True Stories
A natural idea: Idea Toscana
Antonio Pieri is the co-founder and creator of Idea Toscana, an Italian cosmetics brand which was born in 2002, as well as legal representative of the company Il Forte srl, located near Florence, Italy. Cosmetics have always been his profession and his passion. Mr. Pieri wanted to trasmit the knowledge that he has acquired during his whole life to create authentic natural and organic cosmetics which respect the human health and well-being as well as the environment. This is how Idea Toscana was born.
Mr. Pieri’s vision and goal is to offer consumers a daily experience of self-care and well-being according to the hightest Tuscany’s manufacturing tradition, and to share with Idea Toscana’s customers the immense cultural, natural and gastronomic heritage of therir ancestors through the use of high-quality ingredients in the formulation of Idea Toscana’s natural and organic cosmetics.
NATRUE: What is the story behind Idea Toscana’s creation?
Antonio Pieri: When we created Idea Toscana in 2002, the objective was clear for us: we wanted to offer consumers in all countries of the world the daily experience of care and well-being in the Tuscan way. But Idea Toscana isn’t only an idea – it’s our life. We are ambassadors of Tuscan qualitative excellence in the world. Perseverance to achieve perfection is an integral part of our DNA. Knowledge about ingredients, perfumes and colours and excellent quality: these are the values that our products represent.
In 2008, Prima Spremitura, a product line developed by Idea Toscana, was created. This was the first line of certified organic cosmetics respectful with the environment, land and human health to use Organic Toscano PGI Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the formulation of its cosmetics. In 2012, we started producing our face care line Prima Spremitura Bio, which is organic certified cosmetics by NATRUE. Since 2018, we have developed lip balms and hand and face creams made with organic rose hips and Damask rose extracts, combined with a blend of vegetable oils and butters, as well as a new line of shampoo and shower gel with organic grape juice.
NATRUE: How does Idea Toscana produce its products? How many brands does it produce?
Antonio Pieri: The raw materials of the Tuscany region stand out for their high quality and bring a value to all the cosmetics we develop. Excellence is an integral part of Idea Toscana, and we also take inspiration from the warm colours and the captivating scents of the Tuscan landscape to offer consumers a unique care experience.
We pay attention to every detail in each phase of our production process. The combination of tradition and the most innovative cosmetic technologies is present through all the production process, and the care and attention placed in these phases result in high-quality, efficient products.
Idea Toscana pays tribute to the ancient “Made in Tuscany” cosmetic tradition through the use of raw materials such as the Organic Toscano PGI Extra Virgin Olive Oil. We produce different lines that focus on the development of face care (Prima Spremitura Bio), body care (Prima Spremitura and Prima Fioritura) and hair and body care (Bio Le Veneri) cosmetic products.
NATRUE: How is Idea Toscana adapting to the new trends and consumers demands in the NOC sector?
Antonio Pieri: Consumers increasingly look for organic cosmetics. Idea Toscana has satisfied this demand by developing two excellent organic product lines, which are certified by NATRUE with the highest level for certified organic cosmetics: the Prima Spremitura Bio Face Care Line and the Bio Le Veneri line.
Idea Toscana is also actively working to develop more eco-friendly products. For this reason, we have considerably reduced the environmental impact of plastics in our product lines, and particularly in the Bio Le Veneri one, whose bottles only weight between 22 and 32 g (for bottles of 250 and 500 ml, respectively). Furthermore, we have eliminated the external cardboard packaging of this line.
NATRUE: As a NATRUE label user, how do you perceive the role of the NATRUE Label in the natural and organic cosmetic sector?
Antonio Pieri: As a company, we believe that the role of the NATRUE Label is very important as it’s a reference both for manufacturers and consumers. Sometimes it can be challenging to convey this importance, particularly to consumers. For this reason, we actively inform clients and consumers about the importance of the NATRUE Label through our website and newsletters to make them aware of the key role that NATRUE plays in the protection and promotion of the well-being of consumers worldwide.
NATRUE: What would you say to brands that want to join NATRUE? And to consumers that look for truly natural and organic cosmetic products?
Antonio Pieri: We highly recommend brands to join NATRUE as it’s a reliable label that guarantees consumers and customers that NATRUE certified products are authentic natural and organic cosmetics. There is no official regulatory definition for natural and organic cosmetics at international level, but when the NATRUE label appears on a packaging, you know that the product complies with one of the highest benchmarks for natural and organic cosmetics in the market. The NATRUE Label also helps companies to access new markets not only at national level, but also worldwide.
For more information about Idea Toscana, visit www.ideatoscana.it
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