More than 70 years in the skin care game, German skin care brand Babor is taking on cleansing with 11 new products.

Though Babor’s 11-piece cleansing collection is brand new, cleansing has always been a part of the German skin care brand’s heritage. “Our very first product was an oil-based cleanser that Dr. Michael Babor developed in 1955 and put a patent on in 1955. The company itself was launched in 1956, so cleansing is a very important part of our DNA,” says Benjamin Simpson, SVP of Marketing for Babor, Americas.

That OG cleanser, HY-ÖL, has been revamped as part of the new cleanser portfolio, which truly has an option for every skin type and concern. The HY-ÖL Cleanser, a hydrophilic cleansing oil (meaning it is enriched with oils to gently remove impurities from the skin), is now part of a two-step cleansing system, along with the Phyto HY-ÖL Booster. “Together they support an intact skin barrier and a well-balanced microbiome, protect against negative environmental factors, and provide the skin with care tailored to the skin type,” Benjamin says.

The hero of the line is Refining Enzyme & Vitamin C Cleanser, a product that Benjamin describes as a modern and vegan reformulation of the brand’s beloved Enzyme Cleanser. “This new formulation contains double the amount of skin-brightening vitamin C, and even more enzyme activity. Talc is now replaced with skin-perfecting kaolin. This new formulation offers deep but gentle cleansing, pore refining, and clarifying for skin that is revitalized and radiant.”

Another favorite is the 3D Hyaluronic Cleansing Balm. “This innovative balm cleanser tackles all types of oil and water-soluble dirt particles to preserve the skin’s natural hydrolipidic layer in the cleansing process,” Benjamin says. “It supports an intact skin barrier and a well-balanced microbiome. The skin’s surface is left noticeably smoother and protects the skin from drying out and preserves the skin’s moisture balance.”

Babor is also introducing its very first cleansing bar that’s spiked with baby’s breath, acacia, and desert date extracts, as well as aloe vera to hydrate, and baobab oil to restore lipids. The collection is rounded out with a Deep Cleansing Foam, Gentle Cleansing Cream, and Gel & Tonic Cleanser.

Babor is realizing sales growth in the Americas, which includes North America and Central America. From 2021 to 2022, the brand saw 37.5% growth in the region. Globally, sales of Babor grew 11.4% during the same time period. Babor Americas’ business currently represents 13% of the brand’s global business. In the first quarter of 2023, Babor made several internal executive changes. Tim Waller, formerly the CEO of Babor Americas, is now CEO of Global Sales and Marketing at Babor. Additionally, the former Global Chief Marketing Officer, Tim Saunier, is now the CEO of Babor Americas.

Like all of Babor’s products, the cleansing collection meets the brand’s incredibly stringent environmental standards. “This entire collection is pro-microbiome. The formulas utilize less water. The packaging itself is more recyclable. Also, we’re using more recycled materials to create our products, making things more efficiently,” says Benjamin. Additionally, the collection is clean and vegan, with formulas featuring up to a 99.7% natural ingredient base.

Babor’s sustainability practices rival most bsuinesses’ efforts. The company recently implemented a test with startup SeaMe on the first reusable glass bottles in the beauty industry. And, its new manufacturing and logistics facility located outside of Aachen, Germany, aims to be one of the most sustainable manufacturing facilities in the world.

“As an employee, when you pull into our headquarters, the minute the gate goes up, your carbon footprint is tracked,” says Benjamin. “We have a really dramatic sustainability dashboard that tracks everything we do. To achieve carbon neutral status is difficult to do.”