The Italian Bakel wants to export his cosmetics to France and the USA

As one of the most important brands of high-end cosmetics in Italy, Bakel wants to consolidate its activity abroad with an offer of innovative products that are claimed to be “pure and effective”. A concept that may seem simplistic or relatively new, and yet: the Italian brand has been working in this direction for fourteen years. Transferred in 2019 in the bosom of one of its compatriots, the perfume specialist Culti Milano, it now aims for greater growth outside the borders of its own country and must do this prepared “a selective expansion plan”.

“Our results show the logical development of our company”, assures doctor Raffaella Gregoris to FashionNetwork.com. She founded the company in 2008. With a background in chemistry, she worked for ten years in other Italian multinational companies. Already in 2009, the entrepreneur understood that the concept of her first product should be centered on the following bases: “No unnecessary ingredients, 100% active ingredients”. Today, the brand offers a complete range of more than 30 skin care products: cleansers, serums and moisturizers for the face or body, positioned in a high-end segment.

The effectiveness of its cosmetics and their innovative nature are the basis of Bakel, according to Raffaella Gregoris. “Basically, all our ingredients are meant to be absorbed and provide scientifically proven benefits. It sounds easy, but it’s not,” she smiles. To respect this philosophy, the brand had to remove all preservatives, perfume, alcohols, heavy metals and petroleum derivatives from its products.“To find the best possible ingredients, it is important to use biological and natural active ingredients and to promote technological innovation,” she explains.

Projects and certifications

But having effective products is not enough in the cosmetic jungle. You also have to make yourself known to customers and educate them in a market where noise is omnipresent and where marketing labels are more touted than each other. “To know if you are buying good quality cosmetics, you should not rely on the price or the distribution in pharmacies or drugstores. You need to know how to interpret the list of ingredients”, emphasizes Raffaella Gregoris. “Educating consumers” is a big challenge for her industry, “even more so if we take into account the proliferation of ‘pure beauty’ brands”, she points out.

Bakel’s differentiation strategy is based on transparency and traceability, where the packaging indicates the exact number of ingredients, their function and origin, as well as the product’s expiry date (an indication that is not mandatory in the ‘European Union, if the shelf life is longer than 30 days. Generally mentions the products a “Period after opening”, indicating the period within which they must be used after opening, red note). Bakel cosmetics have an application system without opening to avoid direct exposure to light and heat and contact with fingers.

“We have worked hard to achieve vegan and ‘cruelty-free’ certification from the EU,” continues the chemist. Environmentally responsible certifications and projects have an important role to play in reducing the production of packaging waste and promoting refillable products.

The brand has just released an innovation that took seven years to develop: a three-dimensional technology for formulating cosmetic products protected by five patents, which could also be used in other sectors such as medicine and pharmacy. “We used it for our Jalu-3D hyaluronic acid product, which has a very high absorption rate thanks to its use in the form of 3D sheets”, explains the entrepreneur, who joins the floor and gives us a demonstration. The hyaluronic acid used comes from the USA and the price can vary between 70 euros and 3,800 euros per kilo.

Distributed in spas, high-end pharmacies and certain perfumeries in Italy, Bakel currently generates 70% of its revenue in its country of origin. “We have made great progress on the Italian market in recent years. We will stop developing our distribution network from 400 or 500 points of sale in pharmacies in order not to deny our positioning”, predicts Raffaella Gregoris. “Abroad, we have the USA and France in our sights. We will use the same strategy as in our country and find a balance between the offer of beauty and well-being”, she adds. In France, the brand is currently only offered at the Bon Marché in Paris. Bakel recently entered the Asian market with a first distributor in Thailand.

At the same time, the company manages its communication, marketing and sales activities from its offices in Milan, while research and development and logistics are managed from Udine (in the Venice region). According to its director, its online store achieves a “very interesting” turnover.