Moves by sun protection developer and distributor Ganehill Pty Ltd’s to further its international expansion have received a boost with the company winning Wallpaper Magazine’s ‘best new beauty product in the world’ award for 2006.
Moves by sun protection developer and distributor Ganehill Pty Ltd’s to further its international expansion have received a boost with the company winning Wallpaper Magazine’s ‘best new beauty product in the world’ award for 2006.
Ganehill managing director Adil Bux said the Wallpaper Magazine award was highly regarded internationally, and the company’s success was a validation of its product and marketing strategies.
“Sunscreens are becoming serious beauty products. Our ZO1 Invisible Zinc was the product that was voted the world’s best new beauty product,” he said.
“We are probably the first sun care company dedicated to the beauty market.”
Mr Bux said Ganehill first began targeting overseas markets when Perth-born model Megan Gale launching its first brand, Megan Gale Invisible Zinc, in Italy in 2004.
“Following this we set up a new brand, called ZO1 Invisible Zinc, catering for the high-end markets in the US and Europe,” he said.
“We started rolling out the product in April 2005 in Harrods and Selfridges and we are now looking to branch out into department stores, which will provide a broader distribution of the product.”
Mr Bux said the company was concluding deals with two major retailers in the US with a view to have its products on the shelves from April of this year.
“We are looking to further expand with a focus on Japan and the South-East Asian belt in 2007,” he said.
Mr Bux told WA Business News the company was looking to sell 100,000 units over its range of products in Europe in the first full season, which would increase substantially over the next few years, with a similar outlook in the US market.
Mr Bux said the ZO1 Invisible Zinc product used a refined zinc oxide to develop a texture that was usable in a cosmetic sense.
“We’re one of the only products in the world that uses 100 per cent zinc as its only sunscreen filter,” he said.
“It was a challenge for us to develop such a highly effective sunscreen that’s also aesthetically appealing.
“Our Australian innovation involved grinding zinc oxide particles down so small they’re smaller than the wave length of visible light, yet still effective against UVA and UVB.”
The company received advice and assistance through the New Exporter Development Program, which is available for eligible small businesses that have never exported before, or for those looking at getting into new markets.
The company was established in 2003 by Mr Bux and his wife Andrea Horwood-Bux, founder and publisher of Australian Style magazine. She also launched Becca Cosmetics.
Initially, Ganehill released its Megan Gale Invisible Zinc product in Italy with help from Austrade in Milan, which approached Italian distributors, including the La Rinascente department store, to stock the brand.
