fine cosmetic: How pioneer Judith Springer reinvented zero waste deodorant
An Eco Twin for deodorant – focused on zero waste and plastic-free beauty
A good deodorant smells pleasant – or not at all, works reliably, looks stylish, is aluminium-free, made without harmful ingredients and never tested on animals. In 2015, none of this really existed. Judith Springer noticed – and decided to change it.
With her brand fine cosmetic, she launched the unisex deodorant Vetiver Geranium in 2016 and sparked a quiet revolution in the world of deodorants. Within a month, the initial batch of 500 units had completely sold out. The waiting list grew quickly to several hundred names. fine cosmetic was an instant success.
Since then, the range has expanded to include a variety of scent creations, new types of packaging – and even roll-on perfumes.
We wanted to know: how did a lawyer and PhD in social sciences – a mother of two, yoga teacher and curator of contemporary art – end up reinventing the perfect deodorant? How did she manage to identify and claim a niche so quickly? And what role do ingredients, manufacturers and packaging play in her success?
The market gap she discovered
2015 you had the idea for your own deodorant. In 2016 you launched fine cosmetic – into a market already full of deodorants.
Judith: “No, no – not at all. I was a total pioneer. What I wanted simply didn’t exist in 2015. I would never launch a product that’s already out there. There’s really no need to release the hundredth body lotion or something like that.”
You weren’t trying to improve what was already out there – you spotted a gap in the market?
“Yes, that’s a bit of a recurring theme for me. If I don’t see something lacking, I don’t feel any urge to get involved. I want something that doesn’t yet exist – and then I want to create it.
I’d been searching for a natural deodorant for quite a while – one that smelled good, looked good and, most importantly, actually worked. I did find one from the US, and it worked to some extent, but it looked awful, came in plastic packaging and smelled terrible.
The kind of deodorant I had in mind simply didn’t exist back then. And then a friend said to me: “Why don’t you just make it yourself?” So that’s what I did.”
Sounds like DIY with an entrepreneurial spirit …
“At the time, I was training to become a yoga teacher and handed out samples to my students. They were all so enthusiastic. One of them asked for private lessons, but during the training I wasn’t allowed to accept payment.
So we agreed on an exchange: she was a graphic designer, and in return for the yoga lessons, she created a full brand identity for me. It was really professional – and that’s when the idea took shape. I realised: you could actually approach this in a completely different way. And that’s how it all started.”
How and where did you go about developing the product, the formula and the manufacturing process?
“In my kitchen. I thought about what smells nice, what I personally like – and just started mixing things together. The scents I use are quite unusual – like Vetiver Geranium, Cedar Bergamot and, of course, broom. You’re working with completely different kinds of ingredients.
I already had a pretty clear idea – for instance, it had to be unisex. I had a few reference products in mind and tried mixing different components. But my blends never quite lived up to what I was aiming for.
So I looked for a contract manufacturer online, found one, and sent them what I’d made – along with a description of what I wanted. They had to perfect it, of course. The texture I had created at home wasn’t what I really wanted – and objectively, it wasn’t quite right either.”
The role of contract manufacturers, raw materials, and packaging in achieving zero waste
So you gave your ideas, concepts and fragrance directions to the contract manufacturer – and they found the right blend and took over production?
“Exactly.”
Where do the raw materials come from?
“I don’t source them myself – that’s all handled by the contract manufacturer. I simply give input when a new product is being developed: how it should smell, what it should look like, and what other characteristics it should have.
They’re all natural ingredients, and the manufacturer sources them from suppliers all over the world. It’s incredibly difficult to source ingredients locally. Take chamomile, for example – it grows here, but it isn’t cultivated commercially. You’d have to find a small farmer to grow it just for you, and even then it might come from somewhere like Italy.
Due to globalisation, raw material production has shifted – it’s much like what’s happened with fruit and vegetables.”
Packaging plays a major role in purchasing decisions. How quickly did you know you wanted to use glass jars instead of plastic?
“Straight away. I’m quite a perfectionist when it comes to this. And even if it sounds a bit strange – the way the lid sounds when you open it was important to me. Different materials have different sounds.
I now use a material based on urea – it has that Bakelite-like feel to it. It’s completely different to plastic lids made from PP (polypropylene) or PE (polyethylene). I didn’t want just anything. Aesthetics matter to me – and it mustn’t smell unpleasant, which is sometimes the case with recycled ocean plastic.
And then there’s common sense. I remember talking to a supplier about the FSC-certified paper I use for my deodorant sticks. I asked if it had certification, and he said: “No – deliberately not.” Certification only works for large plantations. This paper comes from sustainable forestry run by small, traditional farms. Certification would require them to completely restructure everything, which would destroy these small-scale systems. He didn’t want to support that – and I agree.
Of course, it takes effort to question where and how things are really produced. There’s often a whole chain of complexity behind certifications and labels.
It’s the same with glass. In terms of CO2 footprint, plastic actually performs better than glass, simply because glass is so heavy – it has a much bigger impact in transport. There’s no easy answer. It’s not black and white.”
Deodorant sticks in paper – that's completely zero waste. You use the stick and can then put it straight into paper recycling. Is that the perfect circular solution?
“Yes – you can put it in the paper bin or even compost it.”
Did you invent this – was it completely new?
“To be honest, the concept already existed – but only in the US. It didn’t reach Europe until later. But the way I do it – without any kind of plastic coating inside the paper – as far as I know, I’m the only one.
Everyone else I know in the market uses some sort of plastic lining. It’s another case of greenwashing: people think it’s paper, but in reality, there’s plastic in it.
My paper is completely diffusion-proof – genuinely impermeable. There’s no barrier like glass, plastic or aluminium.
We’ve also adjusted the formula to include fats and oils with larger molecules, so they work better with the packaging and don’t seep through the paper. That takes constant fine-tuning – it’s a huge amount of work.”
Inspiration and insights that drive impact
How do you go about developing something new? Do you smell something in the woods and think: this is a beautiful scent – I want to turn it into a product?
“I take a holistic approach to it all. It’s really important to me what certain scents evoke. I work with essential oils as a base – they also have an emotional component. What kind of energy do they carry? What do they support, encourage, help with? That plays a big role in the development process – I do a lot of research around that.
With the body serums, for example, this was especially important. One of them, Peace, is meant to have a calming effect – so I chose essential oils known to support serotonin production.
And then I look at what goes together. I usually just have a rough idea. Luckily, my formulators are brilliant at picking up on what I’m saying. It’s more like an image I have in my mind – not something like “it has to be patchouli”. I have a feeling, a picture – and they translate that into a formula.”
So, the contract manufacturers really need to understand you – almost like translating your vision into a product? Otherwise, it wouldn’t work?
“Exactly. Take broom, for example – it took me a long time to find that. I wanted a floral scent, but I don’t actually like floral scents. That was a bit of a dilemma.
I tried loads of essential oils that were considered floral, and also spoke to aromatherapists who gave me recommendations. Eventually, I came across broom. It has this honey-like aroma – a very distinctive scent – and it really suited me.
The manufacturers think along with me. They were able to extract the right components from the fragrance to make it work perfectly in a deodorant.”
From 500 units to a cult favourite – how community drove success
You launched in 2016 and had to build up awareness for a completely unknown product. That must have been a journey – it can’t have happened overnight.
“Well, in my case it actually did happen overnight. It was incredible. I had 500 products made for the first run – and they sold out within a month.
Then there was nothing for nearly two months, because the production simply couldn’t keep up. I started a waiting list – and one day, Harper’s Bazaar mentioned us with the line: “We used to queue for handbags – now we queue for deodorant.”
People went wild. I went to all the stores in Berlin where I wanted the deodorant to be sold – and they all stocked it. Andreas Murkudis, MDC Cosmetic, Soho House – they all took it on.
The press coverage was amazing, too. One journalist from a major German women’s magazine – a self-proclaimed heavy sweater – told me that since using my deodorant, she no longer needed to carry a spare shirt. She even wrote that I had changed her life.
It just took off.”
That’s impressive – and refreshingly honest. Sweating isn’t exactly something people love to talk about.
“With me, they do. I actually get sent photos of people’s armpits – and sometimes I think, okay, that’s a bit too much! But no one holds back.”
But you’re not expected to act as a therapist, are you…?
“Oh, but sometimes I do. Quite a few people come to me with their concerns. And that’s absolutely fine – that’s what I’m here for. I give advice.
Over the years, I’ve realised that many women have lost touch with their own bodies. A typical email I get now and then goes something like: “Your deodorant doesn’t work on me anymore – what’s happened? Did you change the formula?”
And that’s really interesting. Changing a formula is actually a huge deal – you need a new safety assessment, a new production run. People think it’s something you can just do on a whim. And I always tell them: It’s your body – it’s constantly changing, minute by minute.
It’s true – a deodorant can work differently depending on where you are in your cycle, or your overall hormone balance. I’ve experienced that myself. And when I explain this, people are always so appreciative. The response is usually: “You’re right – I hadn’t even thought about that.”“
So, it’s not just something you put on your skin – it actually interacts with your body. Was that intentional?
“Yes – for me, that’s what a true natural product is all about. That it’s not always the same. I love the idea that the product works with your body, instead of being some kind of chemical sledgehammer that always behaves the same, no matter what.”
Trust and transparency – fighting greenwashing with facts
How do you ensure that the contract manufacturers always use exactly the oils and ingredients you want?
“During production, I receive the batches and check them myself, of course. These are very refined products – you notice immediately if something’s off. The texture changes, the scent changes – it’s obvious.
My main contract manufacturer is incredibly precise – truly 200% thorough. When raw materials arrive, he runs his own tests again and checks the ingredients independently.
And because the products are certified, regular audits take place. Inspectors visit the manufacturer, review the entire production process, and trace everything back to its source. That’s absolutely essential – without that, we wouldn’t get the certification.”
When you're developing something new, how long does the process take between you and the manufacturer? How many iterations do you usually need?
“It really depends on the product – and on how well you understand each other. With my new developer, it’s a match made in heaven – sometimes it only takes one or two rounds. With others, it’s usually three to five – never fewer than three.
Altogether, development takes about a year. I’m also working on a completely new product line right now, and that’s been going on for a few years already. There are loads of different tests involved – like preservative load tests and so on.”
In August 2022, you launched a new packaging format – roll-ons.
“Yes, the demand was definitely there, and the product is a classic. The deodorants are liquid – clean, refined formulations – and, like with the glass jars, customers can return the glass. Of course, roll-ons exist, but I haven’t seen any that combine this kind of formula with a return scheme. That’s something I’ve been doing from the start.”
And what’s next?
“At the beginning of the year, I bought a new brand. I can’t say much about it yet – but it’s going to be on a whole different level, and it’s something that fulfils me completely. I’ll let you know as soon as the time is right.”
