ASTANA – The beauty industry has been significantly affected in recent years by sustainability trends as cosmetic companies have made attempts to become greener in terms of packaging, formulations and ingredients. Bioton, one of the leading Kazakh companies producing bioactive cosmetics based on natural components, is following this global movement.
The company’s rejuvenation formula has been manufactured for more than 17 years by professional beauticians and technologists with an excess of 35 years of cosmetology experience. The company has a distribution network of more than 100 points of sale in Almaty and 25 additional locations across the country.
Alexander Ryabtsovsky
The company was founded in 1998 when Ryabtsovsky, a chemist by occupation, and his partner decided to create a unique product. At the time, hyaluronic acid was a rare commodity in the cosmetic market.
“We created it and decided to make a rejuvenating cosmetic based on natural oils and extracts. At first our products gave a good effect, but they were more like healing ointments. Later, we radically revised the recipe and created products with a pleasant smell and high organoleptic properties,” Ryabtsovsky said in an interview for this story.
The peculiarities of the sharp continental climate, high altitude, ultraviolet radiation and other negative factors are taken into account in making beauty recipes. It is important to protect the skin from the effects of negative factors and nourish, moisturise and increase its activity.
“We focus on producing exceptional skin care products,” said Ryabtsovsky. “The naturalness of our cosmetics is more than 90-95 percent. Our cosmetics have the major advantage compared to the branded cosmetics – an affordable price. Moreover, it is created especially for the residents of our region.”
“Our beauty products meet the luxury cosmetics standards and are manufactured under the logo of Bioton Lux. We are more like an innovative laboratory, as we manufacture custom-made products. Our main objective is to protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet radiation and wind with a healing effect,” he added.
The company currently produces 55 types of products for home use and 30 professional cosmetic items created by special request.
The company makes 18 types of masks ranging in price from 220-250 tenge (US$0.64-$0.73). Lotions and micellar water vary from 900-1,200 tenge (US$2.64-$3.53), creams from 1,000-1,800 tenge (US$2.94-$5.29), serum from 2,500-3,000 tenge (US$7-$8) and peelings from 3,000-3,500 tenge (US$8-$10).
“Our main criterion is to do products that are different from the other brands in providing the maximum effect. Our company doesn’t have a huge profit. We invest in the development of new cosmetic lines. We create our own recipes with luxury cosmetics components,” he said.
Production is checked at all stages. The company has a club of volunteers who are ready to test its new beauty lines.
“We are working closely with an Israeli cosmetology centre, which has unique equipment, and we also carry out the tests of the effectiveness of our products there. Our masks are the most popular and are in great demand. They are made from a variety of bioactive components, herbs and minerals from our region. The combination of natural ingredients gives a noticeable result,” added Ryabtsovsky.
Recently, Bioton released micellar water, a new product made from organic ingredients. The recipe includes unique bio-energy water from mountain streams, which has a beneficial effect on the skin of the people in the region. It allows the bioactive components to enter into the skin and protects it from free radicals.
The company purchases some ingredients and packaging, as certain items are not produced in Kazakhstan. There are also two centres in Almaty where customers can get tips from a cosmetologist, learn about their skin type and receive a professional care programme.
“We are pleased to work with pharmacies, because, in fact, we produce cosmeceutical products. It is necessary to have specialised education to explain the activities of our products. We receive a lot of positive feedback from our clients and this greatly inspires us,” he said.
