Founded by Charla Jones, eu2be is a skincare brand inspired by a global perspective on beauty and self-care and a deep respect for the power of nature.
eu2be’s products are formulated with biomimetic carrier oils, which are sourced sustainably from around the world and chosen for their ability to nourish and protect the skin.
In this interview, Charla Jones discusses her vision for eu2be, her commitment to sustainability, and her belief in the importance of supporting the arts.
What inspired you to start eu2be?
Two things really. First, we need to expand our imagination about beauty and align it with our human connection to it. This is a treasured insight I learned from my stylish, world-traveling aunt Eugenia for whom eu2be is named, and my nana, whose Midwestern speakeasy hosted jazz and blues greats like BB King.
These inspiring women were less focused on the “arithmetic of beauty” and more on their birthright to define beauty through whole-body skincare enabled by their agency and proven results.
Secondly, skin needs a new story—one that is defined beyond makeup, mirrors, and the face we present to the world. Skin is so much more than a static covering for the face and body— it has a complex life of its own, with many active layers that impact the quality of our health and our lives.
What is your approach to sustainability within eu2be?
Sustainability is a serious priority for us that extends beyond product packaging. It begins with our biomimetic carrier oils that are sustainably sourced from all around the world.
These “best in class” ingredients are whole and non-GMO. We prioritize suppliers who engage in regenerative farming practices to ensure the good for our planet.
Because of timing, Covid, and supply chain issues, it took two years to relaunch our reimagined packaging and new branding. eu2be products are manufactured in the US and our beautiful new product packaging is infinitely sustainable.
We are equally committed to preserving and supporting diverse cultural skincare practices and self-care rituals, especially those that elevate care of the body. This extends to educating about the culturally-prized biomimetic carrier oils in our products.
Creating a true luxury experience goes beyond the product itself. How does eu2be approach customer service, packaging, and overall brand communication to deliver an experience that reflects your positioning as a luxury brand?
I agree, although it is no small feat to create a true luxury experience in products.
We approach the luxury experience with great care. We’re a small business operating with a lean, experienced team, competing against larger entities on every front. So we take every customer seriously and we value every single order.
Luxury is a feeling, not a thing, that gets reinforced through careful attention to every touch point with our valued customers. And to your point, the consumer gets these feelings by how these details are executed.
How does the concept of artistic expression play a role in how you approach product development or brand aesthetic?
eu2be was born out of my value for cultural and creative expression, starting with my selection of our biomimetic carrier oils. I began formulating the products in 2012 and we launched in 2015 with proprietary formulas, no shortcuts.
Many cultures and places inspired our brand aesthetic and beauty mindset—Brazil, Japan, Mexico, and West-Central Africa just to name a few. The extraordinary cultural riches, including skincare practices from these places, contribute to what I call, eu2be’s rare blends of “culturally-prized” natural oils.
I think about these things holistically, not just from the perspective of how various natural oils behave with skin but how their cultural impact has endured through generations of engaging our human needs.
For example, mangoes are an important food and skincare staple in Senegal, the buriti seed oil comes from trees Brazilians regard as the “tree of life” and our nangai seed oil is sourced from Vanuatu island in the South Pacific where traditional farming methods are used to extract it from the seed of tropical nangai trees.
In all of these examples, the trees have practical and spiritual significance in culture.
Lastly and personally, I believe we have a human need to be creative. I think it’s tied up with our survival and wellbeing. The very act of self-care involves aesthetics and creative expression. In the same way that our bodies need to feel cared for, we need the arts to nourish our imaginations and souls.
And that’s why eu2be’s philanthropy is committed to our most treasured human resources: human creativity and the arts. Like caring for our skin, the arts carry the power to take us deeper into ourselves.
The skincare market is highly competitive. What strategies do you use to differentiate eu2be from other brands?
eu2be’s elegant formulas were specifically designed for function, to be high-performing and multi-tasking. Unlike most other body care products eu2be products are not highly fragrant or composed of the ubiquitous coconut oil, shea butter and essential oils ingredients.
“You to be” treasures who you are and the skin that you have with best-in-class biomimetic carrier oils and proven science to deliver luxurious, moisturizing, premium face-grade skin care discerning consumers demand.
Sustainably sourced from around the world, our powerful biomimetic carrier oils sink into skin easily, hydrate deeply and instantly deliver eu2be’s impressive and superior crowd-pleasing benefits. And our products have more of these oils than most other products.
Carrier oils are the silent workhorses in any skincare formula—they can make or break a product’s efficacy and function. Derived from the most potent parts of a plant, they ‘carry’ naturally existing, bioactive compounds that the body needs but can’t produce.
I think nature designed us in a way that caring for our skin is a conducive regimen for caring for the body and the person we are to become. So our bodies are implicated in our emotional life, not just our physical one. They need more than marketing tropes of trendy miracle ingredients. They need to feel cared for which is why I devised a rare blend of powerful biomimetic carrier oils—prized through generations of skincare traditions, practices, and wisdom to deliver transformative skincare experiences.
And as I said, our philanthropy supports our most treasured resource: human creativity and the arts.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly those interested in the beauty industry?
Do your homework. Have a strong vision and know that it’s going to take more of everything you’ve considered. The golden days of having a cool story or great idea are over.
Your product must add real value and be differentiated because IP is critical. Chart your course meticulously and be prepared to make changes along the way that fuel growth. Have an exit strategy from the beginning.
