Entrepreneur: Peter Wainman, Chairman and CEO of Equator Pure Nature Co., Ltd.
LINED with bright, colourful packages adorned with bold text and exclamatory messages, cleaning supply aisles at grocery stores can be a sensory overload for the undirected shopper. “Fast-acting!” or “Double Strength!” messages explode off the packaging in a barrage of in-your-face marketing of only one metric: cleaning power. Though for many shoppers, especially those with allergies and asthma like Peter Wainman, necessity dictates that cleaning power is far less important than safety. Natural cleaning products, now the standard for chemical-free, safe cleaning, were all but nonexistent in Thailand at the time of Peter’s severe allergic reaction in 2010. He and his wife scoured supermarkets to find a product both safe and powerful, but their searches and product trials uncovered that natural products, while healthy and good for you, just don’t clean well; the sacrifices for safety were power and efficacy. At this point, Peter turned to his wife and said, “Let’s just make them ourselves.” Why start the business? Peter, hailing from a small town in Connecticut, USA, earned undergraduate and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and University of California at Berkeley, respectively. His penchant for numbers blossomed into a successful career in investment banking, with several experiences managing start-up companies. |

Work led Peter to Thailand during the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997, where he eventually moved with his wife in 2006. It was here that he suffered a severe allergic reaction to chemicals commonly used in household cleaning products in Thailand.
This prompted the search for healthy alternatives that gave both Peter and his wife objective clarity when looking at ingredients and what types of dangerous chemicals are present in common cleaning products.
“It’s really rather shocking when you do research into what hazardous chemicals are used in our everyday products,” noted Peter. “Our research and my experiences with allergies provided the drive needed to develop our products.”
Peter set out on developing his own cleaning products that followed a set of uncompromisable standards: No toxic chemicals, no allergens, hypoallergenic-certification, and cleaning power comparable to chemical cleaners. Fulfilling these self-imposed requirements was not easy, especially considering no major mass-marketed brand worldwide had been able to produce with those standards. As a result, research and development took almost four years.
The power of pineapple
Research hit a breakthrough when Peter discovered that fermenting pineapple yielded powerful enzymes, organic acids, and natural preservatives. “Pineapple as a fruit has many helpful digestive enzymes and acids that when fermented, under conditions that took us years to perfect, are enhanced and can act as powerful surfactants,” explained Peter. From pineapple, PiPPER STANDARD was born.
“There were many chances for shortcuts or to use ingredients that would have greatly boosted the cleaning power, but would have forced us to compromise on not adding substances that were known allergens. Pineapple allowed us to keep true to our mission.
“We ran hundreds of cleaning tests with our different formulas, experimenting with different natural additives that we felt would synergize well with our fermented pineapple, and didn’t stop until we had a formula that cleaned better than the leading chemical brand. We also ran our own environmental tests where we put drops of our products in tanks with aquatic plants. It was equally important that we didn’t have negative environmental impact.”
In late 2014, Equator Pure Nature Co. Ltd, founded and overseen by Peter, launched PiPPER STANDARD Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener in Bangkok with heartwarming reception.
“Every time we attend events around Thailand we hear from customers who have had their lives improved now that our natural, hypoallergenic products are available to them. Consumers no longer need to compromise on power when they use natural products.”
Why PiPPER STANDARD?
“One area where everyone should feel safe and not have to worry about allergies is in the home, and unfortunately many traditional cleaners contain harsh allergens that consumers don’t realize are making them sick.
“Allergy rates are significantly rising year over year all over the world, particularly in Southeast Asia. We believe that exposure to a complex mix of chemicals, especially at a young age, is the key contributor to this staggering rise. There is not much we as parents can do about pollution from cars or factories, but we do have control over what is used in our home, and that is where we feel PiPPER STANDARD can make a significant impact on people’s lives.”
To ensure that PiPPER STANDARD products live up to their claims, Peter has spent significant time and resources certifying his products as Hypoallergenic and Non-Irritation from Dermscan Asia, a dermatological testing facility.
“Where our products are fundamentally different is in using fermented fruit,” said Peter. “Because we use fermented pineapple, we don’t need to add harsh surfactants or preservatives that typically are linked to allergens or irritants. To our knowledge we are the only mass-marketed brand of laundry detergent and fabric softener that has third party hypoallergenic and non-irritation certifications after clinical trials.”
Exponential growth
Since PiPPER STANDARD launched in late 2014, its distribution has grown to 300 stores domestically, with targets to reach 700 stores in Thailand by the end of 2016. Internationally, PiPPER STANDARD products are available in seven Asian markets and counting.
“We plan to be a globally recognized company, and have rigorously protected our technology. We have patents in countries covering 70% of the world’s GDP, and have our trademark registered or pending registration in 55 countries worldwide.”
With Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Stain Remover and Dish Washing Liquid already on shelves, Peter and Equator Pure Nature aim to roll out a full line of household cleaning products, all following Peter’s primary vision coupling power and safety.
“Our mission is to improve people’s lives by giving them a safe, effective alternative to chemical cleaners. We believe that replacing chemical products in the home with natural products and making the home a safe environment, we can directly decrease allergy rates and decrease contamination of our environments. That, to us, would be the mark of success as a business.
“We operate and innovate by our tagline: A Healthy Environment Starts at Home.”
For more information visit www.pipperstandard.com
This prompted the search for healthy alternatives that gave both Peter and his wife objective clarity when looking at ingredients and what types of dangerous chemicals are present in common cleaning products.
“It’s really rather shocking when you do research into what hazardous chemicals are used in our everyday products,” noted Peter. “Our research and my experiences with allergies provided the drive needed to develop our products.”
Peter set out on developing his own cleaning products that followed a set of uncompromisable standards: No toxic chemicals, no allergens, hypoallergenic-certification, and cleaning power comparable to chemical cleaners. Fulfilling these self-imposed requirements was not easy, especially considering no major mass-marketed brand worldwide had been able to produce with those standards. As a result, research and development took almost four years.
The power of pineapple
Research hit a breakthrough when Peter discovered that fermenting pineapple yielded powerful enzymes, organic acids, and natural preservatives. “Pineapple as a fruit has many helpful digestive enzymes and acids that when fermented, under conditions that took us years to perfect, are enhanced and can act as powerful surfactants,” explained Peter. From pineapple, PiPPER STANDARD was born.
“There were many chances for shortcuts or to use ingredients that would have greatly boosted the cleaning power, but would have forced us to compromise on not adding substances that were known allergens. Pineapple allowed us to keep true to our mission.
“We ran hundreds of cleaning tests with our different formulas, experimenting with different natural additives that we felt would synergize well with our fermented pineapple, and didn’t stop until we had a formula that cleaned better than the leading chemical brand. We also ran our own environmental tests where we put drops of our products in tanks with aquatic plants. It was equally important that we didn’t have negative environmental impact.”
In late 2014, Equator Pure Nature Co. Ltd, founded and overseen by Peter, launched PiPPER STANDARD Laundry Detergent and Fabric Softener in Bangkok with heartwarming reception.
“Every time we attend events around Thailand we hear from customers who have had their lives improved now that our natural, hypoallergenic products are available to them. Consumers no longer need to compromise on power when they use natural products.”
Why PiPPER STANDARD?
“One area where everyone should feel safe and not have to worry about allergies is in the home, and unfortunately many traditional cleaners contain harsh allergens that consumers don’t realize are making them sick.
“Allergy rates are significantly rising year over year all over the world, particularly in Southeast Asia. We believe that exposure to a complex mix of chemicals, especially at a young age, is the key contributor to this staggering rise. There is not much we as parents can do about pollution from cars or factories, but we do have control over what is used in our home, and that is where we feel PiPPER STANDARD can make a significant impact on people’s lives.”
To ensure that PiPPER STANDARD products live up to their claims, Peter has spent significant time and resources certifying his products as Hypoallergenic and Non-Irritation from Dermscan Asia, a dermatological testing facility.
“Where our products are fundamentally different is in using fermented fruit,” said Peter. “Because we use fermented pineapple, we don’t need to add harsh surfactants or preservatives that typically are linked to allergens or irritants. To our knowledge we are the only mass-marketed brand of laundry detergent and fabric softener that has third party hypoallergenic and non-irritation certifications after clinical trials.”
Exponential growth
Since PiPPER STANDARD launched in late 2014, its distribution has grown to 300 stores domestically, with targets to reach 700 stores in Thailand by the end of 2016. Internationally, PiPPER STANDARD products are available in seven Asian markets and counting.
“We plan to be a globally recognized company, and have rigorously protected our technology. We have patents in countries covering 70% of the world’s GDP, and have our trademark registered or pending registration in 55 countries worldwide.”
With Laundry Detergent, Fabric Softener, Stain Remover and Dish Washing Liquid already on shelves, Peter and Equator Pure Nature aim to roll out a full line of household cleaning products, all following Peter’s primary vision coupling power and safety.
“Our mission is to improve people’s lives by giving them a safe, effective alternative to chemical cleaners. We believe that replacing chemical products in the home with natural products and making the home a safe environment, we can directly decrease allergy rates and decrease contamination of our environments. That, to us, would be the mark of success as a business.
“We operate and innovate by our tagline: A Healthy Environment Starts at Home.”
For more information visit www.pipperstandard.com