COSMETICS IN COLOMBIA (continued from page 35)
companies based on sustainability and the application of biotechnology. This will provide cosmetics and toiletries investors with clear rules relating to the access and use of biological and genetic resources derived from biodiversity. Bogotá, the country’s capital and largest city, is thriving with new companies, four-star restaurants and universities, such as the Universidad de los Andes, which is conducting some of the most competitive research in sustainability and bio-technology in the world. Chemists and researchers at the Universidad de los Andes and the Universidad de Antioquia are able to produce foodstuffs without growing the actual product—a concept that becomes significantly more important as the world population increases and workable land decreases. Colombian production of cosmetics and toiletries has doubled in 10 years, and many international companies now have a presence in Colombia including Waliwa Co-Founders and Owners Kimberly Clark, Avon and Unilever. In addition, Proexport Colombia has been Myriam Moya and Martha Neira instrumental in introducing Waliwa Amazonian Natural Products, a private company founded and owned by two Pharmacists, Martha Neira and Myriam Moya. The unique line of Waliwa skincare products trace their origins to the rich raw materials only found in the Colombian Amazon. One product, Amazon Balm for Lush Lips, is a hydrating lip conditioner housed inside a special Andean Nogal nut that is designed to moisturize and protect lips while minimizing the appearance of fine lines around the mouth. CPL Aromas, founded in 1971, is an independent, international fragrance house headquartered in the UK, with 17 additional locations including France, Germany, Turkey, Hong Kong, Dubai and their newest location in Bogotá. Their fragrance library houses thousands of formulas suited to a vast range of different markets and sectors, fine fragrances as well as industrial. Bogatá is not the only city in Colombia reinventing itself. Like its counterpart, Proexport Colombia in Bogatá, the Agency of Cooperation and Investment of Medellin (ACI) promotes Medellin and the Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley as the ideal destination for foreign companies and investors. A principle example: Avon invested more than $50 million to create an entirely “green” production center. Built in 2010, Avon’s Ecobranch is the first building of any kind in Colombia to be awarded a Leadership in Energy and Environmental CPL Aromas Owner Nick Pickthall Design (LEED) Gold certification. The region is also home to several local companies, including Ecoflora and CECIF. Founded in 1998, Ecoflora is a pioneer Colombian enterprise committed to developing a SERIES (Sustainable, Effective, Responsible, Innovative, Ethical/Eco-Logic and Safe) of ingredients, products and solutions derived from Colombia’s biodiversity. Four of Ecoflora’s main ingredients are useful for multiple industries including the cosmetics and personal care industries. CosmeBlue is extracted from the edible fruit of Jagua sustainably harvested from the rainforests of Choco. Myrica Wax, extracted from Laurel de Cera fruits, is used as a base in cosmetic preparations and creams. Its melting point is similar to the human body temperature, and its almost non-existent odor makes it a very attractive ingredient for body, hair and lip applications as well as for the production of fine soaps. Ungurahua Oil is extracted from the Seje palm and is native to the tropical rainforests of Colombia. It has been ancestrally used by the indigenous communities due to its emollient, soothing, softening, and skin nutrition qualities. It is also used in cosmetic and food applications due to its high nutritive content of omega 9. Ecoflora’s motto is “Food without the toxins, Cosmetics without the guilt, Flowers without the thorns, Pets without the sorrow, Cleaning without the poison.” Founded in 1997 and located in the beautiful hills surrounding Medellin, La Corporacion Centro de la Ciencia y la Investigacion Farmaceutica (CECIF) is a state-of-the-art facility whose main objectives are research and development as directly applied to the cosmetics industry. They also serve as a formulation plant and distribution center for companies that do not have the facilities to produce their own products. With its technological and financial development, along with the support of the Colombian government, this once-troubled country is perfectly positioned CECIF’s Luz Elena Castrillon Aldon and Ilona Gouzy Wiese to become a world leader in the cosmetics industry. BF M AY 2 0 1 2 /
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