A new industry is born
What initially began as an allergy to artificial smells has led to one of the most unique commercial success stories of Armenia. With an unadulterated scientific approach, coupled with a commitment to sustainability, and quality, Nairian is unlike any other company in the country at this moment. As the first all-natural based cosmetics brand in Armenia, they have created an industry that has not existed here prior.
“I would go find a store with natural cosmetics and spend hours there. When we were coming to Armenia, I used to bring them with me because natural cosmetics was not developed here. So, this idea was somewhere in the air, around a hobby, interest in plants, flowers -- I love growing something in my backyard. So, two kinds of interests came together,” said Head of Research and Development and co-founder, Anahit Markosian.
Founded in 2011 after four years of extensive research and development, Nairian was ready to enter the market -- today it now offers sixty different formulas and forty products ranging from skin care, face care, body care and specialized care for acne and aging skin. Because of the country’s unique biodiversity, all the ingredients in their products are cultivated solely in different regions of Armenia. This component of the business is the heartbeat of the company, and in doing so, Nairian is making constant efforts to drive long-term benefits, both economically and environmentally.
“We wanted to address the rapidly growing demand for natural cosmetics and high-quality essential oils by tapping into the unique natural resources of Armenia and combining that with the high human potential here,” said co-founder, Ara Markosian.
“Few companies make their ingredients -- especially starting from seeds, growing the plants, and making the ingredients. We use the principles of aromatherapy, in which we mix these essential oils, not only to have a pleasant smell, but also to create the correct function for the product,” he said.
Along with the aromatherapy practices, Nairian does not use any artificial fragrances or preservatives and discloses every ingredient on their product labels. These key pillars, and being transparent, are the ethos of the brand that distinguishes them in the category.
“The goal was to put Armenia on the global map of premium cosmetics and essential oils producers, as Armenia was not producing such things. We wanted to penetrate into the international market by presenting the best secret of these types of products in the world.
“Using scientific research and principles of aromatherapy to develop our cosmetic product is one of the most important things that we do. Moreover, not many companies use pure, 100% essential oils in the quantities that we do, because we make them ourselves.” Mr. Markosian continues.
According to Anahit, “essential oils are unyielding compounds, even though when you are using a very low percentage. A small amount of 0.2%, 0.3% can influence the skin function. That is why the combination of these things makes us unique.”
Armenia produces over 1200 plant species with potent medicinal properties that make them ideal for producing high quality essential and carrier oils. Both possessing unique skill sets -- Anahit, a trained physicist, and Ara, a mathematician turned Silicon-Valley entrepreneur, identified an opportunity within the country’s herbalism tradition to tackle this type of endeavor.
“We also want to revive Armenian traditions of herbalism and medicine. We are not just mechanically taking and using ancient formulas, but reviving the spirit, applying modern science to excellent natural resources: high altitude, sun, organic soil,” said Anahit.
The company understands the importance of increasing the profile of Armenia internationally. The notion being that despite its size, it offers an immense amount of potential -- especially when business is conducted in a sustainable manner. “It is a small country, but very precious in terms of its natural resources and needs to remain as such. We need to develop only sustainable kinds of production, and because we are landlocked and have these difficulties of transporting goods, it is also important that we produce small-volume - high-value things, which we can carry using air,” said Ara.
Now with a complete factory, farm and two showrooms in country’s capital of Yerevan, Nairian recently opened their e-commerce destination for residents in the U.S. and Canada to meet growing demand. Establishing new partnerships is a vital next step to expand their consumer base, having collaborated with different facial laser clinics in the U.S., such as “Prolase” in Glendale. They are currently in talks with various natural cosmetic boutiques, and in the coming year are set to participate in trade shows.
Social responsibility is in the DNA for Nairian, especially as agriculture is at the core of the business. By making all the ingredients locally, this has attributed to job growth in areas which historically have been economically oppressed. Some farmers are now provided other avenues and points of sale for their crops through the creation of these essential oils.
“Another thing that is also paramount: we are active and helping communities. For us, environmental preservation is not just a word, but it is our bread and butter because if we do not have a clean environment and clean harvest, then we do not have products,” said Ara.
“We have created jobs in villages -- and are very proud of that. In the villages, we are diversifying the crops that they are growing because so far in Armenia people are mostly growing either food or vegetables.”
Looking towards the future, Nairian wants to stay true to the approach that has made them such an exciting enterprise to follow. “I think we want to stay focused on what we do, and what we do best. We want to be high-quality, all natural premium cosmetics. We want to remain in that niche, to inform health conscious people to find us and enjoy the high-quality product that we make.
“Maintaining our basic idea of creating the best quality, making our ingredients and making sure that our customers are 100% satisfied. -- our wish is to put Armenia on the map of the highest quality essential oils and natural cosmetics producing countries, so we are also developing internationally, exploring all opportunities to enter new markets,” he said.
For more information on Nairian’s story and their product lines visit www.Nairian.com