On the occasion of the three-year anniversary of the Apivita brand entering the Romanian market, I had the honor of personally meeting her with Niki Panotopoulou Koutsiana, President Apivita and one of the founders of the brand, who gave me an exclusive interview for the readers of the blog. It was a real pleasure to learn how the story of a sweet brand was written (literally) right from one of the main actors.
When and how did the Apivita brand story begin?
I founded Apivita in 1972. My husband Nikos had a pharmacy in Athens, and while I was still in college, I went to practice in his pharmacy and fell in love with him. Nikos came from a family of beekeepers and was very much in love with bees and has been talking to me about the miracle ingredient called propolis ever since. Cosmetics were not sold in pharmacies at that time, as they are now, so we created some natural products that can be sold in pharmacies.
At first Nikos made a single cream, followed by other products based on propolis, royal jelly and Greek herbs. Making a natural product is a complex process that requires a lot of skill and precision, but if you do it with passion and devotion you will succeed.
Apivita was the first brand in Greece to create a natural anti-dandruff hair product that competed with major brands such as Johnson & Johnson and had immediate results.
How many cosmetics did you initially have for sale in your pharmacy?
At first we had 10-12, but because more and more people bought our products in 1979 we took the name Apivita and expanded our sales to other pharmacies. I chose the name Apivita (Api = lat. Bee, Vita = lat. Life) because it reflects the identity and philosophy we are guided by in creating each product. Nikos was very passionate and strongly believed in the power of natural products so he studied the properties of propolis and discovered that it is a natural antiseptic that can help people with acne or dandruff. Now the research has continued and Apivita has natural products based on propolis and honey with anti-aging properties.
Tell me about the formulas of sunscreen products
20 years ago I was the first brand in Europe to have a natural SPF that repels sunlight. Due to demand, we now have products with chemical ingredients, but they do not contain silicone at all. If you use silicones in cosmetics, you will only get a surface effect, it does not help the skin in any way. For many of the big cosmetics firs, this is the second ingredient on the list, but it is not an active and effective ingredient. We also have silicone products now, but we try to keep the limit as low as possible.
We focus on hydration and the anti-aging properties of the skin. Even in Greece, people are less interested in sunscreen, although they are concerned about skin aging. But they do not understand that these issues are closely linked and that they influence each other. We must use a sun protection factor of at least 30, and then we must pay attention to nutrition, take care of the skin carefully: scrub, moisturizing with crème and natural oils. Not only does a cream do all the work, it takes a holistic approach to beauty and health no matter what tree you choose.
How did Romanians receive Apivita products?
Romanians love Apivita products very much and have more and more confidence in our brand due to the quality of the products and the results that appear very quickly. One of our advantages is that we had a lot of ranges. For example, the range of hair dyes sells very well. We are very satisfied with the evolution of sales in Romania, especially since we had an increase of 75% percent last year. We will try to bring more ranges, but for starters I hope you enjoy the new face masks with pomegranate, aloe vera, peach, grapes or royal jelly.
19 comments
thanks a lot for the article!
Dearly!
How nice that you had the opportunity to meet one of the founders of the brand! Apivita products are my favorites 🙂
I'm so glad to hear that 😀 I hope you enjoyed the interview 🙂
Now I realize that I knew nothing about Apivita and I use some products from them. Bravo Ioana, you always have interesting articles! Sorry I don't comment more often 🙁
Well, I would like you to comment more often, you know !! What are your favorite Apivita products?
When I was in Greece I saw Apivita everywhere and I realized that it is a brand respected by them. I didn't pay attention to them through pharmacies, but I will also try sunscreen products. Congratulations for the interview Ioana! By the way, have you noticed that now other blogs have started to do interviews? I'm sure they followed you
I noticed, but I prefer to believe that I am a source of inspiration and that I help to grow and develop a blog 😀
… Although I admit that from time to time I would prefer to mention that he saw I do not know what thing to me, but nah!
Very nice! I really learned new things. I would like to do what you do :))
Yes, indeed most of the time the activity of beauty blogger is very beautiful 😀
Very interesting interview, I didn't know the history of the brand. I have a beverage product that I love a lot and I would be interested in other products 😀
What products tempt you? Pomegranate face mask is my favorite 😀
Wonderful article 🙂
Thank you :*
My name is Claudia, I am from Timisoara, age 36. And the first time I tried Apivita creams 2 years ago, I'm addicted to them, I really love them. Congratulations to the founders of Apivita.
I am very glad that you liked the material and that you like the products 😀
Nice article
I'm glad you liked it and I think my mother even more 😀
yes acest this interview is welcome ,, I didn't know this company nor their products ..now I will also take products from them ..they are natural and of course very good ..all that is natural is also good… thanks for . these wonderful greens and let's find out other good things in the future… I wish you a better day