From the rose bush to the best European laboratories
At the end of 2021, we mark 20 years since the establishment of Ecomaat and celebrate our journey. As with the person, for a company, it can be said that at 20 years old it has just finished its adolescent period – a time of growth, knowledge acquisition, and skills. A time when you make a lot of mistakes, and overcome obstacles and unknowns. It is also a time of joy and burning emotions, a celebration of every victory, every innovation and step forward.
In 20 years, we have gained extensive knowledge, accomplished results of which we are proud, and established values and principles that guide every subsequent endeavor. And so with confidence, enthusiasm, and inspiration, we continue to seek and extract the most valuable in nature. In harmony with its rhythms, with love and care, applying the best, modern and ecological practices and technologies, we create products of quality and purity that fascinate.
Therefore, we are happy to share episodes from our history. We are full of gratitude and love to all who were part of our journey and share our emotions looking back.
Where are we today?
in which we managed to plant over 400,000 lavender roots and over 150,000 Bulgarian oil-bearing rose bushes. We know how to grow them with love, in a nature-friendly way, so that the plants thank us every year with fragrant flowers.
in which we bring classic essential oils from Bulgarian medicinal plants and herbs. We have acquired a deep understanding of the intricate nuances within this traditional Bulgarian craft, which has contributed to the worldwide recognition of our country for its famous Bulgarian rose oil.
to extract valuable molecules from plants. We have the most innovative technology, the only one in Bulgaria, which embodies the latest world trends for extraction and unique know-how in the processing of plant raw materials.
in a new and modern laboratory covering the most modern production requirements, we create and produce, package and offer a piece of Nature for everyone.
with unique natural ingredients from the Bulgarian nature, we produce real and effective products for beauty and health. The result of the efforts invested in their development is the smile of our customers.
through a network of partners and distributors we deliver our products to over 20 countries on 4 continents.
with the help of modern cooperation tools in the EU, we have successfully completed a number of investments and participate in scientific innovation programs in the field of cosmetics.
through a completely closed production cycle, we successfully control the amounts of waste generated by our daily activities.
How did we get here
2001-2002 – Started a small family business
We started as a family company and decided to produce a well-known and established product – Bulgarian rose oil. In the beginning, it was… agriculture. Without any experience and in a non-traditional location, we chose to plant oil roses outside the Rose Valley. To this day, the oil rose gardens of Ecomaat in the village of Mirkovo are located at the highest altitude in Bulgaria. Our consultant in this unknown activity was Prof. R. Tsvetkov – a doyen in the cultivation of essential oil crops, himself the creator of varieties of roses and lavender.
We learned to plant, cut, dig, and harvest the fruits of our work.
2003 – We started the construction of a distillery
We have started the construction of a new distillery for the processing of essential oil raw materials and medicinal plants for the production of essential oils.
We produced the first precious drops of essential oils and the sales were slow. And then we realized that we had to do something to differentiate ourselves from the established essential oil producers – because they were all offering the same product… We decided to go organic!
2004 – We received the first certificates for organic production
This year, Ecomaat received the first certificates for organic production according to the requirements of the European regulations and the USDA NOP standards of the US Department of Agriculture. We began to apply nature-friendly practices, which at first led to a drastic deterioration of the condition of our plantations. With many efforts and sacrifices, mistakes and crop loss, we imposed uncompromising standards in our agricultural practices, with which we still work today – ecological and green technologies for bio-agriculture, excluding the use of artificial fertilizers and poisonous pesticides, recycling and composting of the used plant raw materials.
2005 – Our first organic cosmetic line “Spa Maat Products” was born
In the meantime, our leading technologist – N. Nikolova developed and created products to include some of the unrealized essential oils – this is how our first cosmetic products appeared: a line for professional use “Spa Maat Products”. Developed on the basis of the pharmacological properties of Bulgarian aromatic plants, these were the first Bulgarian aromatherapy (and bio-certified) products. The concept embedded in them includes expert and comprehensive beauty care, combining natural formulas, aromatherapy, special manual techniques based on needs, and original methodologies. Thanks to this, Ecomaat products have successfully entered selected beauty salons, spas, and wellness centers. To date, the developed selection of three main types of aromatherapy products: bio-certified face and body oils and serums, essential oils, and floral waters, which are used with a synergistic approach in cosmetic procedures, led to visible and lasting results.
Learn more about Spa Maat face and body oils>
2006 – 2007 – We popularized our products
We used these years to promote our products – we participated in international exhibitions, we performed trainings.
Many competitors also appeared – organic cosmetics were gaining popularity all over Europe, and they became famous in Bulgaria as well. Many newly created brands started to copy our products and positioned themselves in the market with aggressive marketing. And we were already thinking about how to continue to differentiate and what our strategy should be. We decided not to take the usual steps of growth, but through technological diversification to stand out with innovation and flexibility, to offer what others cannot.
2008 – We were the first and only in Bulgaria to implement the world’s most modern extraction technology with supercritical CO2
The first and only in Bulgaria extraction technology with supercritical CO2 is a fact!
Extraction with supercritical fluids and liquefied gases is the most advanced technology in the world, allowing extraction of even the finest aromatic molecules, inaccessible to other methods.
Learn more in the article What are supercritical CO2 extracts>
This, in combination with the unique diversity of the flora in Bulgaria, is the basis for the production of exclusive and unique in the world new aromas and natural extracts. We have become a leader in Bulgaria in terms of technological diversity for the processing of plant raw materials. We also implemented cavitation extraction and today we work with 3 different technologies. Thanks to the technological advantages, we manage to extract and invest in our final products extremely high-quality and at the same time unique worldwide raw materials, such as extracts of Linden, Iris, Lilac.
2009 – We created “La Vie en Rose” series – the first beauty supplements with rose oil and CO2 Bulgarian rose extract
We created “La Vie en Rose” – the first beauty supplements with rose oil and CO2 extract of Bulgarian rose oil with a cosmetic concept – “beauty from within”. The numerous beneficial effects of the substances extracted from the Bulgarian rose, helping to normalize the hormonal imbalance and the functioning of the organs in the human body, guarantee the improvement of overall health, emotional comfort, and ultimately – clean and radiant skin. Read more about the series products in the article
La Vie En Rose – beauty supplements with rose oil for youth, beauty and health >
2010 – We received the Golden Rose award from BNAEOPC
We received an award for intensive development from the Bulgarian National Association for Essential Oils, Perfumery and Cosmetics (BNAEMPK) (https://www.bnaeopc.com) – Golden Rose. We highly value this distinction among 108 companies in the industry, including producers and traders of essential oils, producers and distributors of perfumes, and cosmetics.
2011 – We created the home skin care series – “Natural & deluxe”
After the success of the La Vie en Rose series and after being convinced of the exceptional possibilities of new technologies, we bet on the development of new products – we added a boutique collection for home skin care – “Natural & deluxe”, whose active ingredients are innovative extracts extracted by excess mole CO2. The products of this series contain molecules and compounds isolated for the first time from Bulgarian and endemic plant species with exceptional cosmetic effectiveness.
See products from the series >
2011 – 2016 We expanded and diversified our plantations
We expanded and diversified the areas with essential oil crops. Today we cultivate over 500 acres of our own gardens with essential oil crops and process over 30 types of plants.
2017 – We certified the production activities according to ISO, organic regulations EU 834/2007 & USDA NOP
We have certified the production activities according to the requirements of ISO 9005 and ISO 22000. Covering the ISO quality and safety standards, the products we produce are organically certified and meet the strictest requirements of the organic regulations EU 834/2007 & USDA NOP – a high level of certification, admissible only for products whose composition contains 100% organic ingredients.
2018 – We modernized the laboratory and increased the production capacity
We expanded the production capacity of final products in a modern laboratory and completed an investment in production premises meeting the requirements of good production practices, and the purchased new equipment allowed an increase in production capacity up to 3 times.
2020 – We launched our participation in a large-scale project to develop safe and sustainable herbal cosmetic ingredients
We have launched participation in a scientific research project under the Horizon 2020 program for the development of safe and sustainable herbal cosmetic ingredients under the InnCoCells project. By participating in this project, over a period of four years we will create innovative ingredients for high, added value cosmetic products from plants and plant cells.
Learn more about the project >
2021 We rebranded, introduced new bottles and improved some of the product lines
To enhance the experience of using our products, we have started rebranding and improving all aspects of the final product offering: new, protective bottles for La Vie en Rose, new recycled glass bottles for Spa Maat Products, inclusion of more recycled materials for secondary packaging, overall visual improvement. We are also planning to expand online stores and deliver products internationally through the ecomaat.eu online store platform.
What awaits us tomorrow
We believe that the values and philosophy of life that we have chosen to guide our daily activities are current and timeless. In our work and in the future we will continue to weave:
attention and care to Nature;
world trends and tendencies;
novelties and innovations;
technologies and traditions.
To all those who believe that Nature and technology, the new and the traditional can exist in harmony, we will slightly lift the curtain and share what we are planning:
updated and eco-friendly packaging for the Natural & deluxe series – January 2022.
updated and eco-friendly packaging of Spa Maat Products – February 2022.
new products: Bestsellers Spa Maat Products and new product for home use – February 2022.
cosmetic services and training for professionals in a new environment – January 2023.
Thanks to everyone who is with us along the way!
Our achievements are the work of real and ordinary people – these are our team, our partners, our customers. Thank you for your trust, cooperation, and choice! We continue to move forward together in search of a cleaner, more environmentally friendly life.
Meet the people of Ecomaat >
In case you have any questions about the products and how to use them – we will be happy to answer at hello@ecomaat.eu or on our FB page.
