Beard Oil Snake Oil

Did you know that almost all of Dick Johnson's own products are handcrafted domestically in Tuusula?

We visited our factory, which has been awarded the stringent ECOCERT and COSMOS certifications as a mark of quality natural cosmetics production.

Located on Amerintie in Tuusula is Nordic BioCosmetic Production Oy - a factory partly owned by Dick Johnson himself. We even call it "Dick's Brewery." Here, all the classics like Pallivaha and God Spray are made, while the factory's chemists develop and test new formulas for production. Developing domestic natural cosmetics is a long and time-consuming process, but the results speak for themselves.

According to factory manager Kirsi Kettunen, the future of Finnish natural cosmetics is bright, and demand is high.  We also offer Private Label cosmetics, feel free to get in touch (asiakas@dick.fi)

– Recipes developed in Finland together with the customer and Nordic ingredients fascinate both our Finnish and international customers.

The factory warehouse is stocked with canisters and barrels of various oils used to make perfumes or skincare products.

From Idea to Recipe

The journey of a new product always begins in the laboratory, where the product's recipe is developed. Product developer Jenni Rönkä creates an initial recipe based on customer wishes and selects the raw materials to be used. In natural cosmetics development, the purity and origin of raw materials are crucial, and verifying the origin of the ingredients used in the recipe plays a significant role in product development.

– Documentation probably takes up most of my time, Rönkä reflects.

According to Rönkä, the hot topics in product development lately have been shampoos, conditioners, creams, serums, toners, and facial oils. In addition to a pleasant scent, texture, and effect, product safety is an important aspect of new product development. Once the right recipe is found, its durability is thoroughly tested through various stability and microbial tests.

Product developer Jenni Rönkä says that documentation is the most time-consuming part of creating organic cosmetics.

Next up is preparing test batches. With the recipe suggested by the product developer, the lab technician prepares a small test batch, whose properties are closely examined. Based on these observations, the recipe is refined and developed in the desired direction, especially if ingredients that seemed good on paper produce an unpleasant scent or incorrect texture in the finished product.

– Some products work in theory but not at all in practice, says lab technician Irina Närvänen.

According to the lab technician, the initial recipe of a product usually undergoes significant changes during product development. The lab technicians at the factory alternate between product development and quality control to maintain consistent quality. The simplest test batch of a product requiring mixing can be done in an instant, but those requiring boiling need long monitoring and attention.

Lab technician Irina Närvänen says that sometimes a recipe that seemed good on paper doesn't work at all in practice.

Usually, multiple versions are made at once, and the best one is chosen to proceed.

– There may be ten to twenty different versions of a product at a time, Närvänen describes.

When the recipe is fine-tuned, a series of tests follows. The decrease in added microbes in the product is monitored for a month, which indicates the effectiveness of the preservatives in the product. Samples are taken from each finished product batch, making it easy and quick to identify any potential issues or defective batches.

High-Quality Raw Materials as Keys to Success

Buyer Aleksi Rönkä is responsible for the procurement of the raw materials used by the factory. Continuous production requires a steady supply of raw materials and their organization. According to Rönkä, various oils are the most important ingredient in cosmetics production.

– Sunflower oil, shea butter, and almond oil are the kind that you can easily order by the pallet or container.

Buyer Aleksi Rönkä presents the large vat where Dick Johnson's Pallivaha is cooked and whipped.

According to Rönkä, sunflower oil in particular is used in almost all oil-containing cosmetics, and the factory orders it in 900 kg containers every one or two months. The raw materials for Snake Oil, one of Dick Johnson's most popular products, include argan, jojoba, and almond oils, which are also top items on the buyer's procurement list. Shea butter for Pallivaha is also ordered several times.

The supply chains prefer domestic and reliable partners, although exotic raw materials often come from abroad. The most popular domestic raw material is birch sap.

Packaging on the Production Line

Once the recipe is refined, the right raw materials are found, and the appropriate tests are completed, production can begin on a larger scale. Each product requires its own approach: for example, the versatile Pallivaha gets its fluffiness and texture in a specially prepared large vat where shea butter is mixed. The finished mixture is extruded into jars, which are then labeled and stamped by machine.

Snake Balm beard wax boxes are waiting to be packed from the batch produced just yesterday.

Production supervisor Katri Kivimäki says that there are many moving parts in producing high-quality cosmetics. She is responsible for arranging the production lines so that production and packaging run smoothly. A work card is also created for each product being worked on, showing the production schedule, batch size, and other details. A giant batch of Dick Johnson's Snake Balm beard wax was just completed yesterday.

According to the supervisor, arranging the production chain is about optimizing the process and careful planning. For example, the new type of cardboard packaging used by Dick Johnson has received praise.

– I love the snap-open boxes because the foldable ones take up a lot of time from other tasks, says Kivimäki.

Optimization of the production line often starts with small things. According to production supervisor Katri Kivimäki, snap-open packaging that does not require folding saves a lot of time.

Various creams and serums packed in tubes are also well-received, as tubing is a fast-paced task that can quickly produce large volumes.

Logistics and warehouse manager Micke Lindqvist is fine-tuning the tube packaging machine for today's face cream packaging. The cleansing product itself was boiled earlier today, and now follows transferring the mixture to the packaging machine, which extrudes the product into tubes and seals the ends. The sales-ready tube pops out of the machine and into a basket.

– It’s going as smoothly as Strömsö, except we're not building a sauna, Lindqvist chuckles.

Logistics and warehouse manager Micke Lindqvist fine-tuning the tube machine for face cream packaging.

The factory has a total of five production lines, each capable of producing about 2,000-5,000 products per day at full capacity, depending on product-specific differences. According to the supervisor, Dick Johnson's Snake Balm beard wax requires more production steps compared to, for instance, Pallivaha, as the beard wax must cool in shape in the jar after extrusion before the lid is applied and stamps are added.

The Pallivaha canning machine extrudes the finished cream into jars, seals the lid, and applies the label and stamps.

It's busy in the laboratory, on the production line, and in packaging: the factory is fulfilling orders at full volume, and the quantities are continuously growing. Factory manager Kirsi Kettunen says the new production line opening soon will further increase capacity.

– The current lines produce about 3,000-5,000 products per day, but our new line can make up to 5,000-9,000 products in the same time.

Text: Teemu Peltoniemi

Photos: Petri Huhtinen

Did this article spark feedback or new story ideas? You can send them directly to Dick Johnson's own reporter, Teemu, at teemu.peltoniemi(at)roguestock.fi

We went to Västerås to ask the raggare what they think of Dick Johnson's pomade.

Friday evening in Västerås, Central Sweden. But this isn’t just any weekend in the Swedish version of Lahti. We're at Västerås Summer Meet, one of the world's largest car gatherings. This weekend, the city hosts around 15,000 American classic cars and an even larger number of raggare.

Read the article “A Weekend in Västerås” here!

In honor of Dick Johnson's 10th anniversary, we came here to ask the experts of slicked-back hairstyles about Pomade Inepuisable, our first product from 2014. And we've had just enough beer for Swedish to roll off the tongue effortlessly!

“It smells f***ing great!”

At ten in the evening, there is a crowd at Lögarängen’s parking lot as the classic cars roll by and rock music blares. Dennis and Leo, along with their friends, have come to Västerås from Mora in a 1960 Chevrolet Parkwood station wagon.

Tonight’s program reportedly includes cruising, drinking alcohol, and listening to music. A bubble machine is also being set up for action.

Dick Johnson’s pomade was a welcome addition to the gentlemen’s evening festivities.

– Of course, I’ll try it. I'll do a quick slickback right away, Leo says.

– I’m an all-natural man, Dennis initially ponders.

Leo deftly rubs the pomade between his hands and smooths his hair back neatly. The final touch is styled rockabilly-style with a Dick Johnson comb. This is probably as close as you can get to being a rock god.

– It smells absolutely f***ing great!

After perfecting the slickback, Jailhouse Rock starts playing. Inspired by Leo's style, Dennis also decides to slick back his hair neatly.

– Works great!

Soon, Kenneth from southern Sweden arrives in his turquoise Cadillac. Homemade booze is offered from the trunk, and the wild night quickly turns into a blur.

“Holds well despite the rain!”

I pry open my bleary eyes as dawn breaks about twenty kilometers away from the city. A morning shower washes away the sins of the night, and my camera still works despite the kebab sauce spilled on it.

After several hours of cruising and a few more beers, the hangover from the moonshine starts to ease as I arrive at the Hammarbyrampen gas station around midnight. This is one of the raggare hangouts during Summer Meet, and despite the night's rain, the atmosphere is lively.

Since I cheated my way through basic and advanced Swedish classes, my interviews have remained superficial so far. That’s why I need to find some Finns.

That's not difficult, as Västerås also attracts a good number of Finnish raggare every summer.

One of the car enthusiasts spending the evening at the gas station is Toni from Pirkanmaa. The group of friends came in a 1965 Ford Country Squire.

– Is that Dick pomade oil-based?

Not at all. Still, we made it strong-holding but also easy to wash out.

Toni also praised the scent of the Dick pomade, and despite the rain, decided to fix his hair.

– I could really use a mirror for this!

Nevertheless, the stylish slickback comes together effortlessly.

We Finns often think of our neighbors as soft when they consider 4.5% beer to be starköl and anything stronger than 3.5% has to be bought from Systembolaget.

Still, homemade booze seems to be in every car trunk at least in Västerås. I had planned to find six different people to test the pomade, but the moonshine foiled my plans. Nevertheless, we had a great time.

Maybe better luck next time!