80 years SCHÖNER Kosmetik

"Developing ranges of naturally based products for every skin type is our speciality and our passion. And our aim is that these products should be both highly effective and tolerated by everyone." Schöner Cosmetics has been a family-run business for 80 years. Because of the compact size of our company, we are able to react flexibly and quickly to our customers' requirements.

We can develp special products too! Top products need expert advice. And so Schöner products are only sold by specialist beauticians (no compulsory stocks).

For us, selling high-quality products means that we want to keep hold of the crucial elements ourselfs: this applies throughout the whole chain, from the concept and product development through our own production facilities to sales, support and customer service.

The long-established company SCHÖNER Kosmetik from Munich celebrates its 80th company anniversary this year. The family-owned company, which was founded in 1929 by the beautician Ella Schöner is thereby one of the oldest cosmetic companies in Germany. Not only a multitude of professional beauticians rely on the company’s products but also an ever increasing number of renowned German theatres and operas. Even several German television stations can be found in the customer list. At the begin of the worldwide economic crisis the company entered a newly emerging market as one of the pioneers. With a good score of idealism, courage and entrepreneurial spirit, Ella Schöner succeeded in leading the company through the worldwide recession. Through the foundation of the SCHÖNER beautician school in Munich, the first licensed training for beautician was offered. The school rapidly became a centre of attraction to future beauticians well beyond the country’s borders. 30 years ago, this training centre was released to independence so that the cosmetic company could once more concentrate on its core competences. ”Nonetheless we still work closely together”, says manager Timo Schöner, who today runs the company together with his mother, Hilke Schöner. The two pass on their expertise and know-how to the beauticians in regular workshops and seminars.

The Secret of Success: Cosmetics made from natural and the best of raw materials

Ella Schöner’s secret of success, which runs like a thread through the company’s history, can be reduced to the motto “More nature and less chemistry”. A natural basis and the almost complete exclusion of preservatives have always guaranteed that the products are beneficial. “Then and now the focus of the assortment of products lies on herbal cosmetics and on products made from natural and the best of materials”, comments Hilke Schöner on the corporate philosophy. New cosmetics are continually developed in the company-owned laboratory using modern and highly-effective ingredients such as Coenzyme Q10 and retinoic acid. The company still attends to the whole development process of the products. The entire conception from the idea via the development, production to the distribution of the products remains within the company. Timo Schöner is convinced that “this is the only way an optimal quality assurance is guaranteed”. “The production location will remain in Munich as the existing high quality can only be maintained through the vicinity to the administration. Shifting the production abroad only by reason of costs is completely out of question for the long-established family-run company,” continues Schöner. A further main pillar of the company is the made-to-order production. In interaction with its partner or client, SCHÖNER Kosmetik always develops innovative solutions in the field of cosmetic care products. Strong points in this field are especially herbal packs and creams. An own product series is hereby devoted to each of the different skin types to be able to offer optimally coordinated care.

Apart from products and descriptions of the active substances used, the clearly arranged homepage also provides suggestions especially developed by Hilke Schöner on the application of the products. A large internal area with attached online-shop was set up exclusively for SCHÖNER clients. For the future, the company intends further growth, but “not at any cost”, says Timo Schöner, as “too fast a growth would definitely be at the expense of quality”. To mark the occasion of the 75th anniversary of SCHÖNER Kosmetik, some special campaigns are planned, which promises some excitement.