Miild: A make-up line based on low- allergen formulations
Just introduce yourself and the startup Miild to our readers
We are Tine Emilie Svendsen and Tanja Gregersen, both professional make-up artists from Denmark with a strong passion for make-up. Our own personal experience with allergies led us to develop Miild: A make-up line based on low- allergen formulations that can be used every day – without the risk of skin reactions.
How did the idea for Miild come about?
As just briefly mentioned, our own allergies gave us the idea to develop an allergy- friendly and at the same time transparent make-up brand with Miild. We wanted to be able to wear great-looking make-up without fear of skin irritation or watery eyes.
Did you know that the number of contact skin allergies is increasing worldwide? We all need to take more care of our skin. All Miild products are specially made for people with allergic or sensitive skin.
What is the vision behind Miild?
We have made it our mission to revolutionise the cosmetics market, by taking allergy friendliness to a new level and combining that with responsibility for our environment. Miild brings women and men worldwide a range of make-up that can be used without the worry of allergic reactions; caring for body and environment alike.
With Miild we combine purity and sustainability with our professional beauty know- how. Our goal was to create a make-up line with optimal quality, long-lasting effects and a natural finish.
Together with the Danish environmental agency Miljøstyrelsen, we have launched an information campaign help girls aged between 13 and 16 make better informed choices with beauty products. We want to share our knowledge and experience with young girls, women, mothers and everyone who uses cosmetics and make-up so they know what to look out for and can identify cosmetics that they can trust. Make- up that’s free from perfume and common allergens yet retains a high quality, durable finish .
From the idea to the start: what were the biggest challenges so far and how did you finance the venture?
As make-up artists, we make strong demands of the quality of our products. We put our heart and soul into the concept and the development of the Miild collection. Each product has been carefully thought out, tested time and again and refined and improved until we were absolutely satisfied. We are our own harshest critics and feel responsible for our make-up and its impact on our environment. The biggest challenges we faced were creating products that met the high standards demanded by make-up artists, yet also prove to our customers that make-up can be allergy- friendly, pure and sustainable.
Getting the funding for the first production was a huge challenge. Product development took three years – that meant no salary for us as founders. We received financial support from the Danish Growth Fund, which enabled us to take out a loan. We were then supported by a Danish Business Angel.
Who is the target group of Miild?
Our Miild concept is for all those who prefer a pure and natural alternative when choosing make-up, for all those who suffer from allergies, or want the lowest possible risk of developing allergies in the first place. And of course for everyone who values sustainability, and care for the environment.
What is so special about Miild make-up?
We are proud to be the first make-up brand with these three established certificates: The AllergyCertified seal means that scientists have checked all ingredients to minimise the risk of allergies. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is the official Scandinavian eco-label. The complete environmental impact of a product is assessed – from raw materials to production to disposal – and strict requirements are placed on all ingredients. The ECOCERT COSMOS Organic seal guarantees that at least 95% of the ingredients in our products are of natural origin. In addition, at least 95% of all herbal ingredients and 10% of all ingredients must be organically grown.
At Miild, we don’t want our products to contain substances that could cause hormonal imbalances, so we always look for a natural alternative..
What are the advantages of Miild?
Our make-up products are delicate and suitable for everyday use and contain natural ingredients such as sweet almond oil. The range consists of basics that can be combined in different ways: our eye shadow is also doubles as an eyebrow color – so you can achieve the look you want with fewer products.
All our products are fragrance-free and many of the vegetable ingredients such as castor oil, shea butter, apricot kernel oil, sunflower oil, olive oil or almond oil are organically grown. In addition, all our products are free from parabens, silicones, controversial colorants, as well as petrochemicals and bismuth chloride oxide.
What’s the feedback been?
In Denmark, we’ve received very positive feedback from customers and Miild is already available in retail stores. Our customers have said that the allergy certification of our make-up gives them clarity about the quality and purity of our products. That’s why it was so important for us to have our Miild make-up certified right from the start.
We’ve just brought the brand to Germany: early feedback from German consumers has been very good. With our partner klarify.me, a web shop for allergy sufferers, we’re able to reach the people that we developed Miild to help. We are very excited about the coming months and always looking forward to feedback!
Can you describe a typical workday?
It’s really different from day to day. There’s usually meetings with our team about product development, strategy and marketing. We also like to spend time out meeting our customers in store to get real live feedback.
Miild, where are we going? Where do you see yourselves in five years?
First of all, we want to develop further products that our customers need. Our vision in five years is to be the leading global sustainable make-up brand.
Finally: What 3 tips would you give to prospective founders?
1. It’s important to build a strong team with different skills.
2. Creating a test product and bringing it directly to consumers can help you see quickly how people use it and to understand where the market is going.
3. Don’t just talk about your ideas, go and build them!
Picture:Bild: Nicolas Tobias Følsgaard
More information you will find here
Thank you Tine Emilie Svendsen and Tanja Gregersen for the Interview
Statements of the author and the interviewee do not necessarily represent the editors and the publisher opinion again.
