Austrian fresh cosmetics and personal care company RINGANA was founded by Andreas Wilfinger & Ulla Wannemacher over 27 years ago. Its products were made with natural and environmentally friendly ingredients from day one.
Although the brand has long produced skin care, hair care and body care products made from fresh ingredients, it has only ventured into baby care for the first time this year.
“We have always observed this market very closely and have now been able to develop a care line for babies and toddlers that finally meets our high standards with selected raw materials in pharmaceutical and organic quality,” explained co-founder Andreas Wilfinger.
“In keeping with our philosophy of freshness and sustainability, this unique care for babies contains no perfume, colorants, mineral oils, silicone or listed preservatives nor allergens.”
Baby care products from fresh ingredients
The brand developed four products for babies. According to Wilfinger, the process took over a year, more than 100 essays and around 20 people just to develop the formulas and prototypes.
“We generally use ingredients that are absolutely pure and sensible only, which is even more important for the super-sensitive skin of babies and children,” he explained.
The products, which are produced in small batches on demand, include:
FRESH baby bum foam as an environmentally friendly alternative to wet wipes. “You just apply it to a cloth and gently cleanse the nappy area, and it can also be used ‘on the road’ for cleaning hands and face. Skin-soothing active ingredients such as witch hazel and cotton extract effectively care for the delicate skin,” explained Wilfinger.
There is also FRESH baby oil, a multipurpose skin care and massage oil that restores lipids. “It grooms dry skin, strengthens the skin barrier, and can be used every day for skin care, baby massage and gentle cleaning,” explained Wilfinger. It’s made with pharmaceutical-grade organic oils from sesame, almond and sunflower.
The third product launch was FRESH baby body and hair wash for gentle cleansing. It has a pH-friendly formulation that’s especially kind and won’t make eyes sting. “This washing gel with skin-soothing extracts of oat, cotton and witch hazel prevents irritation,” he shared. “Ectoin, as a stress protection molecule, supports the skin barrier.”
And finally, there’s FRESH baby bum cream, which protects sensitive baby skin in the nappy area. This soothes irritated, red skin, prevents chafing, strengthens the skin barrier and forms a breathable protective film of natural, high-quality plant oils on the skin.
All RINGANA products have a short expiry date, which Wilfinger is very proud of and considers to be the brand’s ‘greatest USP’. The baby range is no different. The products “have an average shelf life of six months because of absolute freshness and effective products with natural ingredients,” he explained.
Wilfinger also said that when the range launched in March, the first batch of products quickly sold out. “We tried to produce as quickly as possible to meet the market´s requests,” he shared.
Expansion into Mexico
Although Wilfinger said he’s unlikely to launch any more baby care products, the brand does have new products for adults in the pipeline, which are set to launch this autumn but he's keeping tight-lipped on the innovations.
RINGANA’s products are already sold in 34 markets, but the brand is also set to expand into a new market very soon: “What we are especially excited about is our expansion to Mexico,” he shared.
Sustainability and circularity is also still at the heart of the brand and it has recently founded a climate partnership with the Wilderness Area Dürrenstein-Lassingtal, the last remaining primeval forest in Europe.
“With its natural forests, it is important for permanent preservation of rare ecosystems with their animal, plant and fungal species in the long term, shared Wilfinger. “It’s an enormous effort for us, but one in which we are glad to make a long-term investment for our future and our planet.”
