Until recently, I had never been able to wear foundation for more than a few minutes. My skin would become itchy and red; for a product that is supposed to make your skin look better, it seemed counter-productive. After a few mishaps, I just stopped trying and was very happy to not wear anything on my skin besides my aragan & almond oil moisturizer. As I’ve gotten older, however, there have been times I’ve wished that I could wear some kind of skin makeup, mostly for events where I was going to be photographed. Confession: I didn’t wear foundation on my wedding day. That is definitely a day I would have liked to have had a little back-up to put my face forward (ha! I can’t help myself, you guys).
Aside from my insanely sensitive skin, I like to make sure that all the cosmetics I use are as natural and cruelty-free as possible. When I came across Juice Beauty, I did a little research and was impressed by their commitment to organic and high-quality skin care. I ordered some samples and – miracle of miracles – their Perfecting Foundation didn’t only look great, it actually protected and moisturized my skin. No itching, no rashes, nothing. I’ve now tried their full range of cosmetics and am happy to say that I’ve found my brand.
When I get excited about something, I want to know the whole story. Here’s our interview with founder Karen Behnke.
Tell us about the inspiration for Juice Beauty
I’m a serial wellness entrepreneur who built one of the first corporate wellness companies in the country. I developed a keen interest in personal care products upon becoming pregnant with my first baby at the age of 40. Experiencing hormonal changes and the beginning of lines in my skin, I set out to find healthy skincare solutions that delivered visible results. I was astounded to learn that, although the skin absorbs over 60% of what is placed on it, there were very few available healthy personal care products that worked well. I wanted to create meaningful change in the beauty industry.
After buying the name “Juice Beauty,” I launched the company. Juice Beauty’s revolutionary formulations started with a basic premise: I believed that by formulating with a vitamin-rich organic juice base rather than water (which dilutes) or petroleum derivatives (which can be laced with harmful chemicals) and combining it with organic, age-defying and blemish clearing ingredients, it would yield better results than conventional products. This premise was proved correct by Juice Beauty’s clinical studies.
What was the process of starting Juice Beauty like?
The first step was to assemble a team of scientists and industry leaders to help pioneer our leading scientific technology and organic innovation, which has led to breakthroughs such as a Juice Beauty’s Stem Cellular Collection, formulated with a proprietary blend of fruit stem cells and Vitamin C infused into an organic, resveratrol-rich juice base. Other innovations include Juice Beauty’s organic fruit acid rich Green Apple Peels.
It took almost five years to get the formulations to where we wanted them to be and to figure out the best distribution for our brand. Juice Beauty is at a great point in our growth cycle now as we have amazing, award-winning and high efficacy products, we have great distribution, we have a smart and motivated management and employee team, and we’re well funded.
What is your perception of Scandinavian style or aesthetic?
Clean, fresh, elegant, light colors, natural. Hmmm….a bit like I think about Juice Beauty except I’d trade the word “natural” for “organic and natural.”
Do you agree that Juice Beauty is a “Scandi Dandy?” Why or why not?
YES! I agree! We love Scandinavia and we love our retailers in your fabulous part of the world, which include: Gimle Boutique in Oslo; and Naturelle.FI the Finland site. These are two of our most successful international retailers and I’m sure it’s because Scandinavians read their labels, look for quality, won’t compromise on efficacy and refuse to use all the conventional chemical products.
What’s next for Juice Beauty?
Well, we’ve expanded our staff tremendously bringing in two more top executives (VP of Marketing and VP of Sales) recruited from major beauty brands. We’re focused on our current distribution to continue our high double digit comp store growth.
Also, watch for continued and steady product releases and innovation. We are working on some amazing ingredients as well as an entire new collection!
See more and purchase Juice Beauty here.
Do you have a favorite all-natural and cruelty-free cosmetics brand? Have you tried Juice Beauty yet? Tell us about it in the comments!