The story behind HejBuddy
A mother and daughter at heart
HejBuddy® Cosmetics is a Finnish beauty brand focused on sugaring, with one goal: to be the most user-friendly option on the market.
The idea took root long ago in the mind of entrepreneur Niina, who has run (and still runs) several beauty salons around Finland. Sugaring has been a client favourite for years – and more and more people wanted to learn to do it themselves.
Niina's salons were pioneers of natural cosmetics: while others focused on machines and injectables, Niina's salons favoured aromatherapy-based treatments.
Our salons in Tampere and Espoo have used the technique we developed for years – and now that same know-how is available to everyone who sugars at home.
Niina is a practical nurse, beauty therapist, phytotherapist and spiritual coach, and has been an entrepreneur since 2006.
Sparked by the pandemic
Niina has always been a passionate sugaring trainer and advocate – but the final decision to create an at-home sugaring brand came amid the uncertainty of the pandemic in early 2020.
It was time to make long-held dreams come true and bring her daughter Nenna on board: ”Nenna, we're making an at-home sugaring paste for our clients.”
The search began for partners with the know-how and production facilities to make the right paste. The criteria: 100% clean ingredients, a factory visit, and a paste that would let you sugar at home with a single jar and no talc. It mustn't melt without talc, and it had to grip both coarse and fine hair. Mission impossible? Luckily not.
We tested countless ingredient combinations until we created a powder-free sugaring paste that works without talc or mess – the same paste we sell today.
While the factory perfected the paste, ideas were flying at our home office as we built the brand. We still had no name – until it came to us behind the wheel on the motorway.
“Something playful, but for everyone.” “Maybe a friendly greeting?” “Body sounds a bit like buddy – and sugaring suits every body and every buddy.” “Hey, Buddy!” “Yes – and let's give it a Nordic twist: hej!”
HejBuddy – there it was.
”1, 2, 3 – Action!” 📸
Photo: © HejBuddy / Jonna Monola
The schedule was tight but our message was clear, so the first brand shoots happened without any products. When all the starter kit parts finally arrived in one place, every jar was labelled by hand at the office, and every box was folded and assembled by hand too. As thousands of little boxes filled every corner, we wondered: will anyone believe in us?
Cue the mother–daughter labelling race: who's faster? A shared project is the spice of life, but on many dark November evenings our motto was ”Less chat, more labels – the faster we go, the sooner we get home.” All while running the salons and studying law – we hadn't given up anything else along the way.
Fast-forward
When our online shop opened for Christmas 2020, things were pretty basic – but word about HejBuddy and easy at-home sugaring spread. People started asking if they could buy it in a physical shop, and we found a space on charming Iso Roobertinkatu in Helsinki. The Art Nouveau building also had room for a treatment room – and in 2021, our one-product web shop accidentally became a sugaring studio.
In autumn 2022, HejBuddy took part in its very first event. Our stand at the I love me fair was small, but the reception was huge and sales left our jaws on the floor: we sold out, and our team left the fair ’empty-handed’. Nothing to haul back to the warehouse.
Just before the fair, we heard we'd won our first award: the Sugar Buddy sugaring kit took first place at the Nordic Natural Beauty Awards, judged by a panel of more than 30 international influencers.
We were so proud to receive five-star reviews for our innovative spatula technique and gentle product – and we still are. Sugar Buddy has become an almost timeless classic. ⭐️
The people behind HejBuddy
Niina
”My mission is to raise awareness of how we can live and thrive without chemicals and complicated technology – going back to our roots and trusting nature's own ability to heal and protect.”
Close to nature, Niina lives by its rhythms and the cycle of life. She cherishes nature's beauty and wants to keep it clean and untouched, free of chemical additives and excessive technology. Her way of life reflects a deep connection to the earth, water, air and every living thing – and she believes we can only find inner peace and balance by living in harmony with our surroundings.
Niina is committed to helping others understand why it matters to care for beauty the natural way. She loves sharing her knowledge and skills, teaching people to use nature's resources sustainably and inspiring them to choose natural options in everyday life.
As a forest owner, Niina feels a deep responsibility for her environment and acts on her values. She is attuned to the needs of nature and people alike, and finds beauty in simplicity and naturalness. Her life is an example of how we can live sustainably and in harmony, building bridges between nature and people.
Nenna
”I'm the annoyingly realistic, logical one of the two of us – the handbrake on Niina's wonderfully wild ideas. Still, I'm bursting with creativity, and this job lets me use it in every possible way.”
A Tampere native turned Helsinki local who regularly misses Pirkanmaa – and whose heart also beats for the land north of the Arctic Circle. An air sign who glides easily from place to place, with creativity that blooms in the early hours of the morning.
Nenna believes in a holistic approach to life, work and cosmetics – too much is too much of anything (so don't sugar every week; trust the process).
Endlessly curious, Nenna is interested in everything: an arts-focused school, a psychology-focused upper secondary school, a law degree and a qualification in visual merchandising and styling. She taught herself marketing, e-commerce and packaging design – labels, window graphics, print materials and packaging all come from Nenna's screen, as does the online shop and its updates.
Always evolving ♻️
Our product family has grown to include skincare that supports sugaring. We keep developing the range with the same philosophy – simplicity, clean ingredients and listening to our customers – without compromising on quality. We're always improving, aiming for solutions that are kinder to people and the planet, one step at a time.
Today we're lucky enough to employ a team in our studios and online shop as well as ourselves. Every new face we meet in the studio, on social media or anywhere else is a step forward for us.
Thank you for joining us on the journey towards easier, better and more natural sugaring. 💕
– Niina & Nenna from HejBuddy
Contact us
HejBuddy® studios
📍 Our products are also available at Ruohonjuuri stores across Finland