The beginning
The history of cosmetics began thousands of years ago. In ancient Egypt, women used various scented oils and creams to cleanse and moisturize the skin or to protect against the sun and dry wind. Ingredients such as chamomile, lavender, mint, rose, olive oil, sesame oil or almond oil were frequently used for cosmetic purposes.
In the Christian era, in Rome, women were using barley flour or butter to mask skin imperfections, while in India, henna was used to dye hair.
The Middle Ages brought the life of perfumes to Europe, those being imported from the Middle Ages.
A century later they have begun to develop during the Renaissance in Italy and France, while have appeared the main centers of manufacture of cosmetics in Europe. Over the years, cosmetics have experienced a real development, so at the end of the XIX century, they easily create their way to products made on an industrial scale. With the help of scientific studies, cosmetics are evolving more and more and are widespread.
After the 1990s, the demand for cosmetics is growing, but their use remains in an unpopular stage. Women still avoid recognizing attending beauty salons, often using the back door, for fear of being accepted in society as not being natural.
This will quickly change in the coming decades, along with the appearance of major brands (L’Oréal, Revlon, Maybelline), which still have their place on the European market.
In the late 1990s, cosmetics consumers, pressured by time and the fast pace of everyday life, choose more easy-to-use products, for example replacing traditional solid soap with different liquid variants, such as shower gel, shampoo and liquid soap. As consumer needs have gone through various stages through the history of cosmetics, we can see that in the last 10 years, cosmetics manufacturers have focused on developing products as natural as possible and on how they affect the environment.
Nowadays, consumers turn their attention to cosmetics formulated as carefully as possible, so that their impact on health and nature is as small as possible.
With the growing interest of consumers regarding the safety of products usage, the performance and environmental responsibility, the current trend towards nature-friendly products has developed.
According to recent studies, 68% of consumers prefer to buy natural, organic, vegan products and 95% of consumers are now more careful with the product labels than 10 years ago.
Increased attention is also paid to the sources used to obtain the ingredients, especially the natural ones. With the interest in natural ingredients, more and more areas are focusing on the use of coconut and palm oil.
Who are we?
CAHM Europe started its activity in the field of cosmetics in 2009, creating and developing cosmetics, as well as hotel accessories. To date, it has successfully managed to meet the needs and requirements of the consumer, becoming one of the largest producers of solid, liquids and disinfectant soaps in Southeast Europe. In our portfolio there are various hotel ranges, created to satisfy the requirements of the most demanding customers. From the Holiday Care range, which is one of the most accessible on the market, to Sense (our first launched range, remaining until present one of the most successful lines), Botanika, I am You and Omnia. The lattest ranges are designed in accordance with the environment or eco-friendly as we like to call them, so CAHM offers its customers liquids and soaps in various shapes and weights, from tubes to bottles of various sizes and perfumes.
The current requirements in the cosmetic field
In recent years, more and more companies are focusing on the usage of recyclable and biodegradable packaging.
Cosmetics manufacturers are increasingly supporting producers of raw materials, in order to avoid the running-out of available natural resources, as well as the destruction of the environment.
In this sense, CAHM pays more attention to the used ingredients, this is the main reason our products are based on raw materials such as palm flakes from sustainable sources, and recyclable PET is used at the packaging level.
The new Sense liquid soaps have been developed with deep respect and admiration for both people and nature. They were produced in two variants: Sense Honey & Melon with neutral pH and Sense Lactic acid tested bactericidal with Papaya and pH 4. The packaging used is Bio PET, as the company focuses mainly on sustainability.
A large part of the products packaging from the CAHM portfolio has been replaced with new ones, that respect the current trends.
In Omnia hotel range, the accessories are nicely wrapped in special and different packaging compared to everything that currently exists on the hotel market. The packaging is envelope-shaped with easy opening due to the pre-cut. The packaging is based on the soft-touch concept, being made of 100% stone powder, extremely pleasant and delicate, 100% resistant to moisture, and the printed writing with biodegradable vegetable ink demonstrates CAHM’s care for the environment and fitting into the contemporary trends.
The first eco-aware range, but also the most successful both on the local market and on export, remains Botanika.
Designed in accordance with the environment, the materials used for packaging the accessories are 100% biodegradable, using recycled cardboard (kraft) and vegetable paint.
Among the accessories of the Botanika range are special products, often found in the hotel cosmetics industry, such as a biodegradable shower cap with 40% corn extract, biodegradable comb with 40% straw extract, hygienic set containing biodegradable wooden ear sticks, toothbrush teeth with 40% straw extract and a dental set containing a 100% biodegradable bamboo toothbrush.
These details, among with the care offered for the used ingredients have helped maintain this range on the market, along with the great success that is still present.