YOPE: cosmetics that won the hearts of the Poles

The impressive success of a Polish family brand in less than six years? YOPE - with huge fans not only in Poland, but also in Japan and the UK - proves that it's possible.

Agnieszka Kowalska

Keys to this success? Hard work and authenticity. And, of course, the product itself: natural, high-quality, beautifully packaged and at an affordable price. YOPE lotions, shower gels, body oils, soaps, shampoos, hand creams with characteristic animals on the labels have conquered the world cosmetics market. This spring, the brand will surprise you with something completely new.

YOPE is a family business. It is managed by Karolina Kuklinska-Kosovich and Pavel Kosovich. The happy parents of two little daughters have been together for over twenty years. They met in high school in Slupsk. In 2015, when they started making their first soap, they didn't have a brand concept yet. Karolina has been working as a stylist for many years, incl. in Cosmopolitan and Twój Styl magazines, but she needed a change. He recalls: “I asked myself where I see myself in three or four years. And I couldn't leave it there anymore. Children also greatly change our way of life. It has become important for us what we eat, how we clean the apartment and what we rub into the body. That's how I got interested in natural cosmetics.

Karolina and Pavel perfectly complement each other. Initially, he was in finance, sales strategy and promotion, and she created new products. With the development of the company, this division of roles began to blur, and they make the most important decisions together. Karolina explains: “At this stage in the development of the brand, I need to know what is happening in the company in order to be aware of all areas of our business. But I still create new products, work with the development department and oversee the creative aspects of our activities.

YOPE cosmetics are created from a real need. Karolina wonders what she and her family lack in terms of care. He also draws inspiration from travel. He graduated from art school, studies at the department of fashion design at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, collects contemporary art. This is expressed in the modern design of YOPE and the atmosphere in which you want to immerse yourself - cheerful, colorful, positive.

Distinctive flavors - incl. verbena, grass, rhubarb, geranium, tea, St. John's wort, figs - this is another advantage of YOPE cosmetics. Customers also appreciate this brand for its environmental friendliness and full transparency. The labels provide information about how many percent of the ingredients are of natural origin, from safe sources. And it's always over 90 percent.

– This is a brand that offers consumers not only liquid soap, but also a certain philosophy of life. Closeness to oneself, people and nature. Our recipients are wise and knowledgeable people for whom caring for the planet is as important as it is for us,” Carolina said in an interview with Avanti24.

At YOPE, recycled bottles, biofoil labels, creams are sold in aluminum tubes with the so-called. bioplastic. YOPE bottles can be refilled (not only in the Warsaw boutique on Mokotowska).

The brand also participates in events for the benefit of the planet and social actions. For three years, together with the Łąka Foundation, he has been saving the city's bees. She financed equipment for firefighters from the Biebrza Valley. He supports foundations that help socially vulnerable groups - immigrants, mothers of disabled children, the elderly. Further activities for the benefit of local communities are planned this year.

From the very beginning, Karolina and Pavel wanted YOPE to be a functional brand that would fill the home, making banal everyday activities enjoyable. Thus, in addition to cosmetics, the offer also includes home cleaning products that have convinced consumers that natural cleaning products are effective. The Ecolabel certificate confirms that they are safe for people and the environment.

In addition to cosmetics for adults, there was also a line for children - soap, shower gels and gels for intimate hygiene. Every year YOPE scented candles and calendars become a gift hit.

Karolina, although she worked in the fashion industry (and maybe that's why), does not like the question “does YOPE follow trends?” – I care not about what is fashionable, but about what is happening around me, in my community or in the world. I respond to these needs by striving for less waste, looking for new, innovative solutions, trying to think one step ahead. It is important to be here and now, to live consciously and to do so,” he says.

In 2018, Karolina became the "glamorous" woman of the year. In addition to natural products, she managed to promote a new model of femininity - an accomplished business woman who works hard, but does not refuse to communicate with her family, entertainment and travel.

When asked about a milestone in her life, she replies: "The moment I became the CEO of my own company."

And Jope's biggest achievement? He's in front of us! In April, we will show a brand new face of YOPE. I'm very excited about this, but for now it's a secret, says Karolina. – I am most proud of the fact that people really like this cosmetics. Everywhere I go, I see them on the shelves in bathrooms, kitchens and bedside tables. About YOPE I can say that this is a "love brand".

Photos: Yope materials

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