The ideas of sustainability and naturalness and a holistic approach to the human body are the business principles that the Manilla brand was built on. UAB Dermofaktorius that manages it has increased its turnover at least 3 times this year and established itself as one of the three largest producers of natural cosmetics in Lithuania. Having introduced a new line of cosmetics for professionals this autumn, the company has opened the first SPA of its brand in Kaunas.
According to the founder of the brand and the head of the company Rūta Merkytė, Manilla was born from the desire to offer a product that is friendly to people and the environment. Therefore, all face, body and hair care products marked with this brand are made not only from natural, but also from sustainable ingredients extracted from plants that can be replanted, and self-decomposing materials that leave no trace on the environment.
“This business mission sets us apart from others and creates conditions for rapid growth both in Lithuania and outside the country. We are currently actively preparing for development abroad and next year we plan to start selling Manilla products in the USA and several European markets. Until then, the company’s products travelled abroad as private label products, and to compatriots living there, whose loyalty to our brand is especially felt during the big holidays,” doctor R. Merkytė says.
One of the biggest UAB Dermofaktorius news this season was the opening of a new spa. Manilla Spa, which settled in Kaunas, follows a holistic approach to the human body when in addition to the body’s physical health we also take care of its emotional and spiritual health. Therefore, in addition to the beauty procedures carried out with Manilla beauty products, the spa also offers body wraps, scrubs, massages, and Manilla rituals that include various body and facial procedures.
“We have created Manilla Spa for Kaunas residents and guests, who care about the needs of their body and soul. Therefore, we focus on the clients, who seek not only to take care of their body but also to relax, rest, break away from everyday worries. This need was further strengthened during the second year of the pandemic when tensions became heightened by restrictions, constraints, and a sense of insecurity,” The founder of the brand and the creator of the spa R. Merkytė says.
According to her, although there are examples abroad where strong beauty product brands open spas, this practice is still quite new in Lithuania. In order for a business to expand into an adjacent but also a new niche, not only a well-known brand is necessary, but it is also important to earn the trust of the consumers and be able to offer them more than other beauty or massage salons.
The encouragement came from the large community of loyal consumers brought together by Manilla and the line of professional beauty products - Essential - created by Dermofaktorius used by the spa’s specialists.
The fact that the first Manilla Spa medical aesthetics center was opened in Kaunas is quite natural because the first store of the brand had also opened its doors in this city. Choosing Kaunas, located in the center of Lithuania, was a strategic decision in order to make Manilla beauty procedures accessible not only to the residents of this city or region but also to the entire population of Lithuania.
Currently, the center employs 8 specialists - licensed masseurs, physiotherapists, and beauticians. According to R. Merkytė, special attention was paid to their selection. She met with each candidate personally and invited the people who not only have the necessary professional skills, knowledge but are also naturally able to provide attention to join the team. They sincerely care about the person’s mood, well-being and, of course, skin condition.
Much attention was also paid to details and Southeast Asian and Southern Mexican interior design. For example, authentic furniture was ordered, and custom made in Bali. Their production and delivery took six months. They welcome the guests on the ground floor of the spa, where customers are invited to sit before and after the procedures.
Lithuanian cosmetics creators say that Manilla Spa in Kaunas and Manilla Clinic of facial therapies in Vilnius are the first steps in building and strengthening the competencies of beauty professionals, through the development of a professional cosmetics line and cooperation with manufacturers of innovative cosmetology equipment. All this, along with the growing number of loyal customers, will become a basis that will allow to further expand the Manilla spa or clinic network.
Photos by Manilla“ SPA.