7 Secrets of Beauty & Wellbeing: NUORI founder, Jasmi Bonnén
Just a wee while ago, we featured ‘The One’, a simple yet bold idea dreamed up by Jasmi Bonnén for her 100% natural, Nordic brand, NUORI. The idea? That this multi-tasking face cream can replace several steps in your skincare regime: an all-in-one for great skin which simplifies – well, life itself, in a way. (Read our thoughts, here.)
Our face-to-face chat with Jasmi in London was truly inspiring: Finnish-born, she is now based in New York to build NUORI, which she founded in 2015 after working for many years at L’Oréal. At the time, she was researching shelf life in cosmetics, and Jasmi found herself shocked by the long life of most skincare. Knowing that many actives start to lose their potency after a few months, even unopened, she set about creating a ‘fresh’ skincare line, made in smaller batches every 10-12 weeks, and designed to be used up rather than left to languish for years in the bathroom cabinet. (Which is better for skin, but also better for your budget.)
Like many female founders, Jasmi juggles growing her venture with motherhood, so Jasmi seemed a perfect candidate for this occasional Beauty Bible feature, which talks to busy women in beauty to discover how they basically hold it all together. We know you’ll enjoy her wisdom – and maybe embrace one of her own ‘secrets’, in your own life.
I’ve learned how to do nothing. Reading How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy, by artist and Stanford professor Jenny Odell, was a wakeup call for me. Instead of letting our attention be stolen and monetised by tech algorithms, we should all find ways to rediscover, reclaim and refocus this attention on ourselves and the world that surrounds us. After reading this book, gazing at stars or contemplating the blossoms on my apple tree seem like necessary acts of social resistance.
I walk it off. A couple of years ago I started wearing a Fitbit in an effort to walk at least 10000 steps a day. Now walking – and occasional running – has becoming a central part of my daily movement. I end most work days with a walk or a run, and I try to walk to as many of my appointments throughout the day as possible. I find that not only does walking keep me fit, it also serves as great way to process thoughts and let go of daily stressors.
I aim to minimise UV exposure, maximise vitamin D intake. We should all know by now that UV light is the number one cause of premature skin ageing and skin cancer. I personally try to stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen every day. But a couple of years ago I was diagnosed with a severe vitamin D deficiency, which is a direct result of staying out of the sun. I have since learned that vitamin D plays a key role not only in our immune system and bone health, but also the functioning of the brain. Studies have now shown a link between vitamin D deficiency and mood disorders, OCD and even depression. This is why I am religious about making sure everyone in my family takes a daily dose of at least 2000IU of a high-quality vitamin D supplement.
I always try to eat mindfully. Really paying attention to what and how we eat, with all our senses, has so many benefits. I’ve found it to be the most natural and effective way to avoid over or under eating, and to rediscover my body’s signals of hunger and satiety. It has helped me feed myself with, not what some latest fad is telling me, but what actually makes my body and mind feel good.
Dry-brushing gets the juices flowing, for me. I love dry brushing my whole body in the morning before a shower. It increases circulation and promotes lymphatic drainage. And when I’m feeling connected to my Finnish roots, I end my shower with an ice-cold rinse, which gives an amazing endorphin rush.
I’m over multi-layering – it’s all about the super layer now, when it comes to skincare. My hero product from NUORI is The One Face Cream. It’s a super-charged formula containing the 8 most powerful skincare ingredients on the market: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, a natural alternative to retinol derived from bakuchiol, ceramides, peptides, vitamins C and E, and panthenol. The One is designed to be used both morning and night on clean skin, giving you maximum results with minimum effort.
Less is more generally, I’ve found. When I was younger, I kept trying numerous new skincare products and experimented on different make up looks - with very varying degrees of success! I have since learnt that my skin is happiest when I stick to the same routine over an approximately three-month period, making slight adjustments as seasons change. And now that I am in my late forties, I think minimal makeup – a good brow, black mascara and a touch of creamy highlighter – is definitely most flattering.
