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For Royal Labs Natural Cosmetics, the family business is all natural
By Holly Fisher
Electronic Media Editor
It’s not unusual for Daniela Lieber to be on the telephone with a client and her mom sweep into the office and rub a sample of hand cream on her skin.
For some, it might be seen as a distraction, but Lieber wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s what she loves about her family’s business, Royal Labs Natural Cosmetics Inc.
Located near the Charleston Executive Airport on Johns Island, Royal Labs produces natural personal care products. With only 20 full-time employees, the small company really is a family affair for the Liebers.
Daniela Lieber’s parents, Paul and Peggy Lieber, started the business about 25 years ago. But their interest in natural products goes even deeper.
Paul Lieber’s family had been in the health food business in Connecticut. He also was a teenage body builder, using natural products and food. Peggy Lieber is a native of Ecuador, where life tends to revolve around the earth, said Daniela Lieber, vice president of sales for the company.
That longtime interest in natural foods prompted then 23-year-old Paul Lieber to begin experimenting with natural skin care products. His early research and development took place in his basement and products were often tested on Daniela Lieber and her brothers.
“We didn’t just talk about ‘how was your day at school’ at the kitchen table,” Daniela Lieber said. “We learned so much just through association with our parents.”
She likens Royal Labs to another sibling because she grew up with the company. Today, her older brother, Sanders Lieber, oversees the design team for the company while her younger brother, Paul Lieber Jr., is beginning to take more of an interest in the chemistry side of the business. Even her 76-year-old grandmother is involved in the operation.
Daniela Lieber left for the University of Chicago and work opportunities, but was drawn back into Royal Labs.
“After about six years I came back because I love everything the company stands for and enjoy educating people,” she said.
“Royal Labs is a principled and honest company. The business principles are in line with the family values. We’re principled. We don’t sell out and that’s what has made us successful.”
Paul Lieber can be found in the lab seven days a week, and Peggy Lieber mixes scents, works with clients and still tries out hand creams on her daughter.
“It’s quaint because it works the way it did when we were younger,” Daniela Lieber said.
Going natural
Royal Labs products are 100% chemical- and preservative-free, explained Daniela Lieber.
“We’re the only manufacturer we are aware of that makes 100% chemical- and preservative-free products,” she said.
The public’s interest in all-natural products has grown even more recently, with grocery stores such as Whole Foods and Earth Fare doing a booming business. Other companies are jumping on the all-natural bandwagon with lines of all-natural foods and beauty products.
But Daniela Lieber said consumers have to read labels carefully.
“We’re constantly trying to educate our customer, the retailer, so they can educate the consumer,” she said. “We can see the market trends. Organic, all-natural, those are catch phrases people use in products.”
And creating products without preservatives is tough. Preservatives are used in most beauty products and food to keep items fresh longer and to keep out bacteria. Because Royal Labs doesn’t use preservatives, it takes other measures to ensure its products are free of bacteria. The company uses a common manufacturing process called “hurdle technology,” essentially setting up obstacles that bacteria have to overcome to get into a product.
Royal Labs uses tubes that are more difficult for bacteria to enter, and the facilities are spotless. Employees entering certain areas of the building have to wear hair nets and other protective clothing. The water used in products is tested weekly for traces of bacteria.
Products are sent to a lab in New Jersey for what is called a “challenge test.” While all companies submit to the challenge test, Royal Labs runs its products through two rounds of challenge tests and has an excellent track record for keeping out bacteria, Daniela Lieber said.
The timeline for a challenge test is one month, during which the product is inoculated with bacteria and mold. The product has to kill the bacteria and mold in order to be deemed safe enough for the daily infusion of bacteria and mold every time a person uses the product.
It takes time and money to make sure the products are free of chemicals, bacteria and other unwanted ingredients.
“Our products are complex and expensive to make,” Daniela Lieber said. “We choose to take a cut in profits in order to make (chemical-free products).”
The brands
While Royal Labs makes products for about 400 other companies, it also creates its own brands: Deep Steep and Aroma Bella, a more upscale line of products found in high-end spas and retailers. The company also plans to launch an Organic Indulgence line of products this fall.
Paul Lieber is the company’s president and its head chemist, so he has created many of the 5,000 formulas Royal Labs owns.
Royal Labs keeps its formulas and client roster a closely guarded secret. But Daniela Lieber does reveal that much of what goes into creating natural products has to do with essential oils and mixing those to create fragrances, instead of using artificial fragrances that are cheaper to make.
Plans to grow
Due to consumer interest in chemical-free and natural products, Royal Labs is growing quickly. About 18 months ago, Royal Labs expanded its Charleston operation, building a 75,000-square-foot facility on about 17 acres on Johns Island, with room to expand to 250,000 square feet. While only a portion of the building is being used, Daniela Lieber said the idea was to build a facility that could accommodate anticipated growth.
Plans also include putting a separate spa on the property where clients and potential clients can test products, she said.
“In the last seven to 10 years, we’ve grown exponentially,” Daniela Lieber said. “We’re a mom-and-pop business on the up and up.”
Holly Fisher is electronic media editor for the Business Journal. Contact her at hfisher@charlestonbusiness.com.
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