Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Finnish beauty brands, including NOBE Nordic Beauty and Scandy, dominated at the European Natural Beauty Awards 2025, taking home seven out of fourteen main prizes and six excellence subcategory awards
- International success to serve as a launchpad for Finnish brands entering the region, with NBI presenting its portfolio to UAE distributors during Beautyworld Middle East 2025, while Scandy makes GCC debut through exclusive launch in Watsons stores
- The UAE cosmetics market will exceed US$395 million in 2025, growing at over 4% annually, while the clean and natural beauty segment in the UAE is forecasted to expand by nearly 7.9% by 2030
Following a major victory at the European Natural Beauty Awards 2025 in Paris last month, a wave of Finnish and Nordic beauty brands are now expanding into the United Arab Emirates, marking a new chapter for clean, sustainable beauty in the Middle East.
Finland was the most successful country in this year’s competition, winning seven out of fourteen main prizes and earning recognition across the entire beauty value chain – from e-commerce and retail to brand innovation and natural ingredients.
This international success now serves as a launchpad for Finnish brands entering the region, beginning with Nordic Beauty Inc. (NBI), the company behind the multi-award-winning brands NOBE Nordic Beauty and Scandy. NBI is set to present its award-winning portfolio to UAE distributors during Beautyworld Middle East 2025, which takes place from 27 – 29 October at Dubai World Trade Centre, while Scandy has already made its regional debut through an exclusive launch in Watsons stores across the GCC.
The European Natural Beauty Awards gathered Europe’s top natural cosmetics brands, retailers, and innovators. Finland’s winners reflected the country’s growing influence in sustainability-driven beauty.
The Finnish companies taking home major accolades, included Ruohonjuuri for E-Commerce of the Year; PUR-kauppa for Independent Shop of the Year; Miraz for Distributor of the Year; CosmEthics (Katariina Rantanen) for Voice of the Year; BLANK& for New Brand of the Year; Origin by Ocean – OCEANTHIX™ LV for Innovative Natural Raw Ingredient of the Year; and Frantsila for the Lifetime Achievement Award.
In addition to the main category winners, the event also recognised brands through its Excellence Awards, which highlight outstanding achievements across product and innovation subcategories. NBI received the highest number of Excellence Awards of any European company – five for NOBE and one for Scandy – further confirming Finland’s leading role in modern, nature-based cosmetics.
Johanna Ronkko, CEO of Nordic Beauty Inc. (NBI), said, “The Finnish natural cosmetics sector combines science, design, and sustainability – values that perfectly align with today’s UAE consumers. This market is forward-looking and quality-driven, making it an ideal environment for Nordic beauty to grow. We are excited that Scandy has already found a home with Watsons across the GCC, marking an exciting start for Nordic beauty in the region.”
According to Mordor Intelligence, the UAE cosmetics market will exceed US$395 million in 2025, growing at over 4% annually, while the clean and natural beauty segment in the UAE is forecasted to expand by nearly 7.9% through 2030.
These trends, paired with increasing consumer demand for transparency and ingredient integrity, make the UAE a natural next step for Nordic brands known for their honest formulations, sustainability, and minimalist design.
“Nordic beauty is defined by authenticity and performance. These are universal values, and we see a growing appetite for them across the Middle East,” Mika Ronkko, Executive Director of the Finnish Health Product Retailers Association, added.
About Nordic Beauty Inc.
Nordic Beauty Inc. (NBI) is a Finnish Distribution company and brand house developing innovative skincare and wellness brands rooted in Nordic nature and science. Its leading brands – NOBE Nordic Beauty and Scandy – are known for sustainable ingredients, clean formulations, and Scandinavian design. NBI’s mission is to make modern Nordic beauty accessible worldwide.
For more information, please visit nordicbeautyworld.com.
