Evgenia Roudnikli uses only natural ingredients in her cosmetics company Cosmenia, because she believes that natural products produce healthier skin.

Evgenia, or Nia as she is known in the cosmetics world learned at an early age that natural products were excellent for the skin. As a little girl raised in Greece she would play in her grandparents garden amongst the lemon trees and the almond trees dreaming of making lotions and creams from the fruits and nuts.

At an older age when Nia started to pay attention to her own skincare needs she soon realised that natural products were the way forward, just as she thought as a child. Nia goes on to tell us more about her brand Cosmenia, and the company’s product range for House of Coco Magazine’s #WomenWorldwide series.

HOC. At what point of your career did you realise that your direction was changing and you wanted to focus on cosmetics?

Nia. After a very hard and difficult phase of my life, I decided to change something and fulfil one of my biggest dreams. Since the pain in the comfort zone was so strong, I had no choice but to take the full risk and dare to start my own company. Of course, the beginning was associated with anxiety and sleepless nights, but I firmly believed in it and worked on it constantly and with discipline. The end-result was always in my mind without knowing the way, guided by faith, love and passion for my brand.

HOC. We love the simplicity of the name Cosmenia, where did it originate from?

Nia. Many thanks. When I was young, I wondered what I would call my cosmetic salon. So I took a piece of paper and wrote down a few combinations. The result was then the connection between the English word cosmetics and my nickname Nia. Cosmenia was born

HOC. Producing cosmetics and skincare takes planning, testing, and specific qualifications. What was your first business priority when setting up Cosmenia Beauty, was it planning, product testing, or gaining new qualifications?

Nia. The preparation time cost me a few years in advance and at the same time, I autonomously taught myself everything that was important to build a company. Everything happened during the process. Step by step. The biggest realisation was, you do not have to know the way ahead, only the end goal and the path is self-evident, you just have to trust it. Be focused and have no plan B. All the energy and attention should be focused on fulfilling your dream. The priorities at the beginning were: finding suitable manufacturers and raw materials, testing products, learning the necessary additional qualifications, such as: sales and marketing etc.

HOC. Your company focus is on sugar paste and skin oil, can you tell us a little more about your sugar pastes and what they are used for, and why your skin oil is so good for the skin.

Nia. When I first got to know the sugar paste, I was extremely impressed as it has been the most gentle, natural and effective way to remove hair to date. What fascinates me most of all, is that the sugar paste consists of all-natural ingredients and the ancient Egyptians over 5000 years ago already used it to remove their hair, they also used it for wound healing, and disinfection.

Advantages of Sugarings for example include: you can already depilate from about 3 mm, it lasts 2-3 weeks especially where those have allergies, or sensitive skin and areas very tolerable, plus it is less painful, and after the first treatment less and finer hairs, less irritation and less ingrown hairs. To be used on every skin type and in every season.

The skin oil is also a 100% natural blend of 11 essential oils and extracts. The ingredients and their effect on the face and body skin are:

• Shea butter – oil and fat of the African Karité tree – especially skin-friendly, moisturising and moisturising plant products.
• Coconut oil – supports skin regeneration, has antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal (against bacteria, viruses and fungus).
• Macadamia nut oil – especially valuable and effective skin care for dry, sensitive and irritated skin.
• Jojoba oil – the anti-aging aid and protective barrier against cold, sun, heating air and dryness.
• Sunflower oil – the α-tocopherol content has an anti-inflammatory effect and prevents the oxidation of skin lipids, which can lead to skin cell damage.
• Sesame oil – pleasant and intensively nourishing oil with a light SPF, especially for dehydrated skin.
• Grape seed oil – the content of linoleic acid nourishes and regenerates the uppermost skin layer and the vitamin E is an excellent anti-aging ingredient.
• Extract of marigolds – Calendula officinalis – has a nourishing effect on the skin and visibly smoothes a cracked skin relief
• Tea tree oil – especially effective in the fight against blemished skin, pimples and acne, it also has antibacterial and antifungal.
• Oil of the genuine sage and ylang ylang – cares for the skin and can sweat regulating, antimicrobial (against germs of all kinds) and fortifying effect.
• Wild rose oil – linoleic acid and linolenic acid prevent skin aging as antioxidants, vitamin A can stimulate cell renewal

HOC. Do you have a personal favourite sugar paste from the collection?

Nia. Of course I love them all. But the two most consistent Sugaring Pastes are Hot Chocolate and Black Coffee as they are Cosmenias special Pastes with extra Benefits within the hair removal. After years of testing and also in the beauty salons, the clients could confirm the much softer skin and the improved skin appearance from these two products. Cocoa and Coffee are wellknown in the beauty industry and have been used for years. They are rich in antioxidants (natural anti-aging), and are calming, firming, brightening and glowing.

HOC. Do you have any new Cosmenia Beauty products on the horizon that you can tell us about?

Nia. Yes, I planto introduce some intimate skin care products based only on natural ingredients for woman.

How did I come to this? Well, 80% of the Sugaring customers are depilated in the intimate area and there is still not enough natural care for the intimate part of our body.

HOC. How long have you been running Cosmenia Beauty and was there ever a point that you thought your products might not get off the ground?

Nia. I started with cosmenia in 2013 and of course it took time, slow but steady and safe growth. Fortunately, I cannot report such a point. I’m very grateful for that and keep working to keep it that way.

HOC. Did anyone offer you any advice or words of wisdom that have proved invaluable to the success of your business?

Nia. My greek grandmother always said: If you do something with love it will always succeed. True words. I really love my Business and even when I work 24/7 it doesn’t feel like work. In between, there are also days when I have to recover and these are extremely important to have enough strength to keep going and not to lose the fun. Since I am lucky enough to live in my adopted home of Munich, I am not far from nature, mountains and lakes. In nature, I can recharge my batteries incredibly well, keep me grounded, and continue forwards with new fresh energy.

HOC. Have you made any mistakes that turned into great learning curves since starting your business?

Nia. Oh yeah! Many But now I know that these are simply part of growth and sometimes have to be in order to perceive other perspectives. I don’t fear the failure. Mistakes are great opportunities to learn. No success without mistakes. The most important thing is to get up again and again, to continue consistently with the entire commitment and to always to believe in yourself.

HOC. If you were to offer one piece of advice to someone thinking of getting into the world of cosmetics and skincare, what would it be?

Nia. Don’t do what others say! Follow your intuition, listen to your inner voice and give more than 110%. It is not important which kind of business, the inner mechanics are the same for everyone. Have no fears and doubts, be a thousand times convinced of what you do.

Thank you for taking the time to answer all our #WomenWorldwide questions for House of Coco Magazine.

Visit www.cosmenia.de for more information.

Author

A veteran in global travel, Rachel also loves to explore hidden gems on home turf. She’s a writing connoisseur of Britain’s best hotels, luxury beauty products, and UK food and drink launches.

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