The legacy of renowned Swiss cosmetics brand Mila d’Opiz has a long, rich history starting back in the early 1900s. The founder of this three-generational brand, Mila Opitz-Altherr, was a brave visionary and a true pioneer. More than eight decades later, the Mila d’Opiz brand, inspired by innovation, is still showing the world very clearly what Swiss Serenity means for premium, luxury cosmetics and skincare. Mila d’Opiz, a family institution that has been passed down through three generations, embodies the same integrity and quality now as it did in the 1930s.
The Founding of Mila d’Opiz
Mila Opitz-Altherr successfully founded her company from humble beginnings in the Swiss Canton of Appenzell. At the age of 26, she married the pharmaceutical consultant Friedrich-Wilhelm Opitz. Mila struggled with skin problems all her life. As a result, she partnered with a pharmacist to find a solution to her skin problems. After discovering some astounding answers, Mila founded her own company and called it Milopa, an abbreviation of her name: Mila Opitz-Altherr.
While continuously working to create the highest quality cosmetics products, Mila mastered and brought to market a revolutionary, age-defying hormone cream. The cosmetic industry had never seen a product like this and hailed Mila as a true visionary of the beauty and skincare world. This type of high-precision skin care opened many doors for Mila, allowing her to continue with her research on the next generational defining skincare solution.
Growth & Continuous Innovation
In 1945, seven years after Mila d’Opiz was founded, the construction of their own factory began, so the production of products on a larger scale could be started. In 1950, the company was able to start exporting cosmetics and skin care to other countries. Along with the rise in popularity and export of beauty products, Mila created her groundbreaking slogan “the golden point of beauty”. The success of the premium hormone cream brought Mila d’Opiz into the spotlight worldwide as an innovative and trustworthy skincare brand
The innovation did not stop with the hormone cream. Mila worked consistently with top-of-the-line chemists, pharmacists and dermatologists to create the purest and most scientifically advanced products of their time. In 1952, the second great innovative product was launched: “the hot mask”. Both the hormone cream and the hot mask were never-before-seen items that revolutionized the skincare and cosmetic world. Even when there was a large factory fire in 1958, Mila did not lose hope. She worked out of boxes and crates for the next three months to ensure her legacy would continue.
Mila d’Opiz quickly made a name for itself in the cosmetics and skincare community, due to the quality of the Swiss ingredients used, as well as the successful formulations of the products themselves. With its continuous rise in popularity, Mila d’Opiz also began to work with other prestigious luxury brands to make cosmetics lines for them. While producing some of the most premium cosmetics and skincare, with a Swissmedic certificate they were also able to manufacture premier pharmaceutical products.
The Next Generations of Mila d’Opiz
Being a family-owned and operated company was of utmost importance in maintaining the vision and integrity of the Mila d’Opiz brand. In 1980 Mila Opitz-Altherr handed over management to her daughter, Silva, and her son-in-law, Wolf Studer. By 1986, the company had expanded so much that it had to move to a newer building with more modern laboratories. The move to new facilities in Gallen, Switzerland was a momentous occasion for the brand, with the new infrastructure providing the opportunity for large-scale advancements in microbiology and analytics. This allowed Mila d’Opiz to continue its upwards trajectory in the premium cosmetics and skincare community.
Thirty years later in 2014, the third generation handover occurred with Caroline Studer taking over as CEO. Caroline’s philosophy continues to uphold the highest standards on which Mila d’Opiz was founded. She believes in ensuring the quality of the products that Mila d’Opiz has already perfected, but she also recognizes the need for incorporating innovative ideas.
Although Mila d’Opiz already complied with the EU regulatory systems and standards before, in 1994 it became officially ISO-certified, making it the first Swiss cosmetics company of the time. Shortly after becoming ISO-certified, Mila d’Opiz founded ARCOS (Academy for Cosmetology). This instituted the first training and education system by Mila d’Opiz, which would certify any student who completed the courses with the highest recognition and honor observed worldwide.
In 2018, Mila d’Opiz celebrated its 80th anniversary while receiving first Prize for a Skin Whisperer product for the second time at the BSB Innovation Awards. This time “The Skin-Whisperer Eye Cream” won the “Most Innovative Cosmetic Product”. A first prize was also awarded for the Best Packaging Material. To the honor of Mila and to the delight of the distributors who came to Switzerland from all over the world for the 80th anniversary of Mila d’Opiz, the Eau de Toilette “Emilia” was launched on the market. Delicate and floral scents mixed with classy, sensual, chic tones were the perfect composition to honor Mila’s life’s work.
Looking Towards The Future
Today Mila d’Opiz products are sold worldwide on five continents and in forty countries. Mila d’Opiz has continued to receive numerous awards in products ranging from The Vegan Green Caviar Night Cream to the Beauty Detox Concentrate. In 2021, Mila d’Opiz was awarded a BSB Innovation Award for the Classics Cells Nourishing Cream. This continuous recognition is partly due to the innovation and quality that Mila d’Opiz has been proud of for over 80 years, which Mila d’Opiz attaches great importance to.
From humble beginnings in Appenzellerland, Switzerland, inspiration, tenacity, and creativity have built a luxury skincare brand that is still a leader in terms of high-tech, innovation and quality of products. The core values on which Mila founded the company still hold true today, due to being passed down three generations. Integrity and the quality of the products, the embodiment of Swiss serenity, and lifelong commitment to the highest purity of ingredients have led to Mila d’Opiz being recognized as one of the most innovative and premium skincare brands in the world.
