Out of adversity, sometimes comes opportunity.
That has been the case for a Mosgiel-based health and beauty company which has tackled one of the more unusual byproducts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"When Covid-19 swept the planet, nobody thought the world would be facing an outbreak of acne, as well as the virus," Beauty NZ Manufacturing Ltd managing director Adipa Bhogal said.
Those experiencing outbreaks of what has been dubbed "mask-ne", or struggling with breathing in their own coffee breath, inspired her determination to help combat the problem face-on.
Ms Bhogal has formulated "hundreds" of bespoke health and beauty products under contract for many New Zealand companies over the past 15 years, the last four based at AgResearch’s Invermay campus; prior to that, it was in Dunedin.
It was a business which worked "under the radar — not many people know us because we are contract manufacturers", she said.
Unaware of anything on the market to help people deal with the mask-ne phenomenon, she invented a product line to respond to the specific effects of regular mask-wearing on skin health and comfort.
Testing what she described as simple, but effective, formulations initially on herself and her children and delighted with the results, she decided to make it available more widely.
The first product was a non-aerosol hygienic mask spray called Fresh ‘n Mask.
"It’s incredible how many microbes accumulate in our masks over the span of a day. We are so busy and stressed that we often forget to use a new mask, so we inhale all the built-up microbes from the day before."
Botanicals were chosen for their antimicrobial activity and antiseptic properties; herbs such as manuka, rosemary, comfrey and neem were also known to have properties that inhibited the growth of acne-causing pathogen, while the addition of peppermint and spearmint meant it doubled as a breath freshener.
As well as the spray, the range included the Sooth’n Mask serum as an extra level of care for combating skin irritation and breakouts from mask wearing, and Wash’n Mask soap for sanitising reusable cloth masks.
Ms Bhogal also wanted to address environmental impact. The use of glass bottles and natural formulas were important choices, and if there could be repeat use from disposable masks, then that could reduce the amount of waste.
Somewhat ironically, the product launch had been delayed because of Covid-19 but it was finally in the market now which was "a dream come true", she said.
She was not aware of anyone else doing anything similar and her plan was to go global.
Invermay was a good base as there was room to expand if necessary. Finding workers in Dunedin was "never a problem". The business had a team of four but employed some part-time staff, mostly students, during busy seasons.
