Behind the Brand: NUORI
Having worked for a major beauty brand years ago, Jasmi Bonnén had a clear vision for what she wanted—and didn’t want—when she took the plunge and created her own skincare line, NUORI, back in 2015. For the Founder and CEO, the freshness of the ingredients was just as important as the efficacy of the product, and it’s this balance that has earned NUORI so many fans, including our very own CURATEUR-in-chief Rachel Zoe, who personally selected the Danish brand for inclusion in this season’s curation!
Every fall box comes equipped with NUORI’s Vital Repair Serum, a lightweight and hydrating formula that’s a perfect treatment for your post-summer skin. Like all the clean skincare brand’s products, it’s made without synthetic or toxic additives, but instead is packed with a variety of freshly blended ingredients like licorice root and chamomile flower as well as antioxidant-boosting vitamins that protect, restore, and soothe stressed skin.
There’s so much more to love about this sustainable brand, and we got the opportunity to discuss more details with Bonnén. Ahead, learn about the importance of NUORI’s packaging, the other products she can’t live without, and of course why the Vital Repair Serum will be the perfect addition to your fall beauty routine. And for those of who you can’t get enough NUORI, the founder is generously offering our members 30% off on https://nuori.us/ with code ZOE30 from September 1st to December 1st.
What inspired you to start your own beauty brand?
The idea for my brand came to me over 10 years ago while I was working at L’Oréal. I was shocked to find out that the beauty industry standard for product shelf life is minimum 30 months—and in many cases four years or longer. I started reading about the effect of time on cosmetics and learned that commonly used active ingredients, such as vitamins, break down surprisingly quickly in formulations due to oxidization. Another downside of artificially prolonged shelf life is the use of synthetic preservatives and other additives, which are needed to preserve and stabilize products over time.
I became more and more convinced that there was a need for a fresh skincare alternative on the market. Six years ago, I finally gathered up the courage to quit my comfortable corporate job and take the frightening leap into entrepreneurship!
After working in beauty for so long, what were the values you wanted to instill in your own line?
My vision has always been to eliminate the need to choose between all-natural formulas and results. NUORI products contain only natural ingredients with clinically proven benefits and absolutely no synthetic or toxic additives. And we are the only beauty brand to utilize the science of freshly blended formulas. I think our brand and company values encapsulate this vision well: Fresh thinking, brightness, beauty, and honesty.
How important is the packaging of your products?
NUORI is often hailed for its Scandi-design credentials, which is why people are surprised when I tell them aesthetics is last thing on my list when choosing product packaging. The first criteria I have is to understand how well the packaging protects our all-natural formals that a free from synthetic preservatives. This is why all our creams and serums for example come in airless, dual-wall bottles.
The second most important criteria is sustainability. All of our carton boxes are made from FSC certified materials, and we are in the process of switching our whole line to packaging made from either bioplastics or PCR plastics. Once these requirements have been met, our design agency and I make sure our products live up to my idea of what beautiful, minimalistic, and unisex beauty packaging should look like.
We love the philosophy “fight for fresh.” Can you take us through what that means and why it’s so important?
I love it too! Our whole concept is built around the simple fact that freshly blended skincare gives us the unique opportunity to create not just ‘clean,’ but all-natural formulas that deliver real results. Our products are professionally blended in small batches every 10 to 12 weeks and this has two huge benefits for the consumer: Our products can be kept both all-natural and highly concentrated, as no synthetic preservatives or other additives are needed to artificially prolong the stability, and shelf life of the products and the efficacy of any given NUORI formula is higher since active ingredients are not weakened by time-related breakdown.
What are the 3 products from the line you can’t live without and would recommend to anyone?
This a difficult question—like asking which of my children is my favorite! The product I have used every day since its launch is NUORI’s Vital Foaming Cleanser. It is really an amazing formula, because it is completely sulfate free and still has this luxurious, creamy foam. The fruit enzymes gently remove dead skin cells and impurities while the natural glycerin and oat kernel extract leave skin feeling soft and hydrated. You really feel and see the difference on your skin.
I am also addicted to our Supreme Moisture Mask. It is a highly concentrated formula with natural hyaluronic acid, soothing betaine, and skin perfecting niacinamide (vitamin B3). The mask turns transparent a couple of minutes after application, so you can wear all night, for that perfect glowing, dewy skin in the morning. It’s also perfect for long-haul flights or after a day on the beach.
My latest crush is the NUORI Infinity Bio-Fusion Serum that contains the first natural, true alternative to retinol. This is a highly purified extract derived from bakuchiol seeds and has been clinically proven to offer all the benefits of retinol, but none of the negatives. I will be turning 46 this year and I love this lightweight serum because of its global anti-aging benefits.
What are the key benefits of the Vital Repair Serum included in this season’s box and why would you say this is a signature product for your brand?
The Vital Repair Serum really ticks all the boxes when it comes to being a signature NUORI formula: It is lightweight and feels fresh on the skin while delivering real results with the help of innovative natural bio-actives. The serum deeply rehydrates and soothes skin, while targeting both emerging and existing visible signs of photo-damage. This makes it a perfect treat for skin after a long summer of UV exposure and other environmental or lifestyle stressors.
Some of my favorite ingredients in the Vital Repair Serum include natural hyaluronic acid for hydration, bio-fermented sorbitol to soothe the skin and reduce inflammatory responses, and licorice root extract to help inhibit melanin production. And the cherry on the cake: Not only is this formula all-natural, but also vegan and fragrance-free, which makes it perfect for all skin types!