Intelligent Nutrients (IN) is starting out 2014 with a new hair care line—and will soon follow with skin care products—that meet performance demands of today’s consumers and its own no-comprise formulation philosophy. Here's a quick HAPPI interview with IN president Nicole Rechelbacher.
 
HAPPI: IN seems to have done its due diligence in launching products that fit the company’s ethos and meet the strict criteria as set out by (company founder) Horst Rechelbacher. Can you talk about that process and how it relates to the new styling products?

Rechelbacher: It’s time to put ‘health’ back into the health and beauty business. To ensure maximum organic content and qualify our products as truly the highest standard of organic, we take the time and money to have our products certified by third parties. Upon formulation we discuss the seal we wish to certify to based upon what is achievable from a technology perspective. We continuously push for the highest performance with the least toxic impact possible. We strive for the USDA Certified Organic seal whenever possible. Developed for the food industry, it is used in cosmetics as well. But there are instances when we can’t use it. For example, some ingredients come from small farms that can’t afford certification, while others, such as our lab-grown plant stem cells, don’t qualify for consideration because they aren’t agricultural. In these instances, we use other certifying bodies with exceptionally high standards like Cosmos Organic and Soil Association Organic. These other certifying bodies support safe science that is relevant to the cosmetic industry thus providing additional high performance options like the larch tree resin we are using in our styling and plant stem cells in our skin care. Thus delivering the perfect synergy of organic, safety and performance.
 
HAPPI: What is the latest in terms of retail expansion?

Rechelbacher: We are looking to open our second brick and mortar Intelligent Nutrients retail store in New York on one Fifth Avenue in early 2014. 

 
HAPPI: What might we expect next from IN? Are there any gaps in the portfolio that you are looking to fill in soon?

Rechelbacher:We are expanding our skin care range with four new plant stem cell and algae bioactive-based products in spring 2014 and working on launching a volumizing and rejuvenating hair care lineup using plant stem cells in late 2014.