good for their body and leaves no room for doubts about any potentially harmful substances. They are increasingly looking for sustainability with a holistic approach and value the consequent approach without any compromises. The demand for vegan and organic products is also rising.

How do your solutions answer current consumer demands?

We believe that COVID has put a focus on personal health and sustainability for a recognizable share of people. By focusing on skin health and the desire for nature, and the growing trend towards sustainability, we are catering to these demands perfectly. Furthermore, we are a purely vegan, organic-certified natural cosmetics brand.

How do you approach leadership through the lens of sustainability?

We are setting standards concerning sustainability in the cosmetic business. We are a 100% plastic-free company for our customers. We have mostly eliminated plastic in our supply chain, where the process of becoming plastic-free is ongoing. 

We are integrating people with disabilities wherever we can in our production process and source with fair trade principles from developing countries only. We are looking at different aspects of sustainability, with the important ones for us being good health for our body, ecology, inclusion and global social fairness. We constantly align our decisions so that we fulfill all of these simultaneously. If a suggested business decision would not fulfill one of our sustainability requirements, we would not do it.

What is your ingredient philosophy when it comes to selecting and sourcing ingredients at Phystine?

Our philosophy is to only source ingredients of the highest quality that are purely natural, either organic or from wild harvesting, but in any case without pesticides. Phystine products are oil-based only and free of water. They are free from any nature-ident substances as well as preservatives, emollients, parabens, silicones, etc.

What did the launch process involve from conceptualization through to commercialization?

Click to EnlargePhystine is targeting Europe in 2022. Source: Phystine.The launch involved researching available brands on the market and the development of customer behavior and expectations. We found out about the offers of those beauty brands on the market and compared them to the demand or possible future demand to find out if there is a possible requirement for this kind of product. 

After positive findings on the development of sustainability conscience and an increasing number of LOHAS (people with a lifestyle of health and sustainability) in recent years, we identified that there is a place for a brand like Phystine. And demand is rising, as the increasing demand for natural cosmetics shows.

The successful market entry, brand growth and overall commercialization that Phystine has seen has proven that the concept was right, even against the fierce headwind of COVID-19 that we have experienced since the start of our sales in May 2020.    

What were the greatest challenges to achieving your vision for these solutions?

The biggest challenge was to stay consequently plastic-free as we do not launch any product to market before we have plastic-free packaging available for the product. Staying 100% plastic-free is still a huge challenge to us as the supply readily available on the market is very scarce and nearly impossible to find. 

Interestingly, not much has moved on in the market for plastic-free packaging, although one could assume that the importance of its presence grows as the demand from customers is rising. However, it is still not what we have seen in the supply base, apart from half-hearted approaches.

What are your short and long-term hopes and goals for Phystine and the wider BPC industry?

We hope that the industry will develop into a sustainable area and that the use of disposable plastic packaging will be reduced. Furthermore, we hope that the whole industry develops a more eco-conscious way of doing business together. 

Our goal is definitely to be there and provide customers with naturally effective, sustainable products and an alternative to reduce plastic consumption in their daily lives.

What are your plans for 2022?

We have developed a great skin and partial body care portfolio that has proven effective and delivered a proof of concept in 2021. 

In 2022, now is the time to get people aware of these great products. We will focus on marketing them in Germany, Austria and Switzerland (the DACH region) as well as the rest of Europe through our online channels. We welcome any partners that are trying to bring more sustainable, effective natural care products into their respective market to connect with us. 

By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe, BPC Insights Senior Journalist