Georgia Nelson We get the inside scoop from INIKA founder Tony Rechtman on becoming an industry leader and the importance of sustainable beauty.
Australian-owned and made cosmetics company INIKA Organic has announced its plans to become the world’s first plastic-neutral beauty brand. From 1 April 2022, INIKA will be the first major makeup offering to be certified 100 per cent Plastic Neutral and, alongside its other certifications (certified natural, organic, vegan, cruelty-free and halal), will be the highest certified natural makeup brand in the world.
The announcement came at an exclusive event held last week at The Grounds of Alexandria, where the brand welcomed 80 guests to celebrate the news, along with new-look packaging and new brand ambassador, supermodel Nicole Trunfio.
“I have always wanted to align with a beauty company but I’ve never been ready, or the brand hasn’t matched with my values,” says Trunfio. “With INIKA, it felt so right and I’m so thrilled to be working with a brand that puts its sustainability principles first and the product actually performs”.
According to Tony Rechtman, Total Beauty Network CEO and founder of INIKA, attaining the Plastic Neutral certification by Waste Revolution doesn’t come easily given the beauty industry’s reliance on plastic for packaging.
“It has been a journey, but we are extremely proud that this new collection is made from 90 per cent sustainable and reused materials,” he says. “We have minimised our use of virgin plastic by 84 per cent. INIKA Organic has been certified Plastic Neutral by Waste Revolution – Australia’s leading Plastic Neutral certification body committed to helping organisations measure, reduce and offset their plastic use – a move to protect the environment and the planet.”
We spoke to Tony Rechtman in a SPA+CLINIC exclusive to get his thoughts on becoming a sustainable business and the importance of eco-friendly beauty.
In your opinion and from your experience, what do beauty clinics and spas want from a cosmetic brand? What are the non-negotiables and how does INIKA meet this?
From my 18 years of experience in the industry, it has become apparent that today, more than ever, beauty clinics, spas and their customers are seeking pure cosmetic products made from certified 100 per cent natural ingredients that are not only clinically proven to perform, but also to nurture and nourish a client’s skin. In the natural beauty space, pure organic products are very hard to develop and certify to such high standards. Very few actually deliver high-quality products that look and feel great, so a brand like INIKA Organic, which sets new standards in natural beauty performance with the strictest pure ingredient and performance criteria, has become highly sought after.
Consumers are so much more environmentally aware and so we have continued to innovate with purpose with our stunning new collection. With our new premium look and feel, INIKA is the first makeup brand to be certified Plastic Neutral globally. Certifications are an absolute non-negotiable for us as they are our proof point to our customers. Our ethos is underpinned by transparency and we will never deviate from that.
Sustainability has been a big topic for a while now. What exactly makes a brand ’sustainable’ and how can business owners communicate this to their clients?
For a brand to be sustainable, it needs to be mindful of its impact on the earth at every turn. INIKA translates to ‘Little Earth’ in Sanskrit, and we have always been an earth-first beauty brand. We source our 100 per cent natural botanical extracts and minerals from the purest locations on earth, and as a vegan and cruelty-free brand, we always put pure and purpose first.
Whilst a lot of brands talk about their sustainability plans and goals, INIKA has taken action. 90 per cent of our new collection packaging is made from sustainable and recycled materials such as aluminium, glass, sugarcane and PCR plastic (post-consumer recycled plastic), allowing INIKA to drastically offset its plastic footprint. We have minimised our virgin plastic use from 8.1 tonnes to 1.3 tonnes.
We have worked with Australia’s leading Plastic Neutral Certification Body Waste Revolution to ensure that for every kilogram of plastic we put into the environment, INIKA pays for an equivalent kilogram to be collected and repurposed into fire-proof fence posts used to help Australian farming communities rebuild after fires and droughts. In 2022, 4.7 tonnes of plastic will be collected for this purpose and donated to Australians in need.
Businesses can communicate their sustainable efforts in many ways. One great way is creating a sustainability plan and making this public to consumers so they are able to see the internal initiatives made to benefit the planet. We really hope the industry follows our lead, as we know consumers value environmentally conscious brands and we need to work as a collective to protect our planet.
What kind of support do businesses get from Total Beauty Network (TBN) when they are stockists?
INIKA is passionate about always supporting our retail partners, which was naturally highlighted over the past few years when customer service was paramount. 90 per cent of our business is via brick and mortar retailers because we believe in consumers physically touching and feeling our products. We have a dedicated salon sales team of 12 nationally and offer in-store and online training. Our policy is to never discount, so our retail partners, spas and salons are not competing with online retailers. We also have great incentives for our retail partners and we have a steadfast policy of coming to visit them in-store.
INIKA will debut its new Plastic Neutral collection globally to 35 countries and online via their website and at spas, salons, health stores and e-tailers from 1 April 2022.
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