GMT BEAUTY is the leading professional cosmetics brand in Latvia and it has a clear vision of the goals it seeks. Find out how it all began in the interview with brand creators Terēze and Jānis.

Why did you establish GMT BEAUTY?

Jānis: It was time to create an offer exactly in the field of professional cosmetics. In 2007 and 2008, the beauty care sector was developing rapidly in Latvia, but the offer could not meet the demand. As we had knowledge and experience in this field, we found very good experts, who helped us to create the first formulas and products. Our first cooperation partners were “Veselības centrs 4”, Clinic of Aesthetic Medicine “4. Dimensija” that we cooperated and tested the first products with. Excellent team of professionals! Therefore the first products turned out to be very successful.

Terēze: Here I would like to truly and personally thank our first cooperation partner, Director of “Veselības centrs 4” Māris Rēvalds, the team of dermatologists, and the team of beauty care experts of the Clinic of Aesthetic Medicine “4. Dimensija”.

What does GMT BEAUTY mean?

Terēze: It is the abbreviation of the first letters of the names of the three GMT brand founders. Over time, we have developed our slogan from this abbreviation: Green Meets Technology is the foundation of the brand’s philosophy.

Jānis: We were one of the first to include low molecular weight peptides and proteins in our formulas at the time. As the years passed, the brand and formulas evolved, maintaining the idea that every product contains the best of our experience, views and technological developments. We are currently cooperating with the world’s leading biotechnology laboratories, which offer the most advanced developments in the beauty care market.

How is GMT BEAUTY different from other skincare brands?

Terēze: GMT BEAUTY products are multifunctional, efficient, easy to use, can be combined and are result-orientated. They are formulated to be as natural as possible, at the same time maintaining their effectiveness, working in synergy and complementing each other. The effects of the products are long lasting – the products accumulate the active substances in the skin, which continue to work after the procedure. The customer can see the effect immediately after the procedure, and the effect is long lasting, if the customer continues to use our products at home, which are intended for such purpose.

Jānis: Initially we only developed professional products. Thus we carried a lot of responsibility and the quality bar was set high; we have also transferred these standards to home-use cosmetics, which we started producing slightly later. GMT BEAUTY products and procedures are based on a holistic approach. The beauty care specialist not only performs the procedure, but also advises the customer on what should be used at home, and what else needs to be done to improve the health and beauty of the skin. We have created a diagnostics system to properly diagnose the condition of the customer’s skin and tissues and to offer the most effective way to achieve the result. Therefore our goal is not to simply create cosmetics, but to build an entire lifestyle philosophy.

What have been the biggest difficulties you have had to face during these 12 years?

Terēze: I have to say that the most difficult thing is to prove that a company created in Latvia can create a valuable product. Quite often we encounter the illusion that only beauty care products from France, Germany, Switzerland are very good and effective. People tend to think that products created in Latvia are not as good.

Jānis: It is gratifying that people in Latvia increasingly appreciate and choose local products. The most important thing is to prove not only in Latvia, but also worldwide both to the beauty care specialists and to the customers, that our product is of high value. To demonstrate that as a small company from Latvia, we can compete with the big brands in the field of professional cosmetics.

What have been your greatest victories during these 12 years?

Jānis: The greatest victory or satisfaction is that our very first customers are still our customers, they recommend us to each other, and even competitors recommend us to each other. This means that we have been able to prove and show ourselves that we can provide customers with what they need. We are trusted. This is the greatest victory.
The evaluation of the magazine “Pastaiga” in 2018 is also worth noting. Magazine “Pastaiga” created a report on 130 facts – the important events taking place in Latvia in the field of lifestyle during the time period of 100 years. The founding of GMT BEAUTY was marked as the most important event of 2008.

Terēze: Our victories are the new products we create. Creation involves long-lasting tests, the desire to develop the best we can, and it means a great deal when customers thank us for being able to be in “our circle” and enjoy these products. We take great pride in the fact that professional beauty care education institutions cooperate with us, choosing our brand for training new specialists. We cooperate with almost all beauty care schools in Latvia.

Would you start such a business again and if so, what would you do differently?

Jānis: I like the saying that upon finishing the work, we all know how we had to begin it. This also applies to the particular case – we now know much more, we have more experience and we would certainly do many things differently.

Terēze: I would definitely start this business again with the same initial team, because it was excellent. What would I do differently? Definitely plan the sales more, invest more in sales than in development. With today’s view in mind I see that it is easier to produce than to sell.

How has the beauty care industry changed over the last 12 years? How has this affected the activities of GMT BEAUTY?

Terēze: The demands that dictate beauty care products today already began to emerge in 2008. At the time, these were the predictions discussed at scientific congresses and exhibitions in the form of trends. Today they have become a reality and require beauty care products to provide long-term results.

Jānis: During the last 3-4 years a term that had not been used in this field before – sustainability – has entered the beauty care field. Today we look at beauty care with a comprehensive approach – how this process affects the environment, customers, beauty care specialists, as well as society. We need to think much more broadly now.

Terēze: We need to think about how to use clean, high-quality raw materials, raw materials of low molecular weight, so that they reach the target tissues as quickly as possible and work at the cellular level. Today, cosmetic products serve as a means to preserve, restore and stimulate the body’s own resources.

Jānis: This approach applies to companies that are high-tech – as GMT BEAUTY is.

Terēze: The world is ageing and cosmetics for 60+, 70+ are in demand today.
The industry has moved to a comprehensive approach in beauty care that incorporates a holistic view, and this has also guided us towards the development and continuous improvement of new, high-tech products.

How has the customer changed during these 12 years? How has it affected GMT BEAUTY?

Terēze: The customer demands clean, natural, vegan-friendly products, having a minimal impact on nature. Therefore, we use packaging that can be recycled. We use as few preservatives as possible, thanks to the special packaging in which we fill our products.

Jānis: The customer has become more demanding and choosy, and has changed the selection criteria for the use of cosmetics. Such customer groups have emerged that were not covered previously. Now Kim Kardashian’s opinion about the choice of cosmetics is more important than the doctor’s opinion. The customer has changed crucially. A vast amount of information is available very quickly, and the customers make their own choices based on completely different criteria.

Terēze: 12 years ago we could not have imagined that it would be possible to buy professional products online directly from the manufacturer and not through a local distributor. Now this has changed and we have a lot of professional clients outside the borders of Latvia, who buy professional products on our website. Currently, the situation is unique – it is possible to train the customer online, via the internet, and to demonstrate the procedure. Thus the communication is much faster and more dynamic, all thanks to modern technologies and trends.

Has the mission of GMT BEAUTY changed during these 12 years?

Jānis: I believe that it has not changed. The mission is to provide beauty care around the world, to give customers the opportunity to be beautiful and healthy without the use of chemicals. But the mission has transformed and extended. Whereas before, we only considered beauty care specialists as our customers, now we also look at the customers of the specialist. As a result, our mission has expanded – we want to see not only beautiful and healthy customers, but also a beautiful and healthy world, environment and also beauty care specialists themselves. Regarding this aspect our contribution and efforts are remarkable. Our approach has become much more extensive and deeper.

Terēze: From the very beginning, we looked at beauty through the prism of health – healthy beauty. Along with the introduction of the Natura Concept product line, our mission for healthy beauty has had a direct and positive impact on beauty care specialists. For the first time in the world, such products were created that can be safely used in the long term by beauty care specialists, who work with these cosmetics 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week. Household chemistry, cosmetics chemistry, which is often contained by beauty care products, has a very significant impact on the health of beauty care specialists. We need to think about this so that specialists can work safely with our cosmetics and so that our products do not have a negative impact on people or the environment. We think of the entire chain: human and environment friendly products, packaging and production process that result in healthy beauty.

Where do you see GMT BEAUTY in 5-10 years?

Jānis: In Latvia we are among the TOP 3 professional cosmetics brands, in the world – among the TOP 20.
We are valued as a reliable, safe, stable, effective and exclusive brand.
I do not want to talk about money and numbers, but about the feeling that in 5-10 years any customer looks at us with complete confidence that we are providing what he or she wants.

Terēze: The strangest feeling I have ever encountered is when creating a product, creating the description of its use, the procedure protocol, and realising that everyone will do as you say…! The rules are dictated by you yourself. This is a huge responsibility.
I would like the holistic approach of GMT BEAUTY to already be stable and recognised in the world of beauty care within 5-10 years.

Jānis: Our company is a “strange formation” like a unicorn. We don’t do everything as the book says. We don’t know, what we cannot do. Therefore we do and we succeed. If we knew what we couldn’t do, we wouldn’t do it. And as we don’t know, we can accomplish absolutely everything.