The story behind Egyptian Magic is as intriguing as it is enchanting. As written in the New York Times, it is a tale of the brand’s founder, Lord Pharaoh ImHotepAmonRa, a self-made messiah of cosmetics.

The charmingly-renamed Lord Pharaoh saw his all-purpose healing balm go from local curiosity to global distribution. At that time, he was known as Westley Howard, a water filter salesman, until one fateful day the formula for Egyptian Magic was revealed to him at a Chicago diner, where he met a mysterious man by the name of Dr. Imas. The cream Dr. Imas described to Howard was said to be the same substance used in ancient Egyptian tombs.

From that point on, Westley dedicated his life to his new calling, painstakingly recreating the mythical cream and even changing his name to sound more Egyptian. Almost 25 years later, Egyptian Magic has taken the world by storm.

According to Karl-Arne Kronström, CEO of Egyptian Magic European Distribution, “ImHotepAmonRa did not launch his product in a conventional manner. In 1991, when it all began, things were so hard that ImHotepAmonRa used to go to a local health food store to trade the balm for food. For the first nine years, he slept on his office floor to save money. But all the while, interest in the product grew.”

An important pillar in the philosophy behind Egyptian Magic is to let the product do the talking, says Kronström.

“We don’t invest a lot in marketing. We know we have a great product, and our customers are the best way to spread the word.”

The strategy seems to have paid off, with many singing the balm’s praise. Egyptian Magic can be found in surgical offices, natural health pharmacies and in the bathrooms of A-list celebrities. Though it’s distributed at over 5,000 locations and in more than 45 markets worldwide, it sells particularly well in Europe and Asia.

Kronström continues: “It really became a global phenomenon in 2003, when Madonna mentioned it as one of her must-have products. The day that happened, the Egyptian Magic website crashed from all the visitors. That was what truly sparked the first explosion of internet-based demand.’
Following this, bloggers and other social media personalities have continued to spread the word with raving reviews and recommendations.

Going global

To keep up with this demand, Egyptian Magic had to adapt quickly. In transitioning from a hand- and home-made venture to global distribution, they have naturally invested in bigger and more professional equipment, but still manage to pour everything by hand. Their global team is worldwide. Through email and Facetime, they work by pooling their resources and abilities to work together. Kronström discloses that the secret to Egyptians Magic’s success is really no secret: great leadership, honesty, integrity, generosity and a 100% natural product that actually works. “We believe natural skincare should be kept simple and should only feed the skin with the best,” says Kronström.

“This means the fewer ingredients product contains, the better, next to avoiding using ingredients that you don’t know. That’s why Egyptian Magic blends just six natural ingredients into one unique formula. Olive oil, bee’s wax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and bee propolis, all recognized for their beneficial properties to the health of the skin.”

It’s not just general skin health that Egyptian Magic is beneficial for. Dr. Uzzi Reiss, a ‘doctor to the stars’ in Hollywood, began recommending Egyptian Magic to his clients and one of the uses he promotes is as a vaginal moisturizer. The balm represents a natural remedy for an issue that affects the majority of women in menopause.

Kronström has the following advice for people who’d like to follow in Egyptian Magic’s footsteps and start their own business:

If you’re someone who has the dream of starting their own business, in skin care or any other industry, write down your vision, ask yourself why you want it, and then make an action plan for the fulfillment of your vision. It all starts and ends with you.

What’s in future of Egyptian Magic? “The future is as exciting as today!” Kronström exclaims. Egyptian Magic will continue growing within the natural cosmetic industry, always trying to expand its reach to a mass global market, while at the same time entering new markets. On whether or not there will be new products in the future, Kronström has just one thing to say: “Only time will tell.”