Clean beauty at its best

COSSMA: What gave you the idea to create your own brand?

After more than 20 years in several leading and executive positions in the cosmetics industry I wanted to change the things I saw in these companies and that I did not like. However, changing things in these companies was impossible impossible; you understand how resistant organisations are to radical change, even when it is healthy change. 

What is the product concept of your brand?

Andreas J. Kroll, ­Managing Partner, Kroll Cosmetics, Dormagen, Germany Our brand Nø says “No” to exactly the following false features of our industry:  

No to fake promises and ingredients

No to social pressure on woman, which clearly defines what is beautiful (and what’s not)

No to professional models and photoshopped photos

No to irresponsible “over-packaging”

No to overcharged prices

How do you define clean beauty?

Clean beauty means getting rid of ingredients that may cause irritation and/or harm the consumer or the planet. 

It is our great goal to provide products that are well tolerated by the skin. This concept is complemented by using vegan formulations which are not tested on animals.

What were the challenges in creating the product concept?

We had to manage with the hard calculation and the reduced margin of our products, as well as with the stress ratio involved because of the higher production costs that we incurred with our decision to ambitiously lower the recommended retail prices.

What are the brand’s main products and what makes them special in contrast to the abundance of products and brands available on the market?

Our Nø renew today Retinol Serum, with its anti-ageing power without using any harmful ingredients, targets women who are 35+. It contains retinol, squalan, jojoba oil and carrot extract. 

Our Nø glow today 24K Gold-Oil gives women the opportunity to exchange their classical make-up against pure natural oils and to still keep a glowing skin.

Our Nø slay today Hydrating Cream is very similar to expensive high-quality products, but costs only a fraction.

Will you have further line extensions and if yes, in what direction?

A field we are working on now is solid and waterless cosmetics.

When will your line become ocean-friendly? 

Our entire line will become ocean-friendly in 2020 and will then be 98% plastic-free, 100% from pre-used resources and 100% recyclable. This means that the packaging will change. The formulas are perfect as they are now.

How are the products marketed?

We mostly market via social media and personal promotions but use print from time to time.

What are the main distribution channels and what makes them so important?

In Germany we are present in all shops of our major partner dm-drogerie markt and via our own online-shop. Internationally we prefer small personally-owned shops and retail partners who share our vision.Every partner we choose is important because they are our flagships from our consumers point-of-view. If they don’t fit with our vision, our products won’t sell there.

What have been your most successful marketing campaigns? 

Our marketing strategy in terms of campaigns focuses on collaborations, brand ambassadors and personal promotions.