In the awards autumn series of blog posts, we get to know the brands behind the nominee products of the Nordic Natural Beauty Awards 2023. In this post, we are proud to share more about the Swedish natural cosmetics brand Oquist Cosmetics, as told by the brand:

“Oquist Cosmetics was founded in 2021 by a father and daughter duo, Olga Ringquist and Pavels Babnejevs. They both have an extensive background in the beauty industry – Pavels with more than 20 years in the production and sourcing of natural cosmetics and Olga in marketing and strategy. Their joint passion for sustainability, the skin’s inherent power, and arts led to what has become Oquist Cosmetics – Waterless & Multifunctional Skincare in Terracotta Sculptures.

Oquist Cosmetics is the world’s first luxury skincare in ceramic sculptures that are refillable or repurposable. Their formulas are waterless which has a tremendous effect on their carbon footprint as a cosmetic brand, but also on the skin microbiome due to the natural formulas and absence of preservatives. What usually catches the eye of their consumers is the unusual ceramic packaging that looks nothing like cosmetics at all, but rather as chick interior decor that fits perfectly in a trendy Instagram feed. They are calling this concept “Skinterior”.

‘We are still surprised by how many people purchase our products online without having smelled or tried them before’, says Olga Ringquist. ‘Our packaging concept drives a curiosity that eventually leads people who have never tried natural or waterless cosmetics before to doing so. In a way we convert non-conscious consumers to make conscious choices, a branding strategy for which we have been called “The Tesla of Beauty”.‘

Aside from the truly unique packaging concept the waterless formulas are developed to be multifunctional, genderless and ageless. They are created with the belief that our inherent mechanisms for skin rejuvenation and hydration should be part of the skincare process, so instead of suppressing them Oquist’s formulas are created to help them thrive. 

 A standard skincare product on the market contains of 70-95% water which is there mainly to fill out the bottle as a so-called “filler” that has no other function than to fill up an empty space (at the very low price of purified water). From a sustainability perspective this standard industry practice leads to unnecessary volume, weight and packaging that is shipped around the world. It also dilutes the products which makes them run out faster, which leads to overconsumption.

From a skin and microbiome perspective the vast amounts of water needs to be paired with all kinds of irritating ingredients in order to hold a stable formulation over time. These ingredients may not be dangerous in themselves, but they are not really doing any long term good for the skin either. By excluding water from their formulas Oquist is tackling both the long term health of the skin as well as the planet.

Oquist’s products are created for anyone who cares about the planet, the long term health of their skin and the interior of their bathroom.

Oquist’s main body care product – The 5 in 1 Butter is nominated in the Nordic Natural Beauty Awards this year. Suiting all skin types the deliciously scented formula has been referred to as a “luxurious dessert souffle” by the brand’s customers. The formula is quite dense due to the absence of water which lets the whipped shea butter act as base of the product. Olga encourages Oquist’s customers to use the product on wet skin, for instance right after the shower instead of drying up with a towel. The formula helps capsule the water molecules that are left on the skin and helps penetrate them into the skin layers. The product is equally good without added water, for instance on specific areas that needs that caring extra moist.

The packaging can be reused as a candle holder or a vessel for anything powdery or liquid – your imagination is the limit. But beware – it will take quite some time before you will be able to reuse the packaging, the waterless formula lasts for ages!

‘The brand is growing organically and can now be found in 18 locations across Europe’, says Olga Ringquist. ‘We are mentioned in several global beauty trend reports of 2023 and have had numerous free publications in media such as Vogue, The Telegraph, Glamour etc. There are two new product launches coming soon – The 6in1 Elixir and the 5in1 Cleansing Oil that we have been waiting for for literally ages! After this we consider our portfolio as complete, it’s 5 products that together equal 27 functions which we think is more than enough for a complete skincare routine. We have major plans and ideas for how to take the brand to the next level and are very excited over what’s coming in the near future.‘

‘We are forever thankful to Nordic Natural Beauty Awards since that’s how the brand really started in 2021. With only one product ready for launch we decided to join the awards and launch much earlier than we initially had planned. If it hadn’t been for the Nordic Natural Beauty Awards we might still have been waiting for that brand launch till this day’.”

Get to know Oquist Cosmetics even better on the brand’s website at oquistcosmetics.com and follow the brand’s journey on Oquist Cosmetics’ Instagram account >