Europe’s Top-Selling Natural Beauty Company Expands U.S. Retail Availability

KIRKLAND, Wash.—(August 6, 2009)—German-based Lavera Naturkosmetik, a leader in “truly natural” beauty and skincare products, making natural beauty and skincare products available to a wider audience. Bestsellers from Lavera skincare, makeup, hair care and sunscreen lines are now being featured at CVS/pharmacy locations in California and on cvs.com as part of their growing natural skin care section.

“It is our goal at Lavera to make truly natural skincare and beauty products more accessible to customers,” said Ulrike Jacob, CEO of Lavera USA. “Consumers are starting to realize that the products they put on their skin are just as important as the food they put in their body. The purer, the better.”

In fact, sixty percent of ingredients put onto the skin penetrate into the bloodstream. Lavera products contain only natural ingredients—none of the potentially harmful chemicals and toxins that a majority of beauty products on the market in the United States contain.

Lavera adopts the strict guidelines set by BDIH, the regulatory organization in Germany. It’s the most stringent certification process anywhere in the world for making sure products are manufactured to the highest standards of being all natural and ecologically friendly. Having joined the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Lavera is committed to making safer products, as well as providing greater transparency to consumers about their products—something that the U.S. could take a few lessons on from European standards.

The company has also received a variety of awards from independent institutions in Europe. In 2008, Lavera was ranked number one in a study on safe cosmetics conducted by Oeko-Test Magazine, an influential consumer advocacy magazine in Germany, beating out 32 natural and mainstream manufacturers. And as of May 2009, Lavera has more than 516 Sehr Gut (Very Good) ratings that have been awarded to individual products reviewed by Oeko-Test. The Lavera Self Tanner carried at Target also won the 2008 Gorgeously Green Award as the “Best Self Tanner on the Market,” and was the only natural cosmetic product to receive and “Oustanding” from Oeko-Test.

By exposing more consumers to natural products, Lavera expands on its goal of promoting health, radiant skin and overall wellbeing. From their Mango Milk Shampoo to their Wild Rose Faces line, everyone will find something they love. Visit www.lavera.com to see if there is a store near you that carries Lavera products or visit cvs.com to order products online.

About Lavera

Since its founding in 1987, the Lavera brand has grown to include more than 300 natural and organic skin care products. Lavera health and beauty products are currently sold in more than 24,000 locations in 25 different countries. Lavera is the market leader in Europe for natural skin care with a 27% of the market share in general health and beauty products and a 50 percent market share in sunscreen products. Lavera was recently awarded the title of "Greenest Beauty Brand" by the prestigious OEKO-Test magazine in Germany, beating out 32 other companies. The North American Division was formed in the late 1990s and is headquartered in Kirkland, Washington. For more information on Lavera, please visit www.lavera.com.

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