Estimated reading time: 10 min

Nuda Est is a Latin expression that means “to bare the being”: to be authentic, real, and honest. That philosophy drives the brand to transform one of the world’s most secretive and complex industries through science and integrity, creating solutions with and for the consumer at the center.

Nuda Est develops multi-ingredient solutions that comprehensively address skin concerns, doing so safely and in the shortest possible time.

Today, we spoke with Eduardo Ramón, Director of Operations at Nuda Est, a company founded by América Fernández and Sergio Alanís, to discover how this Mexican cosmetics brand was born, committed to honesty and comprehensive solutions as its main marketing tools.

An innovative cosmetics brand that chose Cubbo as an ally for honest, flexible, and fast logistics.

‍

‍

‍

A healthy response to a neglected industry

Frank: Let’s start by talking about how Nuda Est was born. From what I understand, from the very beginning you had a very clear idea of what you wanted to offer and why you wanted to enter the market, right?

Eduardo: Yes. Nuda Est was born in 2017 when our founders realized there was a major business opportunity in the cosmetics industry because it was very poorly managed. Products were being sold that did not deliver what they promised, and they were also very expensive.

At the ingredient level, many products used ingredients that were not truly appropriate or beneficial for consumers. In some cases, they could actually harm people’s skin.

Frank: And some of the ones that do not cause harm do not really do much good either, right?

Eduardo: Exactly. There are also products that use the right ingredients, but not in the right quantities to be truly effective. Companies sell you the idea that you need a five-step or ten-step routine for your skin to be healthy and for their product to work.

That is not true. With two or three products that contain the right amounts of the right compounds, you can see real changes and have healthy skin.

Frank: Since cosmetics is such a complex sector, one might think you are a company with many employees. But that is not the case. How many people are on the team, and how many people did Nuda Est start with?

Eduardo: We started operations with a team of four people. Our first objective was to research the market, understand what it needed, identify trends, and see which products were gaining traction in Asia, among other things.

‍

________________________________________

Operating across different cities

“The company operates throughout Mexico, with offices in Mexico City and Mérida. The team is spread across different locations throughout the country. We are pioneers in remote work in Mexico.”

‍

________________________________________

Frank: Where are you currently distributing?

Eduardo: We distribute throughout Mexico, the United States, and Latin America. Our ecommerce has also had an organic presence in Spain, but mainly in Peru, Chile, Colombia, Argentina, and other Central American countries.

Frank: How would you define the products Nuda Est offers?

Eduardo: We mainly offer treatments for skin health. They are not cosmetic products in the way people usually understand them, but treatments for complicated and complex skin concerns.

‍

______________________________________

Quality and accessibility

“We have had clients with serious skin problems who had received dermatological treatments without being able to resolve them, but who were able to see results using our products.

Routines costing around 2,000 pesos have achieved incredible changes where other brands or treatments had failed.”

______________________________________

Frank: Why do your products work when products from large pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies often do not achieve results? Because that can be difficult to understand.

Eduardo: I think the reason is a combination of factors: the research we do on ingredients, the fact that we have excellent suppliers, and that we do not cut corners when it comes to formulation. Our products contain the right amounts of each compound for them to be truly effective.

Frank: Why are your products vegan and cruelty-free?

Eduardo: Our products are vegan and cruelty-free because many ingredients used in cosmetics are traditionally extracted from animals. For example, the traditional industry extracts squalane from shark fins, which causes enormous ecological damage.

We look for alternatives, so we obtain our squalane from plant-based sources. That is why we say we are vegan: all our products are biotechnology-based.

In addition, we do not follow a “farm-to-face” model. In other words, we do not simply take ingredients from the field and place them directly in the hands of consumers. All our compounds go through a scientific process. This helps us be innovative and truly effective.

We have never carried out these scientific processes on animals. We are completely against that. In fact, this has been part of the heart of the company since it was founded: we believe we have to contribute something better to society and to the world.

‍

Read also: Ecommerce in potential with Nowma, a strategic ally

‍

Looking for the unboxing experience

One of the major logistics challenges Nuda Est faced was being able to maintain the unboxing experience of its products. For the brand, this was a fundamental part of its concept.

This unboxing experience required creating personalized packages for customers, something many logistics providers did not view favorably because of the added complexity involved.

However, this honest brand, committed to its customers, found a logistics provider that was also honest and committed to its customers: Cubbo.

Frank: Was Nuda Est born as an ecommerce brand, or did you start with a physical store?

Eduardo: We were born directly as an ecommerce brand. We are a company that was created from scratch as an online store, and our products have always been designed for ecommerce.

But now, precisely because of that, retail is starting to pull us in. Companies approach us and say, “Hey, we want your products in our stores.”

Frank: And how did you find Cubbo?

Eduardo: We found Cubbo because, in 2018, picking was something very few companies offered. There was no clear concept that an ecommerce brand might need support to control the packaging process, even though that process takes a lot of time.

Checking that you used the right product and the correct shipping label may seem easy, but it is not.

Frank: Did you have any difficulties at the beginning?

Eduardo: Yes. In fact, we have an anecdote at Nuda Est. During our first shipments, we once had to send around 40 orders at the same time, and all of us had to start packing, preparing, and checking everything.

It is a process that takes time, and we were racing against the clock because the courier was already on its way. Because of that rush, the process did not go very well, and three customers received the wrong orders.

That lesson led us to look for an ally that could professionally handle that operational side for us. That is how we found Cubbo.

________________________________________

Smart partnerships

“As a startup, you do not always have all the technology needed to ensure that a logistics process runs correctly. That is why it is important to find an ally that can provide that support, so you can focus on the things that will truly make your business grow.”

________________________________________

‍

Frank: That, in addition to being inefficient, also created a human resources problem for you, right? Because you had to assign trained people to tasks that were not really what they were hired to do.

Eduardo: During peak seasons, we had to go to the warehouse to help the team. And that prevents you from doing other things that truly help the company grow.

Frank: And how did you find Cubbo?

Eduardo: The first logistics partner we had in Mexico unfortunately could not solve the problem. The service was not the best.

But then we found Cubbo through a contact to whom I am very grateful, Susana Arévalo. Through her, we met Cubbo and saw the team they had: very professional and highly technology-driven, which gave us confidence.

Frank: Tell me a little about that first approach. What convinced you?

Eduardo: We went to Mexico to visit their warehouse, listened to their proposal, and saw that they were very capable and eager. With Josu, we also saw a hunger for growth, which, as an entrepreneur, is very important and desirable.

Because Cubbo’s desire to grow also helps us grow. So we gave them our vote of confidence, and now we are very happy.

Frank: Has Cubbo worked? Have they delivered for you?

Eduardo: So far, they have provided quality service. Josu has also given us a very pleasant sense of closeness and hospitality. They have been very attentive and very open to collaborating and helping with everything.

They also know that we need to be very fast and very flexible, because both Cubbo and we understand that operations are never perfect. That is why Cubbo’s flexibility has been very important to us.

Frank: Was there anything you asked Cubbo for that was a deal-breaker? Something that, if they could not do it, would have stopped you from working with them?

Eduardo: Yes. There was something we were looking for with many suppliers, and they were not giving it to us. They gave us a lot of objections.

We have always tried to offer great customer service, and that is a competitive advantage for Nuda Est. For us, that was vital. Our customer is number one and comes before everything else.

This philosophy is part of the heart of Nuda Est: our success metric is how many people we make happy.

‍

Read also: D&H Home, conquering Colombia with efficient logistics

‍

__________________________________

Creating experiences through unboxing

“We asked every supplier to make opening a Nuda Est box feel emotional, joyful, and memorable. We wanted it to be a true unboxing experience. No supplier gave us that. They all placed many obstacles in front of us. That is what we asked Cubbo: keep our process. And Cubbo accepted. That was what convinced us to work with them.”

‍

__________________________________

‍

‍

An honest present, for a successful future

An honest present for a successful future

The heart of Nuda Est is its honest proposal and its absolute dedication to providing real, effective solutions for its customers.

This customer-first approach fits perfectly with Cubbo’s way of operating: a logistics provider driven by service and flexibility, and one that Nuda Est hopes will become its ally as it expands throughout Latin America.

Frank: What would you say is Nuda Est’s competitive advantage? What defines you as a brand?

Eduardo: We tell you everything: the exact ingredients, the exact quantities, how to use the product, and the real results. We want you to know the truth about the products we sell.

There are many products on the market, and we are not going to lie by saying we are the only good option. We are one of the best, but there are others, and we respect that.

What we do want is to be the most honest. With us, you can talk, ask for advice, truly understand what could work for you, and know which real compounds we use.

Frank: What plans do you have for the next five years?

Eduardo: In five years, our plan is to continue growing, become one of the challenger companies in Mexico, and take on the industry. We want to become an alternative to traditional cosmetic brands, with a different and innovative culture.

Frank: And do you plan to expand across Latin America?

Eduardo: We hope to expand across Latin America in the coming years with an ally like Cubbo. So far, Josu has given us excellent openness. It is also a market that is very similar to Mexico, and we believe it will work very well for us.

Frank: And what about the United States and Canada?

Eduardo: In the United States, we have had very good results with the Latin market, especially the US Hispanic audience and the border area. We have also reached Mexicans in Canada.

In the United States, shipments are already becoming more consistent. We have not yet handled logistics with Cubbo there, but the idea is to centralize everything with them in the future.

Frank: Eduardo, what advice would you give to an entrepreneur who wants to launch into the online market in Mexico or globally?

Eduardo: Nuda Est means “to bare the being.” Be honest. Always be honest with your product, your brand, your customers, and your life.

If you are honest and passionate about what you do, things will turn out well.

‍

‍

Are you looking for an ally that improves your delivery process, compliance, and customer satisfaction?

Contact us. We are a leading fulfillment center for ecommerce in Mexico, Colombia, and Brazil.

During 2021 at Cubbo:

Our clients recorded 21% savings in operating costs.

97.1% of the products received were processed and ready to sell within 24 hours.

We achieved 99.7% shipping compliance.

We recorded 99.9875% accuracy in order preparation, equivalent to 1 error every 8,000 shipments.

60% of our deliveries in CDMX were completed the same day.

We completed nationwide deliveries in an average of 1.3 days.