Unii

Organic Skin Food

Article by Soraia Martins

It all starts with an idea. Then it flourishes into a project, a strong concept, even. Ultimately, it becomes your way of life and it makes it hard for you to trust anything else. That is probably what happened to Cátia and Rita Curica, the sisters behind the Organii stores, who have launched the purest line of cosmetics there is, Unii – Organic Skin Food.

The name says it all, but I wanted to know more. To me, even thinking of such a daring idea gives me chills and hope that our world is not as lost as we believe it to be. “We started to outline this new project in 2016, and our goal was it to be pure in its ingredients and its intentions. We never thought of creating a brand in another factory, but rather keeping every small step of the process under our radar. We want to make small-scale products entirely from scratch, and mainly make the products we really want and which we believe in. We aim for transparency and trust. Genuinely and honestly. We want people to trust us. What keeps us moving is definitely sharing the Portuguese lifestyle, producing locally with people from here, following some of our traditions and know-how. It’s a challenge, for sure, but it’s what we enjoy doing”, they tell me.

Organic, vegan, cruelty-free, fair-trade, not tested on animals. These and potentially more traits are what Unii’s all about. “Our principles are pretty clear”, they add, “and they are working towards zero waste and managing a factory with the least environmental impact possible, getting high quality, organic ingredients, and ultimately making excellent skin products that are accessible to everyone”. Unii’s statement goes further and present us with a range of soaps, oils and essential oils, toothpaste, perfumes, and shampoo bars that immediately stand out for their lovely labels and mindful packaging.

As they make all the efforts to make the process a natural, environmentally-friendly one, it is also important to note that none of these steps are easy or straightforward, but rather cumbersome and demanding. Sustainability means a great deal to Unii and the hardworking hands behind this brand are not joking around when it comes to every single detail that goes into production.

“I guess it is not an easy job. You have to know how to mix the ingredients in order to obtain the desired product, to wait for a good crop year to know if we’re getting the raw materials we need or not. It is a lot of details from the moment you start working on an idea up to when we can make it happen. And making it all-natural poses a constraint”, they say.

The main thing here is trying to do as much as we can to protect our environment and make the world a better place, and I believe Unii is doing it the best way anyone possibly can. One way or the other, we all need and use the products they are investing their life in, so why not give in to organic, vegan and 100% Portuguese? Let’s give a try, shall we? And feed our bodies with truly natural cosmetics.

Founders Cátia and Rita Curica

More about Unii.

Pictures © Organii