About Picki Niki – Our Mission for Better Skin & Hair
ABOUT US
It started with a simple observation.
The problem wasn't skincare. It was the water.
When I moved from Seoul to Berlin, something changed.
My skin became dry and irritated. My hair felt rough.
At first, I focused on skincare. I changed products. I changed routines. Nothing worked.
Eventually, I realised no skincare routine could fix what came from the tap.
That became the starting point for PICKI NIKI.
Moved from Seoul to Berlin – excited for a new chapter
Hard water affected my skin and hair. Began developing solutions with Korean filtration experts.
Developed a vitamin C filter formula with Korean experts.
Launched PICKI NIKI – Designed in Germany, Made in Korea
Opened UK Fulfillment Center – expanding across Europe
Building the right shower filter took over two years.
Most filtered shower heads sold in Europe don’t disclose where they’re actually made. Many are manufactured through large-scale OEM factories in China. We chose to develop and manufacture ours in Korea.
Korea is one of the world's most mature markets for shower filtration. So that's where we started.
But there was one problem: Korean water is soft. Berlin water – and most European water – is not. A filter tuned for Korean tap water doesn't perform the same against the calcium and magnesium load of European hard water.
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Compared five manufacturing partners in Korea
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Developed a Vitamin C formulation tuned for European hard water, not the lighter formulation sufficient for soft Korean water
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Travelled to Korea four times during COVID to work directly with engineers and labs
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Validated before launch at independent Korean institutes:
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KEWI – chlorine reduction, 60-parameter water quality + heavy metals (all non-detected)
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Continued independent testing after launch:
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KTR – pH-balancing test (2023)
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P&K Skin Clinical Research Centre – skin compatibility study (n=30, 2023)
We didn't stop there.
Evidence isn't a one-time exercise.
Engineered in Germany.Developed in Korea.
PICKI NIKI is engineered in Germany for European hard-water conditions. But it is developed, manufactured and tested in Korea.
There is a reason for that.
Korea is one of the world's most mature shower-filtration markets, where consumers pay close attention to the relationship between water, skin and hair.
It is also a market where product claims are regularly scrutinised and independently tested.
We evaluated manufacturing options across multiple countries. Korea was a more expensive choice. It was also the one we trusted most.
PICKI NIKI combines German engineering for European water conditions with Korean filtration expertise and beauty culture.
How Filtered Shower Water Changed My Routine
I wanted a shower routine that felt the way it did back in Seoul
When I moved to Berlin, my hair felt different almost immediately. The water in Berlin is much harder than in Seoul and leaves more mineral residue. So I started building a shower routine around filtered water. After switching, my hair feels softer and easier to style, and my shower routine is back to feeling pleasant.
Filtered shower water made a difference for my routine
Berlin's tap water has more dissolved minerals than I was used to from Seoul. Once I switched to a filtered shower, the way my skin felt afterward improved noticeably. Individual experiences vary - this is my personal experience with the routine.
We built a shower filter designed for showers.
Many filtration systems were originally developed for drinking water. A shower is
different. Hot water. Fast flow. Daily use.
So we built a dual-filtration system designed in Germany for real shower conditions - helping improve the shower experience in hard-water environments.
References
Independent product testing and certifications.
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P&K Skin Clinical Research Centre. Primary Skin Irritation Test. Seoul, Korea. 2023.n=30, Skin Irritation... lab test
P&K Skin Clinical Research Centre. Primary Skin Irritation Test. Seoul, Korea. 2023.
n=30, Skin Irritation Index 0.03 (non-irritant).
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World Atopy Association (WAA). Atopy-friendly Product Certificate. 2025. Valid 2025-03-06 to 2027-03-05. certification
World Atopy Association (WAA). Atopy-friendly Product Certificate. 2025. Valid 2025-03-06 to 2027-03-05.
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International Certification Registrar Ltd. (ICR). ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) + ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management).... certification
International Certification Registrar Ltd. (ICR). ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management) + ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management). Valid 2025-09-16 to 2028-09-15.
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Jabbar-Lopez ZK, Craven J, Logan K, et al.. Longitudinal analysis of the effect of... peer reviewed
Jabbar-Lopez ZK, Craven J, Logan K, et al.. Longitudinal analysis of the effect of water hardness on atopic eczema: evidence for gene-environment interaction. British Journal of Dermatology. 2020.
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Korea Environment and Water Works Institute (KEWI). Residual Chlorine Removal Test. Seoul, Korea. 2020.100... lab test
Korea Environment and Water Works Institute (KEWI). Residual Chlorine Removal Test. Seoul, Korea. 2020.
100 L synthetic water at 0.19 mg/L free residual chlorine, passed through Vitamin Filter. Outlet: not detected. Flow 2.52 L/min. T = 21-23 degrees C.
Note: real shower conditions are typically higher pressure and warmer than this laboratory test. The Vitamin C gel cartridge is engineered as a self-regulating system: higher pressure releases more Vitamin C from the gel matrix, and higher temperature accelerates the chlorine-neutralisation reaction. Under typical shower conditions these dynamics are expected to keep real-use performance broadly comparable to the laboratory result.