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Meet the founder behind Oio Lab, a brand leveraging the benefits of natural ingredients through clean science

Joanna Ryglewicz, the founder of Oio Lab, has a strong background in chemistry and cosmetics, which has informed the scientific approach of her premium skincare brand. Oio Lab’s products are developed using the latest scientific research, with a focus on natural ingredients and gentle formulations. The brand’s commitment to science and sustainability is reflected in its innovative, eco-friendly packaging and production methods. Joanna’s expertise and dedication to quality have made Oio Lab a go-to brand for those seeking high-performance skincare with a scientific edge. Oio Lab’s emphasis on research and development ensures that its products are both effective and safe for all skin types.
 

What is your earliest skincare memory?

Joanna Ryglewicz: I remember my mother taking care of her skin since I was a child. She used to wear first-generation sunblock on one of our first holidays and went to the beach with her face all white in the early 1990s (laughs). She was always very disciplined when it came to skincare and enjoyed her beauty rituals. I remember the smell of her cream, how she applied a bit of powder and lipstick and pulled her hair back. I thought she was so beautiful. She taught me to take care of my skin since my youngest years. 

SD: Can you share the story behind Oio Lab?

J.R.For the last 15 years I gained experience in various industries. I studied and worked as a lawyer in London and Poznan and distributed french pharmacy skincare products in Poland. But I always had a passion for the science behind health & beauty. Oio Lab started mostly because I wanted to investigate the ingredients and formulas that I found intriguing.

I created a vision of a botanical skincare brand utilising natural extracts and advanced technology to create products that achieve clinically proven results – all this while being kind to our planet.

SD: What was the first product you created?

J.R: After years of research, testing, mixing and revising ingredients and components, our first product was released in 2018. It was a product I created myself, our first balancing oil composed of carefully crafted organic oils. I wanted to push the boundaries of green beauty further using science and technology. I started to work with Dr Anna Bobkowska, who now leads our in-house laboratory and later with scientists from leading Medical and Life Science Universities in Poland to guarantee the highest quality and standards

SD: What are the three most common ingredients used throughout your entire brand?

J.S: We’re not using one group of ingredients in our skincare. We keep researching many ingredients and work on new ones in our laboratory. Our cream THE FOREST RETREAT is formulated with 14 potent, natural extracts combining traditional adaptogenic plants, Moss Tissue Culture Extract, Wild Indigo and more. However, we do get really fascinated (if not obsessed!) with specific ingredients like mushrooms, adaptogens and substances that help to boost mitochondria activities. Our recent fascination with mushrooms ended up not only with incorporating Reishi, Maitake and Shiitake extracts in our creamy emulsion THE FOREST RETREAT and Tremella mushroom in our Supercharged Glow Serum GEL-TO-LOTION, but also in a new super mushroom packaging that is compostable at home within 40 days. I must admit we are constantly searching for new solutions and my nose is stuck in books a lot (laughs). We also vigorously research specific areas of our interest like the impact of female hormones and blue light on skin health.

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SD: What has been your most rewarding moment while developing the Oio Lab line?

J.R: It is definitely witnessing the process of growth, being able to find answers to the questions we’re curious about, gaining knowledge, building our team, meeting fascinating people and finally observing the vision turn into dream products in real life.

 SD: What’s the product you recommend most often?

J.R: Our best selling product is THE FOREST RETREAT. This calming, creamy emulsion is indeed one of our most universal products that suits most skin types. Nonetheless, we aim to recommend skincare individually, but the routine is always the same. We recommend starting with a gel serum like renewing E-SERUM, followed by a light cream and finishing with an oil (like smoothing 7 MOMENTS) or balm (regenerating soothing balm KIND TO SKIN).

SD: Vegan, sustainable and natural skincare brands have been steadily rising in popularity, what sets Oio Lab apart?

J.R: Oio Lab is all about using advanced and kind to planet technology to get the most out of nature. 

To give you an example, we use enzymatic extraction and supercritical fluid extraction with natural carbon dioxide to produce active plant extracts using less raw material. In one of our serums – THE E-SERUM we use ferment extract obtained from radiation-resistant microorganisms isolated from the waterfall in the Eastern Pyrenees mountains. This is the direction we’re heading – using the latest in science and technology. 

Sustainability to us also means switching to less nature-draining methods whenever possible, researching and incorporating greener solutions and engaging in actions that actively benefit our environment. We work with Forest Forever Foundation to plant biodiverse forests and invest in kind-to-planet packaging like our super mushroom packaging that is compostable and biodegradable at home within 40 days.

A huge part of the process of developing Oio Lab is also transparency and honesty. We want people to know how exactly our products work, how we think and which values are most important to us. In my opinion, what sets us apart is also not being afraid of change – so much is going on right now. To me sustainability is a lot about adaptability to change and about staying kind in the process of growth. 

SD: What is your current evening skincare routine?

J.R: At the moment, it is cold and dry in Poland, so I layer a lot of skincare products. I cleanse my skin with an oil-based cleanser, tone and follow with a Multi-Dimensional Hydrating Facial Serum AQUASPHERE. Then I reach for a light cream THE FOREST RETREAT. I wait for a while and apply a few drops of our Brightening Oil THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT with an ultra-stable vitamin C. To finish, I close my routine with a tiny amount of Soothing Facial Beauty Balm KIND TO SKIN. I use it on my lips as well as an overnight lip treatment.

SD: When do you feel most beautiful?

J.R: Definitely on those days when I feel I am able to balance all the elements in my life gracefully, from work, home, family and space to realise my passions. Or when I feel I am responding in a conscious way to situations that triggered me. It’s when I feel I grow in the best direction I can.

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