Ministerstwo is a Polish brand founded by two sisters. They started out making deliciously scented soaps... and now the brand has evolved to make skincare, body care, and even bio glitter.
Our customers love their products... now it's time to meet the person behind the brand. Meet Ania, one half of Ministerstwo :)
What inspired you to create Ministerstwo?
When my sister Ula and I launched our Ministerstwo, she was only 19 years old so you might wonder what in the world pushed us to do it together and so early. In fact, this story is heavily based in our Polish context. Our parents started their own business right when communism fell - they literally started from nothing, and they worked from their garage. I think it’s fair to say that it’s our parents who inspired our journey. They paved the way for us and showed us that hard work pays off. We both look up to them and if it wasn’t for the example they gave us, it’s possible we wouldn’t have the courage to start our own company.
What is your best memory of the brand’s beginnings?
I don’t know if you know but we started from making soap and these beginnings were very humble. I remember once my sister and I were traveling by train to different towns to attend fairs. We packed the soap in large suitcases - they were so heavy we were not able to drag them into the train so our dad had to help out. One time the train conductor even asked - did you pack stones there or what? And we replied - not stones, just soap. It was quite ridiculous, possibly as ridiculous as traveling with stones ;) Anyway, if someone told me there and then that one day we will be partnering with over 200 stores across Poland and Europe I would have never believed.
What are the most valuable lessons you have learned so far from your journey as a female entrepreneur?
There is something to be said about female entrepreneurship that paves the way for a different kind of business - one that is more environmentally-conscious and caring. Women bring in the quality of empathy and it seems like the world was lacking that. It’s a good counterweight to the world of competition and profit scaling that dominated business for a long time. As women in business we tend to think in broader terms, not so much - how much something will benefit us personally but how much it will benefit the community and the planet (or at least, how it won’t harm the planet - that’s the least we can do.) Apart from that, something simple: no matter the circumstances, it’s pretty awesome to be a financially independent woman.
What was the most rewarding moment for you as founder of Ministerstwo?
It’s not simply a single moment. We feel fantastic every time we get an award for one of our cosmetics. Whenever Glamour magazine or Polish Love Cosmetics decides we deserve a distinction, we are beyond happy, it makes our work meaningful, for sure.
And when it comes to big-picture stuff, perhaps it’s not really a ‘rewarding moment’ per se but I have to say one of the most rewarding feelings every day is to know that I get to work with my sister and thanks to that we stay in close touch. You might laugh but honestly, before we started working together 10 years ago, we didn’t really know each other that well. I am 8 years older than her and live in a different city so there was not only an age gap but also physical distance. Us both working together at Ministerstwo means we are very much up to date with each other and super close. This is rewarding.
What are your favorite products from your range?
My sister Ula loves loves loves halva face-scrub - as she is a fan of cookie-like scents but to balance it out she also likes all the herbal scents of hydrosols. Our rose hydrosol has a special place in her heart. When it comes to me – I am a big fan of the Apricot foam - it’s fabulous in a two-step cleansing as a second step - or as the only step, if that’s what your heart (and skin) desires :)
Which product was the most complicated to produce and why?
Our Honey Lip Balm is the winner because we attempted the impossible. We dreamt up a formula that didn’t exist at the time - a romance of water-resistant lanolin base combined with water-based active ingredients. Notice that the majority of lip products only cover the lips with an oily layer. If your lips are chapped, nothing really happens, the skin doesn’t regenerate. Meanwhile, our Honey Lip Balm penetrates through skin and repairs it from inside out. But believe me, it took about three to four years to make these counter-intuitive ingredients work well together. But it was so worth it! It’s a huge best-selling product now and it makes us very happy.
What are your aspirations and goals for the future of Ministerstwo?
We bought a small piece of land and currently we’re dreaming about building a new house for our soap and cosmetics - please, keep your fingers crossed!
Apart from that, we would love to know that something made by Ministerstwo finds its way to the home and bathroom cabinet of every Luxembourger :)