Natural color cosmetics aren’t as rare and dubious as they once were. Still, Rechtman sees a need to prove that the INIKA Organic product portfolio is comparable to conventional products—which is why he partners with fashion brands to showcase INIKA at New York Fashion Week events and why he takes great pride in every award the brand wins. Here, Rechtman shares a profile of himself and the brand.
Name: Tony Rechtman, CEO and Founder
Indie Beauty Company: Total Beauty Network (parent company of INIKA Organic)
Launched: 2007
Headquarters: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Cash flow: INIKA Organic is 100% CEO owned. The company receives no outside funding.
Indie how? To me, an indie beauty brand isn’t just about being privately owned, it’s more about challenging the norms of the industry and providing a real, tangible, and superior offering for our tribe of truly natural beauty followers.
Team work: We have 92 employees globally. 70 full time and 22 part time.
Distribution: INIKA Organic is sold in over 35 countries worldwide. We stock through salons, spas, beauty stores, departments, and premium health stores. We also have our online distribution through www.inikaorganic.com as well as selected premium and natural beauty online retailers.
Years in beauty: 25
Years at INIKA Organic: I founded Total Beauty Network in 2004 and introduced INIKA Organic in 2007 – so 13 years now.
Entrepreneurial philosophy: I am a firm believer that everything is possible and it’s important to have a strong sense of self belief that we can change and improve the world. My commitment to research and develop in the difficult area of organic, natural and vegan formulations has always been at the forefront of the success of the INIKA Organic brand.
We work for years and push the boundaries to develop world-first new products that are formulated within the parameters of our strict ingredient promise. For example, I wanted to make the world’s first certified organic, natural and vegan lipstick. Anyone in the industry would know that without the use of carmine, beeswax or synthetic colour, this is extremely hard to do. I had suppliers laugh at me when I told them my plans. I worked on that formulation for almost five years and then the Chili Red Lipstick Crayon came to market. It’s now an award winner and one of our best sellers.
The approach to that formulation is the same approach I take to all new products – with our longest product development INIKA Organic Skincare, taking me over five years to develop. I will never release an INIKA Organic product to market unless I am 100% confident it’s challenges the status quo and is on-par or has superior performance to its synthetic counterparts.
The business: At INIKA Organic, we give women healthier choices in beauty. We only use 100% natural high performing ingredients and have all of our products backed by certifications, so consumers worldwide know they are purchasing quality products. We understand that natural and organic is a great offering, but won’t be repurchased if it doesn’t perform, so we put our products to the ultimate performance test – the New York Fashion Week runways; three years running.
The wow-factor: At INIKA Organic, we are pioneers in the natural and clean beauty space. We go the extra mile to ensure every single product released to market is backed by some of the world’s highest certifications including Certified Organic, Certified Vegan, Certified Cruelty Free and Certified Halal. We continually push the boundaries of organic science and have developed many world-first natural and organic beauty products that actually perform.
The consumer: People across the globe looking for a healthier beauty choice. The are looking to detox their entire lives including their beauty routines. The reason they choose INIKA Organic is because we are the healthiest on the market. Our definition of clean is 100% natural and is backed by certifications that prove it.
Milestone moment: Every day, I am so proud and humbled that our A-beauty brand has grown to the point it now has a physical presence in over 35 countries globally. If you had said that’s where the brand would be at when we first started, I’m not sure if I would have believed you! I also pinch myself every time we take home gold in prestigious awards such as Glamour Magazine or the UK Beauty Awards. It really proves that we are creating superior, clean beauty products.
Advice for fellow beauty entrepreneurs: Believe in yourself 100%. Have a firm vision, stick to it and never give up. Don’t ever lose sleep thinking of failure and be 100% sure you have a product that has a clear point of difference to what is currently available on the market.
Just one: Asked about his go-to product, Rechtman admits, I am not a male that wears a lot of makeup; however, I always make sure I have our lip serum – on my desk, in my briefcase, in my suitcase and in my car. It’s a really great product to ensure my lips are always hydrated and not chapped. In saying that, having just launched our skincare range I use the INIKA Organic day cream everyday and I am seeing a noticeable difference to the quality and health of my skin.
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Deanna Utroske is a leading voice in the cosmetics and personal care industry as well as in the indie beauty movement. As Editor of CosmeticsDesign.com, she writes daily news about the business of beauty in the Americas region and regularly produces video interviews with cosmetics, fragrance, personal care, and packaging experts as well as with indie brand founders.
Deanna will be traveling next to the Personal Care Product Council’s annual meeting; if you’ll be there too and have beauty business news to share, feel free to contact her at deanna.utroske@wrbm.com