LABRAINS

LABRAINS is a Latvian skincare brand based in Riga, built around facial care for sensitive and problem-prone skin. It was created by the chemist Līga Brūniņa, whose own experience of rosacea after giving birth set the project in motion. The operating company, SIA "Labrains", was entered in the Latvian commercial register on 1 October 2018, classed as a manufacturer of perfume and toilet preparations [12].

The brand describes itself as a "premium clean beauty brand from Latvia, Northern Europe", and its motto is "Beauty Is Science and Science Is Beauty". It is notable less for its size than for its method: a small, women-led company that funds much of its product development through EU-co-financed research projects with Latvian scientific partners. It sells through its own online shop and through distribution partners in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and remains active as of 2026.

The brand's story begins with a personal skin problem. According to the company, Brūniņa spent two years struggling with rosacea after the birth of her child. She found that many skincare products contained ingredients she considered harmful, and decided to develop her own formulas grounded in science and inspired by nature [2]. In a 2021 interview with Latvian Radio 1, she said that none of the creams available to her had worked, and that she had carried the idea of making her own cosmetics since studying chemistry at Riga Technical University [9].

Descriptions of her academic title differ between sources. The company's English site presents her as a PhD, chemist, environmental specialist and biochemistry lecturer at Turība University in Latvia [2]. The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and the trade publication Baltic Export instead give her title as "Dr. oec.", describing her as a chemist and environmental expert [10]. Her name and her role as the brand's creator are consistent across all sources.

The company links its scientific base to a research grant. According to LABRAINS, Brūniņa secured a European scientific grant of one million euros in 2018 to study the skin's deepest layers, working with six other women scientists [2]. The brand presents itself as a women-led research and production company supported by six expert chemists. It also points out that women make up 51 percent of Latvian scientists, which it describes as one of the highest shares in the European Union.

The first formulations were aimed at reactive skin. In December 2021, Latvian Radio 1's programme Monopols reported that the Latvian cosmetics manufacturer had created a new natural dermocosmetic cream intended to reduce both the signs of rosacea and facial skin ageing. Between 2020 and 2022 the company also completed a research project on cleansing and moisturising products for atopic dermatitis, a common form of eczema.

From 2023 onward, LABRAINS built its export business largely through trade fairs. It exhibited at Arab Health 2023 in Dubai and at VIVANESS 2023 in Nuremberg, the German trade fair for natural and organic personal care, where Brūniņa has also been invited as a speaker. In 2024 the brand joined the Latvian national stands at two Asian events: the Southeast Asian Healthcare and Pharma Show (SEACare 2024) in Kuala Lumpur in April, and the Vietnam Medi-Pharma Expo in Ho Chi Minh City in August. LIAA reported that these appearances produced new cooperation contacts and talks with potential Vietnamese distributors.

The Gulf region became a focus in 2025. The company says it officially entered the United Arab Emirates market on 1 January 2025, framing the launch around a stated mission "to empower 10,000 women". That year it also attended Arab Health 2025, Cosmoprof Bologna 2025 and Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai, where it represented Latvia within the national pavilion from 27 to 29 October. In 2026 it returned to Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna to present what it described as biotechnology innovations.

The brand's export geography has shifted over time, and different sources describe it differently. Baltic Export listed Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia as export markets [11]. The company's own about page names Germany and the Netherlands as its major export markets, with expansion into the Middle East. In September 2024, LIAA described partnerships in the Netherlands, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Uzbekistan, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar and China [10]. These lists date from different points in the company's growth rather than contradicting one another.

LABRAINS is an independent company. Latvian company-register data list SIA "Labrains" as an active limited liability company with a paid-up share capital of 19,040 euros. A single private individual holds all of its shares, an arrangement registered in March 2021, and one board member has held sole representation rights since the company's registration [12]. The register does not publish that person's name. No parent company, outside investor or acquisition is documented.

LABRAINS positions itself at the meeting point of nature and laboratory science, and its tagline is "Skincare for Demanding Skin". The company says it designs its products for sensitive skin and for conditions such as rosacea, acne and dermatitis. It describes its aim as protecting the skin's microbiome, the community of microbes living on the skin, while keeping the skin's pH balanced and restoring its protective barrier.

Ingredient exclusion is central to this pitch. According to the brand, its formulas leave out 20 categories of ingredients that EU rules permit in skincare. The list includes common preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate, as well as parabens, silicones, PEGs, mineral oil, sulfates, ethyl alcohol and fragrance allergens such as limonene and linalool. The company also says it uses no solvents other than water and oils. Baltic Export repeated the company's claim to be "the only company in Europe" to have adapted all its products to sensitive skin without such solvents, and reported an investment of about 800,000 euros, partly co-financed by European projects, to develop the formula [11].

The brand frames its approach around five principles: ingredient safety, transparency, sustainability, efficacy and minimalism. It describes its method as "biomimetic", meaning formulas designed to imitate the skin's own natural processes. All products are described as vegan.

The range concentrates on facial care. Its online shop is organised into cleansers, exfoliators, serums, creams and BB creams, with collections for acne, rosacea, dermatitis, anti-ageing, young skin and men. The shop also groups products by need into lines for cleansing, anti-ageing, a healthy complexion, rosacea and acne care, skin regeneration and young skin. Earlier accounts named product lines such as CLEANSEA for cleansing, RESISTAGE for anti-ageing, REDRESS for redness-prone skin and YoungDali for younger skin.

Several products recur across sources. Baltic Export identified a facial cleansing gel made with sapropel mud as the company's top seller, and named the Renovation Sculptor serum as a key anti-ageing product. Other products include the Nordic Mud Cleanser, the Micellar Water & Tonic 2in1, the Oil-to-Milk Cleanser, the Night Restoration Architect Cream, the Renovation Sculptor Cream, the ABC DE Intense Cream, a BB Cream and the Rosacea & Strike Back cream. Newer additions include the Pore Perfect Serum for oily, congested skin and the Proasis Intense Cream, a peptide-rich cream the company links to autophagy, the process by which skin cells clear out and renew their own components.

The ingredient list leans on a mix of established actives and Northern European plant extracts. LABRAINS highlights bakuchiol, which it says offers retinol-like anti-ageing benefits without the irritation, alongside azelaic acid, ceramides, hydrolysed hyaluronic acid and hinokitiol. Regional botanicals include peat extract, juniper extract and cranberry seed oil. The company also uses ingredients such as white willow bark extract, turmeric root extract, betaine, lactobacillus ferment and moss stem cell extract.

The company makes strong claims about testing. It states that each product underwent 1,000 clinical tests, and that clinical images showed reduced microtears and improved skin layers after two months of use [2]. Its site also displays badges such as "Dermatologically Tested", "Without Allergens", "Protection of the Microbiome", "Blue Light Defence" and "Natural and Vegan". None of these badges names a certifying body, and no third-party certifications are documented.

Research projects are a defining part of how LABRAINS develops products. The company lists a series of projects co-financed by the EU through Latvia's Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, run within the framework of the Pharmacy, Biomedicine and Medical Technology Competence Centre [4]. Partners named for individual projects include the competence centre itself, VMKC and the Laser Plastics Clinic.

The projects cover a wide spread of skin concerns. One, running from April 2023 to March 2026, worked on care protocols for people with psoriasis, using natural active ingredients carried in cosmetics. Another, scheduled to end in September 2025, developed a multi-step system for acne-prone skin made up of a cleanser, an antimicrobial gel and a tone-evening serum. Further projects deal with a panthenol cream for sensitive skin, natural alternatives to silicone resins, and sun protection based on non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Newer work continues the pattern. A 2026 project aims at a cream that strengthens the skin's supporting structure, using by-products from other industries. As of 2026, the company also lists projects scheduled to run into 2027, including a skin-lightening product based on Northern European plant extracts and biopolymer hydrogels for skin renewal after cosmetic procedures. Two projects reach beyond facial care: a body cream for menopausal and stress-affected skin, developed with the Laser Plastics Clinic, and a hair-strengthening project aimed at stress-related hair loss. The company's shop does not yet show hair or body products.

Packaging is the main focus of the brand's environmental claims. The company says it chose airless pump dispensers with refillable internal cartridges for its creams and serums, to extend the life of each container and contribute to a circular economy. Refills are packed in recycled paper or cardboard, primary packaging uses recycled plastic, and some products come in lightweight airless tubes. Baltic Export described the refill containers as recyclable polypropylene. The company says it weighed environmental concerns, delivery distances and the effect on the final product price when choosing its packaging.

The company reports two recent award results. It says it received a gold award at the Natural Health Beauty Awards 2025, linked to one of its anti-ageing creams, and that it was named a finalist in the C&T Allē Awards 2026, which recognise cosmetic research and development [1]. Baltic Export reported that the company had won several awards at events such as Eco Life in Sweden [11].

Press attention has come mainly from Latvian outlets and institutions. Beyond the Latvian Radio 1 interview and LIAA's coverage of its Asian trade-fair work, the company says it was included in an edition of the book Treasures of Latvia, which presents what it calls the country's top 90 export success stories.

LABRAINS is active. The Latvian register lists the company as active, and its news page shows a steady flow of activity, including its presence at Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026 and a recruitment drive for a business-to-business sales specialist in the premium cosmetics segment. The company has also received Recovery Fund support to digitalise its business processes. It sells through its own online shop and a network of distribution partners, while its list of research projects extends into 2027.