Photo courtesy of dr. Irena Eris

Beauty is a serious business, one that needs to be handled in a
forward-thinking fashion, with sensitive care and the wisdom of
long-range experience. No one understands that better then Dr. Irena
Eris, Poland’s grand dame of the beauty industry. Having built up an
enviable and prestigious cosmetics enterprise around the cult of
cosmetic innovation and premium quality beauty products and services,
her 25-year-old brand has become a household name in Poland and just
about everywhere else in Europe.

The company’s grand future commenced from very humble beginnings in the
1980s, from a makeshift laboratory set up by Dr. Irena Eris and Henryk
Orfinger, a spirited husband-and-wife team. Eris was studying at the
Medical Academy of Warsaw when she met Orfinger, a graduate of the
Department of Transport at the Warsaw University of Technology. They
shared the same vision of building a nimble and smart company that would
design cosmetics and hygiene products based on comprehensive research
and the best possible ingredients. That vision was turned into reality
in 1983, at the height of Socialist power in Poland, when they
kick-started the business in a small one-room workshop in Warsaw. At
first, the dynamic duo employed one single worker and produced one type
of cream at the plant and the monthly output of 3000 cream containers
where distributed personally to each buyer by the family car. Acquiring
satisfactory materials from foreign producers was painstakingly long and
difficult under the strict Communist control, especially given the
massive amounts of compulsory paperwork and the limitations of transport
and communication, but their motivation and drive to develop their
brand inevitably yielded positive results.

The real breakthrough came in 1989, with political and economic changes in
Poland, when private entrepreneurs where suddenly greatly appreciated
and new foreign markets opened up window of opportunity,” explains Eris.
With the stage was set for rapid expansion, the business stepped into a
successful new era by opening a new computer-controlled production
plant in Piaseczno, situated on the outskirts of the Polish capital.
Technological improvements and the availability of innovative components
had begun to make possible the formulation and design of a variety of
different high-class cosmetic products, significant investment and
increasing financial stability made way for employing a number of
skilled professionals, and by 1995, the company had made its presence
felt in the fiercely competitive local cosmetics industry. “We made the
right moves at the right times, but I have to say our success was based
on good timing and a bit of luck. My intuition and sometimes risky,
albeit informed business decisions also played a part in building an
innovative company that is constantly evolving”.

Photo courtesy of dr. Irena Eris

The next chapter of the company’s history was marked by
serious vision, as well as intense competition and
change. In the years leading up to 2001, the Dr. Irena Eris opened its
first cosmetics institute, launched a holistic hotel and spa facility in
Krynica Zdrój - a southern highland spot dubbed “the pearl of Polish
spas” - and, as the first company in Europe, began developing and
distributing beauty serums with high concentration of Vitamin C. And, as
another pioneering achievement, Eris’s self-named venture established
its own state-of-the-art research center, the Center of Science and
Research Dr. Irena Eris, which not only extended the range of
specialized skin care products but also catapulted the company into the
leading position in the Polish cosmetics market.

“We definitely strive for a leading industry role, and we owe our
prominent market position today because of continuous improvement and
innovation, professional services and novel products that cater to the
changing demands of consumers,” says Eris. “The results of our
wide-range research have been multi-fold, including innovative, effective
and safe cosmetics, countless scientific publications about Polish
popular science in top foreign journals, and several presentations in
international and local scientific conferences”.

Cosmetics Across the Board

After 25 years in the beauty business, having successfully navigated through the turbulent
waters of economic change and jungle of capitalistic competition, Eris’s
empire has grown into the most globalized beauty and cosmetics brand in
Poland. At present, the company employs a team of 500 professional
chemists, biologists, allergists, dermatologists and an array of
doctors; and operates 26 Dr. Irena Eris Cosmetics Institutes in Poland,
and one each in Bogota, Colombia, Prague in the Czech Republic and
Kaliningrad in Russia.The company has sixty copyrighted cosmetic
treatments, produces and distributes more than 5,400 cosmetics and has a
monthly output of 1.4 million units, a large part of which is exported
to 24 affiliate trading nations worldwide, from Russia to Ireland, the
United State to Thailand. In 2007, the company reached a peak with
logging an annual turnover of PLN 148 million (GBP 35.6 million), which
represents a strong 17 increase as compared to the clocked PLN 127
million (GBP 30.6 million ) the year before.

Photo courtesy of dr. Irena Eris

Eris’s extensive product portfolio features ten distinctly
positioned holistic skin care lines, catering to women and men of all
ages, who ‘value premium quality products and the effectiveness of their
action’. These cosmetic lotions, running between PLN 80-200 (GBP 20-48)
per container, are available at leading pharmacies, beauty salons and
department stores nationwide, and in international cosmetic chains in
importing countries. “All woman, regardless of whether they are Polish,
Russian, American or British, are similar in nature and they like to
take care of their appearance. Therefore, it is important for use to
encompass beauty in the broadest sense and satisfy the constantly rising
expectations of our clients throughout all markets,” explains Eris.

For women age 25-35, it produces three deluxe lines, including Skin
Mood, a hydrating formula for the face designed to prevent cyclical
hormonal changes from affecting the skin; Sin Skin, a range of facial
cleansers, toners and creams formulated to shield the skin against the
harmful effect of UV radiation, as well as You, a fountain-of-youth-type
serum that counteracts the internal causes of skin deterioration after
30 - linked to the body’s diminishing level of DHEA, a steroid hormone
produced by the body. React!, a nourishing cocktail of active
moisturizing and rejuvenating ingredients - including Hydrocomplex D and
Blue Retinol -, and In Cell, an anti-aging product line both cater to
women in the 35-45 age bracket. One of the latest and most innovative
product lines, Nano Entrèe, targets the mature woman’s skin with strong
anti-wrinkle firming and nourishing properties. Focusing on the growing
skin-care demands of the stronger sex and their burgeoning grooming
sector, Eris created Platinum Men, a high-end line of products using the
cutting-edge Skin Explore System, a technology that uses a combo of
active ingredients and vitamins that are able to penetrate through the
layers of the skin and strengthen the underlying tissues. Through the
years, these product have reaped awards and accolades for cutting-edge
design and excellence in quality, including the British Gold Glamour,
the 2005 Beauty award for best new cosmetic introduced in Great Britain,
Superbrands Polska 2005 and the prestigious Prix d’Excellence Marie
Claire awards.

Chain Reaction of R&R

Aquatic healing and full-body rejuvenation treatments are not new concepts in
the realm of wellness and today’s consumer-oriented focus in healthcare,
but the three high-end spa hotels owned and run by Eris have certainly
upped the standard of quality and service in the modern spa-ificaiton of
Poland. Just as the inaugural resort, the two new recreation facilities
- one in the same Krynica Zdrój area and the other in seductively
tranquil terrain of Wzgórza Dylewskie (Dylewo Hills) in the northern
Mazurian lake district - provide complete cosmetic and medical
procedures. An ideal way to beat the soaring anxiety levels and
work-related stress, these exclusive relaxation centers are each
equipped with an array of massage and beauty parlors,
manicure-pedicure, safe tanning and dermatological rooms and water-based
activities surrounded by spacious, health-seeking visitors can choose
from an assortment of spa- and personalized wellness program,
including special fitness packages for newlyweds and moms-to-be as well
as a ten-day slimming program with biological regeneration (costing
between PLN 5000-6500/GBP 1200-1500 per person) and a five-day
revitalizing program for men (PLN 2600-3300/GBP 530-800).

“Women now in Poland are highly active and well-educated
professionally, and there’s a growing number of us vigorously seeking
new business opportunities and taking leadership positions in
companies,” says the radiant businesswoman, who gives the impression of
knowing how to seize whatever opportunity arises. Now in her fifties,
Eris effortlessly exudes a blend of charm and confidence that
undoubtedly played a part in turning her eponymous empire into an
exemplary picture of success, harmony and wellness. “Determination,
passion and desire to pursue your own dreams is absolutely essential in
business, and if you are strong, revered and respectful to the people
around you, success will be at your fingertips.”

Anna J. Kutor | Content Creator & Strategist

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