Take two siblings, a mother named Gerd, an interest in beauty care plus genuine ecological thinking, and replace mineral oils with berry seed oils. What do you get? Care of Gerd, of course. Ecological beauty products manufactured in Jokkmokk.
It all began in 2008 when siblings Anna-Lena Viklund Rippert and Johan Viklund decided to realize a dream and start an organic beauty company. With empty hands, lots of ideas, and plenty of determination, they’re well on their way toward their goal of becoming one of the leading organic beauty brands in the global market.
“We’re working on it. Next year marks our tenth anniversary, we’re following our plan and have come a long way,” says Anna-Lena cheerfully.
Longing for Genuine Authenticity
Going back a few more years, academic Anna-Lena ran her own beauty and health business in Jokkmokk. Johan had started his career as a hairdresser in Jokkmokk and Luleå before becoming a stylist in Stockholm, where he also had a production company launching products for major beauty giants in the market. Alongside this, he studied marketing and economics. Everything was actually fine, but something didn’t feel right. Not just the thought of mineral oils in the products.
“I love both countryside and city, but I felt I needed authenticity,” Johan explains.
He went home and there at the kitchen table, he and Anna-Lena formulated their business plan, which they have since followed to the letter. Mother Gerd contributed her name when they needed to communicate the company’s core values. She symbolized everything they wanted to express – authenticity, Swedish Lapland, and care for nature, animals, and people. The Care of Gerd brand became a reality.
“Our parents have always refined everything nature has provided – meat, fish, herbs, and berries. We wanted to work with raw materials from Jokkmokk; berries, herbs, and birch. We decided early on that we wanted to know exactly what we put in our products,” says Johan.
“Not many competitors work like this. Many buy contract manufactured products and just stick their own label on them.”
Cruise Ships Market the Products
Their small-scale production began in a basement location in central Jokkmokk. They had full control of the chemistry, and they picked berries and birch leaves themselves in the forest. Some investors scratched their heads in confusion while others immediately got the concept.
Today, production takes place in the sun-yellow Beauty Factory on Hantverkargatan in Jokkmokk. The market spans all of Sweden with nearly 300 retail locations, as well as Europe and Japan. These range from spa facilities to eco-stores, hairdressers, pharmacies, and therapists. They’ve just hired more staff and are expanding the factory again, just one year after the previous renovation.
“We’ve invested in a machine that will increase production tenfold,” explains Anna-Lena.
It’s needed. New retailers and larger exciting customers are constantly being added. Among others, they’ve become the complete supplier for Åre Holiday Club and Petter Stordalen’s hotel At Six. Global sales are increasing thanks to three cruise ships in New York, the Mediterranean, and the Bahamas, which circulate with Care of Gerd products, generating new customers from around the world.
“We have several major interested parties in the pipeline, and now Germany is also waiting,” Anna-Lena reveals mysteriously with a happy tone.
Life Balance
Anna-Lena and Johan describe themselves as control freaks and calculation nerds. They want full control, handle the entire market themselves, and ensure their retailers know the products well. Swedish Lapland and Jokkmokk mean a lot for the brand. A business contact from London was almost shocked when he came to Jokkmokk. He was amazed to discover what clean air actually smells like.
“We want to know our sellers and have therefore traveled around the country and abroad to provide training. We are passionate about this and put in extremely much work ourselves,” explains Anna-Lena.
To keep up with the pace, they and all factory staff have yoga during work hours once a week.
“Johan and I have made a pact. We must take time to exercise, eat well, and sleep to maintain our energy for work. It’s so incredibly fun, but we need a strategy to handle long days and find a good life balance.”
Environmental Awareness Starts in the Bathroom
Johan hopes that more people will realize how the routine use of bathroom products affects the environment. It’s not just hormone-disrupting chemicals and mineral oils that end up in waterways. Strong surfactants, the washing-active substance that creates foam, as well as plastics and microplastics in shampoos and especially conditioners slip through even the most effective treatment plants.
“Many people buy organic bananas and coffee but don’t think the same way about what they flush out when they shower,” says Johan.
“Some face and body scrubs that we unknowingly use have beads made of plastic that end up in nature and groundwater! All environmental thinking starts in your bathroom and when you make active choices in the store,” points out Anna-Lena.
Read the Back Label
She encourages active choices, reading the ingredients list and choosing to avoid certain things. Three “Big no-nos” are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), mineral oils, and all types of scrubs with plastic.
“Look for organic materials. We use jojoba beads and apricot kernels for our environmentally friendly scrubs,” says Anna-Lena, who is pleased that many young people are very well-informed and make good choices. Another group that is slowly but surely seeking gentler products is men, who ask for shower cream, shampoo, and skin cleansers.
“Note that even quite macho men shop from us,” says Anna-Lena proudly.
New products are in development. Right now, Care of Gerd is testing a new body scrub and a sensitive series with completely fragrance-free products that will launch in spring 2018.
“There are many people who are very sensitive to fragrances – and small children shouldn’t be exposed to fragrances at all.”
Isn’t it amazing what a little coffee and an enterprising sibling pair with a mother named Gerd can achieve? And this is still just the beginning…
Text: Iréne Lundström