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The days of pore-clogging products are done and today’s new norm is clean, natural and organic. This month, Retail Pharmacy Assistants’ Margaret Mielczarek chats with Rebecca De Castro from skin care manufacturer G&M Cosmetics about how the company is paving the green pathway to products that are healthier for your skin and the environment.
How did G&M Cosmetics come about?
G&M Cosmetics is an Australian family-owned health and beauty business that was formed in 1996, with our founder and Managing Director, Zvonko Jordanov, first batching creams
in his garage. The company now oversees a large factory complex at Taren Point, NSW, where our manufacturing, warehousing, sales, marketing, laboratory and [quality assurance] departments are all located. G&M Cosmetics brands are now available in more than 45,000 retailers worldwide, with a production capacity of 150,000 units a day. Starting from humble beginnings, G&M Cosmetics has now sold more than 70 million units globally.
What’s the aim of the company? What does it represent?
Our mission is to take care of people’s skin, health and to help them build confidence and improve their general wellbeing. G&M Cosmetics formulas have been developed and refined over many years. Our products make a great impact on people’s skin health, having a proven track record of helping to improve various skin conditions.
How long have you worked at the company and what’s your role?
I started at G&M Cosmetics in early February 2020, managing the Australian Pharmacy portfolio as well as NZ, Europe and UK. My main aim is to ensure that pharmacists and pharmacy assistants are aware of the G&M Cosmetics range and what makes us stand out against other skin care companies
in Australia.
According to the website, G&M Cosmetics prides itself on delivering premium products. Why is quality so important in the cosmetics space?
G&M Cosmetics is renowned for its affordable, high-quality natural products in Australia and Asia-Pacific. G&M’s Australian Creams brand was voted the ‘most trusted Australian brand
in China’ (Australian Brands in China Index 2018, Monash University). G&M has won multiple awards and accolades, including finalist in the 2018 Premier’s NSW Export Awards
in the NSW Asian Exporter category. G&M’s success is due
to the high quality of the products, its long-established
brand recognition and loyal customer base. G&M Cosmetics sources nourishing ingredients from the Australian landscape to produce superior skin care products with gentle effective formulations for both adults and kids.
Australian beauty consumers are becoming increasingly focused on improving personal health and following the growing global demand for clean, green and organic skin care products. Consumers expect better performance and proven results from their skin care products.
You also focus on organic and animal/cruelty free products. Why is this so important for the company?
G&M Cosmetics has proudly never tested its products on animals, and in keeping with its philosophy of innovation and continuous improvements, has always ethically endorsed a cruelty-free approach to all its manufacturing and marketing.
G&M is transforming its brand offering and is focused on creating new, science-based, quality skin care, incorporating premium natural and/or organic ingredients, which are better for the consumer and the environment.
In response to the emerging dominant shift in lifestyle and consumer habits, G&M Cosmetics is refining and improving its formulations, and constantly trying to incorporate more natural ingredients such as papaya, Kakadu plum, calendula, shea butter, manuka honey, macadamia and avocado. These actives are all renowned for their beneficial skin nutrients.
Sustainability is a very important issue. How do you ensure sustainable packaging practices at G&M Cosmetics?
As well as promoting ‘skin health’, G&M Cosmetics is also critically aware of its responsibility to its customers, staff,
the environment and the community. G&M is ISO 9001 and ISO 22716 GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) accredited.
As a signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, G&M Cosmetics aims to limit the impact of unwanted packaging and harmful plastics, which contribute to worldwide pollution, and [we’re] actively involved in recycling of our own packaging.
In an age of global warming, we aim to limit the impact of our manufacturing on the planet.
In 2019 G&M Cosmetics acquired a vegan skin care range (P’URE Papayacare). Tell us more about this and how it came about. Is vegan a rising trend in cosmetics?
P’URE Papayacare skin care is a unique Australian skin
care range, paw paw-based and made using only the finest natural ingredients. There are many papaya products in the market; however, P’URE Papayacare range is the only one that’s 100 per cent naturally certified (COSMOS) with products suitable for vegans.
G&M Cosmetics was looking for a brand that would be a good cultural and natural fit to help the company achieve its expansion goals.
With this recent acquisition, G&M Cosmetics will be manufacturing P’URE Papayacare skin care range in its own GMP certified factory in Sydney, to maintain full control of the whole production process and ensure the highest manufacturing standards.
It was important for G&M Cosmetics to find a brand that was on trend with the changing market demands we see both here and internationally. We felt that the P’URE Papayacare brand, with its vegan and certified natural products, is exactly what consumers want now and is well placed to be at the forefront of this change.
Over the past few months, we’ve been making some changes to the range and packaging of PURE Papayacare. In September, we’ll be launching a new mother and baby range, and are excited to announce a packaging change. This will see the P’URE Papayacare range expand to 15 products.
What other trends are you noticing in cosmetics? What are customers looking for when it comes to cosmetics?
The cosmetics and toiletries industries in Australia are
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