A natural process of creation

November 8, 2017 – Marina Engervik

development of facial cleanser and face cream

The professional magazine Kosmetikk writes about us and our unique development process to create an organic and natural face cream in a class of its own. The cream will be launched in about a month and in this interview you can read all about it. We are very much looking forward to launching the cream in a month's time!

A natural process of creation

Marina Engervik, the founder of the Norwegian skincare brand Marina Miracle, talks about the unique product development that led to the launch of her first cream.

– When developing a new skincare product, it often starts with a need. For me, it was such a need that led me to create my very first product, Herbal Face Oil. I am primarily interested in nutritious ingredients, and since facial oils offer the opportunity to use the finest ingredients in their purest form, I have until now focused a lot on formulating facial oils and serums, says Marina Engervik, who founded the Marina Miracle brand in January 2014.

The business grew, and she also began to accommodate the wishes and needs of customers. Many
wanted a face cream that could be used over the facial oil they already had, and that provided extra moisture to the skin. She had to consider this, and thus began a long development process.

“Since many people are trying natural skin care either for the first time or giving it a second chance, it is important that all products we place on the market represent the best we can offer. The process of developing a cream turned out to take over two years,” she says. The oils are composed of only effective ingredients, while a cream needs other substances in addition to create an emulsion that gives a creamy consistency.

– A cream can be compared to a pretty “wrapper”, while my focus has only been on the contents. I am hopelessly meticulous and picky when it comes to creams, so I had to develop a cream that retained as many nutritious ingredients as possible, and that met my requirements, she says.

Creating an all-natural cream that feels velvety and comfortable, absorbs quickly, doesn't feel sticky, and actually works was an exciting project.

– After 56 formulation versions and countless test rounds, we came up with a formula that was completely unique and in a class of its own. The new cream contains a combination of both exotic and Norwegian ingredients. All the ingredients are there for a reason, and they all have their tasks and complement each other. We spend a lot of time testing ingredients from different suppliers to choose the ones with the best quality. In some cases, we have to buy raw materials to make the ingredients ourselves. The nettle extract found in the new cream is a good example of this. The nettles are picked in Finnmark by a supplier and sent to our production facilities where an extract is made. Nettle has a very soothing effect on eczema and irritated skin, and it also relieves inflamed skin, she says. In addition to pure oils from acai, jojoba, argan and coconut, she uses a water base made from probiotic fermented acai berries and raspberries. To give the cream a nice and spreadable consistency, she uses algae sourced from the west coast of Norway.

– The algae also protects the skin from pollution and adds good nutrients. Natural beetroot extract gives the cream a cool, pink color, and also has a firming effect on the skin. We use preservatives that are also used as preservatives in the food industry. Only completely safe and effective ingredients from start to finish, she says.

She has used probiotics in her products since the launch of the Sweet & Creamy Oil Cleanser in 2015.

– At that time, we had already been working for a long time on optimizing our probiotics. We have developed our own unique probiotic culture with live bacteria that helps the skin's bacterial flora and also has a balancing effect on the skin. With the probiotic culture as a base, we can make different fermentation juices from plants, berries and fruits. In the facial cleanser, we have broccoli sprouts, tomato sprouts and alfalfa sprouts, and in the new cream we use whole acai and raspberry berries. What is so fantastic about probiotic fermentation in skin care is that during this process, the berries break down, and the molecules become smaller and easier for the skin to absorb. You also get all the nutrients from the whole berry, and not just from the oil or juice. The process helps us utilize the entire growth. Something that both feels good for us and is very good for the skin, she says.

One of the biggest challenges in producing natural skincare is the variations in the ingredients and raw materials used in the products.

– If the oil is pressed from nuts/kernels/seeds that are collected in the summer versus the winter, the color and scent of the oil will often vary. This will in turn cause small variations in the finished product. There are also other factors that come into play, such as soil, weather and temperature. Every time we receive fresh ingredients or raw materials from a supplier, there will always be small variations. If a customer experiences that a natural skincare product is not exactly the same as the last one she or he bought, there is not necessarily anything wrong with the product. It may be new, fresh ingredients that are experienced differently. The product is still the same, and has the same, good effect, emphasizes Marina.

Another common challenge is durability.

– In natural skin care, we use preservatives that are milder and better for the skin than what is traditionally used in skin care. Natural preservatives are complicated to work with, and the pH balance of the product is very important. This requires extensive testing for stability and shelf life. Shelf life can also be extended with the help of proper packaging, and we have therefore chosen a completely sealed bottle that prevents the cream from being exposed to air, she explains. She is proud to have reached her goal, and will soon present her first natural and organic cream, Acai Hydra Cream. It is a light face cream that is applied over facial oil to add extra moisture, nourishment and protection against pollution.

The cream has a fresh berry scent and a velvety texture that absorbs quickly into the skin. It will restore the skin's moisture level and make the skin soft and healthy, and it is suitable for all skin types.

– This is a cream that meets all my requirements, and I love it! When I use the cream over the facial oil, it really gives the skin something extra, and it feels so soft and delicious. It is a very refreshing cream that I hope customers will also love! It will be very exciting to follow the launch, and I look forward to continuing to work on creating natural and effective skin care, says Marina Engervik.

Read the entire magazine here.