Heritage

About Bio Sculpture

Elmien Scholtz - Founder and developer of Bio Sculpture Gel, CEO and President of Bio Sculpture International.

Elmien said: "When I developed Bio Sculpture Gel I wanted a product that could be applied over natural nails, gel extensions, or artificial tips, that doesn't chip or wear away at the free edge. I wanted all this with a shiny, flexible, hard protection that gives a neat well groomed appearance."

A Proud Heritage

One South African woman's dream changed the lives of thousands worldwide!

In the small, idyllic, Eastern Free State town of Clocolan South Africa lay a success story second to none, from one little girl's fascination with beautiful nails, to an international company that now exports to over 30 countries.

After completing her CIDESCO (Committee International de Esthetique et de cosmotolagé) course in cosmetic science at the Stellenbosch Academy in 1980, Elmien realized that a more effective manner of obtaining well groomed, natural looking nails was necessary. She soon came to the conclusion that there was a large gap between natural nail care and its counterpart, namely long, heavy, built up nails or plastic false tips. Elmien had a vision to give women beautiful, strong, healthy nails which would be easy to maintain and which they could admire and be proud of.

Initially utilizing her own salon La Femme, in Port Elizabeth SA, she launched a comprehensive national and international investigation of consumer needs in the nail industry. It resulted in years of research and development, dedication and devotion to fulfill her vision. With a wish list of characteristics for 'The Perfect Nail System' she was unstoppable.

A Proud History

She called the system Bio Sculpture.

Bio - because the nails looked and felt "natural". A product so close to the natural nail, that only the wearer would know the difference.

Sculpture – because she would make, design, form, shape and create something from nothing to what the user desires.

Bio Sculpture "Clear Gel" was registered in 1988 and became her first "first" in the nail industry. It was the first Soak Off gel worldwide and had the properties of a nail hardening treatment that could be applied as an overlay on natural nails. It cured under a UV-A light and finishes with a non-yellowing, crystal clear finish. Bio Sculpture Gel was the first of its kind. It was the first gel that could be applied onto a natural nail without excessive buffing or having to apply primers or bonders that would damage the nail plate and inhibited natural nail growth; this was a totally new concept. The fact that it also protected natural nails from breaking while allowing them to grow out long, strong and beautiful, was a bonus!"

Bio Sculpture "Sculpting Gel" was developed as her second "first", shortly after the clear overlay gel in order to create natural looking gel nail extension that was thin and flexible but extremely durable. Extending a nail with "gel" was unheard of.

Elmien continued on her path of creating the perfect nail system and soon created a third "first": Soak Off Colour Gel. This revolutionary idea allowed women who lead busy lives, taking care of families, business and social responsibilities, to have their nails or toenails manicured once every 2-4 weeks, with a colour gel that does not chip nor wear away at the free edge.

The "first Colour Gel" was launched by Bio Sculpture in 1990 and was called Pillar Box Red (it is still one of the most popular colours worldwide). Bio Sculpture Gels' unique and superior gel line is formulated in such a way that the product can be released from the nail with no harm to the natural nail. Today Bio Sculpture's colour range consist of more than 170 fashionable colour gels; some are timeless and others more trendy which tend to be influenced by the catwalks of Milan, New York and Paris.

In the beginning of 2010, Elmien released her fourth "first"; Treatment Gels. Similar to hair products that specialize in customizing their client's needs, Bio Sculpture treatment gels now allow manicurists to create different nail options: flexible, medium or solid (less-flexible) nails, depending on the condition of their clients' nails.

Excellence through education Bio Sculpture's secret to success lies in the high quality of our products and the ongoing training classes offered around the world. Elmien points out, "Bio Sculpture is not a stagnant company. We are continually growing and developing new products and application methods. We therefore encourage all our nail technicians worldwide to constantly update their product knowledge through workshops and refresher training classes, which are offered on a regular basis.

What sets us apart?

Customer needs are always our priority: Elmien firmly believes that Bio Sculpture's success is directly related to her continued research and development of the nail industry's consumer needs. Elmien says, "We don't look at what our competitors do - we find out what the woman on the street wants. There is an open channel from the end-user, via the technician and distributor, to the Head Office in South Africa and ultimately to the Bio Sculpture laboratory. If the lab can produce what the client wants, then success will be inevitable. Bio Sculpture is different from its competitors because we have never tried to compete. We want what is best for our clients, we listen to what they ask for and we try to satisfy that need as best we can. That is what makes us different."

Bio Sculpture Gel has become the preferred nail system to be utilized by salons and day spas across the world. This has led to Bio Sculpture International introducing a new Spa range of manicure and pedicure products to complement its natural nail gel treatments. The spa range consists of products such as a exfoliating Potpourri Salt Scrub, a revitalizing Mint Mask for weary hands and feet and a moisturizing Hand and Body Butter. These products, along with Bio Sculptures' Nail Polishes, can be purchased as retail items so that you can spoil yourself in the comfort of your own home.

An exciting future

When asked what is in the pipeline for Bio Sculpture Gel's future, Elmien smiles and replies, "Bio Sculpture is constantly working on improving our state of the art gel system! If all goes according to plan we will launch more new and improved products in 2011, so keep a look out for it!"

Elmien Scholtz's vision for the future

"I would like to go anywhere and see our product everywhere!"