Founded as an offshoot of German nonwovens converter P. Glatzeder, the dry wipes brand nu:ju was born overnight in 2016.

“My private interest in skin care and cosmetics played a major role,” recalls Kristin Glatzeder, managing director.

Nu:ju began with the idea of creating a different type of facial cleansing cloth. Due to acute skin problems, Glatzeder could not use many of the products available on the market for facial cleansing. After she came across microfiber cloths as an alternative to conventional makeup removal, she had the idea to try this with Freudenberg Performance Materials’ Evolon substrate, a material that’s been converted by P. Glatzeder for years.

“I was thrilled because it worked right away,” she says. “We have been manufacturing and selling Evolon in various application areas for many years, but nobody has yet come up with the idea of using the material as a reusable facial cleansing cloth. With the conviction to have found a market niche, I decided to accept the challenge and developed a product for end users. However, I have to admit that without Evolon, the brand nu:ju would not exist.”

When using nu:ju as a makeup remover, the user only needs to add water to the wipe for it to successfully clean the face. The initial concept of nu:ju to the development of the first product—the make-up removal/facial cleansing cloth—took almost one year. One of the major challenges, according to Glatzeder, was developing a market-ready product with a very small budget that was both high quality and attractive to end-users.

“It was particularly difficult for us to choose the right sales packaging, as well as suitable marketing and advertising strategies and the right sales channels,” she explains. “We then decided to use direct sales via our online shop and Amazon.”

With such a small budget, the company’s advertising strategies were limited to Google Adwords, Facebook and Instagram. Nu:ju also worked very closely with selected bloggers and influencers, who made nu:ju’s products known to a wider public as multipliers.

Half a year after the market launch of the facial cleansing cloth, nu:ju developed sports towels made of Evolon, and another year later bed linens were added to the range. Currently, nu:ju products are available on its website (www.nu-ju.eu) as well as on Amazon in France, Italy, Spain and the U.K. Meanwhile, the company also manufactures Evolon consumer products for other brands.

According to Glatzeder, Evolon offers many advantages over similar microfiber products. On the one hand, it is produced in Germany and France—made in Europe is still important to many consumers—and on the other hand, environmentally friendly production is becoming increasingly important.

Further, unlike comparable microfibers, Evolon does not require any binding or impregnating agents. Evolon microfilament textiles are also PVC-free.

“Compared to the production of conventional textiles, Evolon technology makes a sustainable contribution to saving raw materials,” she points out. “Evolon microfilament textiles are two to four times lighter and, at the same or better performance, replace conventional materials in different applications.”

Evolon textile use about 400 times less water in production than the production of cotton fabrics.

“In addition, Evolon’s many outstanding properties make the material perfect for the nu:ju products,” Glatzeder says. “Evolon is breathable, quick-drying, durable, lint-free, washable and much more. It is also very easy to process and, due to its structure, offers the possibility of further finishing steps such as dyeing or softening.”

Nu:ju sets itself apart from other companies in the wipes market because it seeks to develop high-quality products that are also durable and reusable. “In my opinion, the wipes market is dominated by disposable products,” Glatzeder says. “We try to develop products that are environmentally friendly, unique, innovative and reusable.”

Right now, the company is focused on consolidating the brand and opening up new markets abroad. While new products are not currently under development, nu:ju is constantly working on improving its existing product range.

Since the beginning of the year, the company has been offering nu:ju sports towels in three other fashionable colors. In addition to dark grey, the towels are now available in twilight purple, greenery and lapis blue.