NUORI DESTINATIONS: Dr. Christina Kraus, Founder of Greenglam
The seed for Greenglam was planted at the intersection of natural beauty and science. Dr. Christina (Nina) Kraus is a pharmacist from Sweden and got her Ph.D. investigating anti-inflammatory properties of Samoan medicinal plants. After finishing her degree at Uppsala University in Sweden, Nina was invited to be a postdoc at the LM University in Munich, where she met her husband, who was investigating common stinging nettle for his Ph. D.
In 1998 they moved to Augsburg, started a family, and took over a pharmacy. After a few years, they had the chance to open a second pharmacy - and wanted to do something different - a greener pharmacy. They planted a garden filled with medicinal plants in the back, stocked homeopathic drugs, and decided they should also have a department for natural skincare. Nina's husband gifted her with an internet shop, greenglam.de, where Nina could expand and start selling clean and safe natural beauty products.
At that time, internet shops in Germany where one went to for cheap products and discounts. Hardly anybody was selling quality, luxurious products. But the stars aligned for Nina and Greenglam continued to grow. Nina decided to close her pharmacy and opened a Greenglam store.
The store is located in the heart of Augsburg, a renaissance city in Bavaria, Germany. It is an urban retreat, situated in a tiny, unassuming alley, just around the corner from the busy city center. It is a beautiful location, it was built in 1515 by the medieval Jeff Bezos, Jakob Fugger - at that time one of the most influential and visionary Europeans and the richest man on earth. The store is quite spacious - 270 square meters - making it one of the largest green beauty spots in Europe. They have a day spa and offer makeup tutorials, manicures, and pedicures.
Nina absolutely loves her job - everything about it - the challenges too! She can be creative (she loves design and fashion) and it feels like she is part of a wonderful movement at the moment. She gets to work with the most beautiful brands, all with a strong personality and a story behind them. Greenglam stocks more than 170 brands at the moment.
1. Why do you chose to work with NUORI?
NUORI's take on fresh, safe, and effective skincare was very convincing to me, and since the packaging is so attractive to me – I love everything white, minimalistic, and stylish – it was a yes from the moment I tried the products!
2. What is your favorite NUORI product?
The one thing I cannot do without is the Vital Foaming Cleanser from NUORI – it is my all-time favorite cleanser. I have very dry and somewhat irritable skin, and this works wonders for me! It exfoliates too, so I often use it as a mask while brushing my teeth. My teenage son is also a big fan of it! Another favorite is the Supreme Moisture Mask – it’s absolute bliss for dry, stressed skin!
3. What is your definition of “Time Well Spent”?
Visit Greenglam and Nina in Augsburg, Apothekergäßchen 3. Normal opening hours of 10 am – 6 pm Tuesday to Friday, Saturdays 10 am to 2 pm. https://www.greenglam.de/
