When I think of Poland, I often think about the history, the culture, and how it wouldn’t necessarily pop up on any of our radars when we’re thinking of visiting Europe as a holiday destination. So, you can imagine my surprise when we were invited to discover the country through its beauty industry, a rather unlikely aspect that we would otherwise not associate Poland with.
Let’s face it. When it comes to beauty, a lot of us are more than likely to link brands from South Korea, Japan, China, France, and the United States, as big producers of cosmetics with an ever-growing global clientele. But, what if we told you that among these big players, is the Polish cosmetics market?
According to a 2025 report published by the Polish Beauty & Cosmetics Sector, Poland is the 9th largest cosmetics exporter worldwide and ranks 5th in the European Union. With over 1,300 manufacturers of cosmetic and toiletry products, it is no wonder that Polish cosmetics export alone, in 2024, was worth €6 billion.
You might even be surprised to find that over here in Singapore, we’ve got several Polish brands stocked in our supermarkets, specialised beauty stores, and even Lazada online. They are Ziaja, Inglot, Delia Cosmetics, Bielenda, Biogened, and La Rive.
During our visit to Warsaw, instead of taking in the sights of the city, we traded that for visits to four beauty manufacturers who prided themselves in producing high quality products that not only met with the EU regulation and standards, but also met with the growing needs of the market through their constant focus on research and development where they carried out various microbiological, physical, chemical, and dermatological specialist studies in order to produce their next product.
Beyond that, what surprised me the most was the understanding and attention to global beauty trends, especially on the adaption of “clean beauty”, using local and natural ingredients, while also ensuring products meet the sustainability and eco-friendly standards of each brand.
Here’s a look at four of the brands we were introduced to in Poland.
Four Starlings
Hailing from the Polish region of Podlasie, Four Starlings is a natural cosmetics brand that utilises simple and local ingredients to produce their products. Having started out as a soap maker in 2019, the brand soon expanded its production to include a range of products across the bath, face, body, and hair categories.
When designing its products, Four Starlings’ goal was to deliver high-quality products using minimalist but effective formulas. This meant using cold-pressed plant-based oils and fairly traditional herbs and macerated plants as ingredients in their variety of formulas, which also happens to be mostly vegan and suitable for problematic, sensitive, and allergy-prone skin.
As someone who is a sucker for good packaging, Four Starlings checked all the boxes for me with their delightfully, vibrant designs which just felt like an added bonus for their already unique scented products. Packaged in paper, glass and metal tins, I particularly liked how they were already reusable from the get-go, offering the ability to recycle after use or even be kept for other uses.
They’ve even got a refill option for their hand soaps in Poland, where customers can return to the store with their glass jar to get them recycled or refilled.
Apart from their soap bars, some of their best-selling products are their all-purpose shampoo bar and their natural cream deodorant, which comes in seven variants. What surprised me about their deodorants are the fact that it isn’t like the typical store bought ones that we see, and it actually comes in a cream based form that you’ll have to manually apply under your arm.
Its long-lasting, creamy formula is packed into a glass jar and provides a healthier alternative to traditional antiperspirants and sweat blockers that still manages to absorb moisture and unpleasant odour effectively.
You can purchase Four Starlings products here with shipping to Singapore.
Equalan Pharma
First established in 2009, Equalan Pharma has grown to become one of the fast-growing Polish cosmetics company that develops dermocosmetics based on innovative and safe ingredients, for skin, hair and body. With over 300 products available across various lines targeting specific skin conditions, Equalan does not just have presence in Poland but also in over 40 countries.
One of these lines is Novaclear Atopis, which targets those with eczema-prone or atopic-prone skin, and is formulated with anti-irritant complex to reduce itching, redness and calm irritated skin, ceramides to help restore the protective layer of the skin, and canola oil to help restore and soothe the skin.
As someone who is prone to eczema in particularly hot weather, I found the instant itch relief spray under this line to be pretty effective. Often, I would have to put on some sort of medicinal cream that feels uncomfortably sticky but with the spray, I am able to not only experience quick relief but also a quick dry sensation — making it easy to use even before I go to sleep.
Another product that I particularly liked was the Redless Soothing Facial Foam, which helps to deeply cleanse the skin to reduce redness and skin sensitivity. What really stood out for me about the foam is the gentle bristles head which allowed for me to get an exfoliating experience while applying the foam to my face. It also gave me a sense of cleanliness which came from being able to use the bristles to scrub dead skin cells off my face.
Of all the factories that we had to visit during this trip, Equalan Pharma’s plant impressed me the most as they were seemingly transparent with their processes and research, which only built on the confidence to give their products a try. The candid exchange that the company rep had with the journalists also made it easy to gain a better insight into their brand, and how it can actually fit in a rather saturated market like Singapore, if given the chance.
Equalan Pharma products are currently not available for shipping to Singapore but can be found in drugstores in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Japan.
AVA Laboratorium
Founded 60 years ago, AVA Laboratorium prides itself in producing high quality natural products that will give the best protection and care for your skin. Having started with AVA-Mustela in the 1960s, the company eventually evolved to implement new lines for body care and dermocosmetics.
Aside from their expansion of product lines, the brand is also the first Polish company to certify its plant and cosmetics in the international ECOCERT unit featuring its first-ever ecological series — ECO Linea, ECO Garden, and ECO Body.
During the factory tour, we were shown how each section of the plant was designated for various steps in the production of AVA’s products. Similar to Four Starlings and Equalan Pharma’s production, the plant is a sterile environment that had clear markers and steps that ensured each product is prepared with the utmost care.
The only difference between AVA and the other factories that we saw was the designated space for ECO products which had to follow the international ECOCERT guidelines. It was a rather interesting set-up that ensured no cross-contamination would occur and that all products under this line adhered to the standards.
Though AVA already has an extensive line of products, they are constantly searching for new solutions that will benefit the everyday demands of today’s women.
One of the interesting ranges that we saw was the Dilated Capillaries series which help to repair and strengthen dilated and broken capillaries through the use of 5 plant extracts in the products that will help immunise the vascular system and brighten discolouration to reduce the visibility of small capillaries.
These products also soothe irritation and reduce erythema, as well as increase the elasticity of small blood vessels to prevent it from bursting.
AVA Laboratorium is currently available in 29 countries including Hong Kong, South Korea, and Malaysia. You can find the products on Amazon UK with shipping to Singapore.
Bell Cosmetics
Following the success of the lipstick that they produced 35 years ago, Bell Cosmetics has quickly grown into one of the household names in Poland when it comes to cosmetics; with a presence on store shelves in over 61 countries.
With a competitive cosmetics market, Bell prides itself in keeping up with rapidly changing trends, constantly improving formulas and creating innovative products to meet the expectations of the modern woman. This led to them introducing the Bell HYPOAllergenic line, which was the first in Poland to offer colour cosmetics that were hypoallergenic.
In addition to the traditional type of makeup available, Bell had also jumped on the trend of vegan cosmetics with their Natural Beauty line which saw the use of natural ingredients to create their long-lasting makeup. This included the products formulated with argan oil to nourish, moisturise and smooth skin, as well as the use of white tea extract to provide a nourishing effect and protect skin against ageing processes.
An interesting product that we were introduced to, though common, is the HYPOAllergenic Amazing Lash Mascara, which comes with a special brush comb that prevents lashes from sticking together during application so that you get evenly applied mascara without clumps.
In addition to that, the mascara is formulated with beeswax for eyelash care, and has been tested under the supervision of a dermatologist and ophthalmologist, making it suitable for those with sensitive eyes or are wearing contact lenses.
