Aestia originated couple of years ago when I was living in Berlin and was introduced to the world of a new style of a diy culture. Natural cosmetics have been a clear choice for me for over a decade, and I’ve happily experimented (and still do!) with various “grandma’s tricks” and vintage beauty hacks for skincare. Coffee grounds, honey, oatmeal, mashed strawberries – you name it, I’ve tried it! 

Chamomille flowers and a bottle of self made hair rinse.

What if you could make your own artesan skin care products and select the best and most suitable and nourishing ingredients? 

However, DIY (Do It Yourself) skin care took on a new meaning for me while in Germany. Local eco-stores sold ingredients for making “real” products. The packaging wasn’t very attractive, but the idea that DIY cosmetics could be more than just used coffee grounds was inspiring. Surprisingly, a colleague turned out to be a DIY enthusiast too, and they helped me get started in this new hobby.

Later on, I studied natural cosmetics formulation at Formula Botanica. I didn’t become a chemist, of course, but I can now formulate and produce various emulsions and other products, choose suitable ingredients, and ensure their shelf life.

Creating emulsions is like performing magic!

The idea of DIY natural cosmetics is not new, but in my opinion, it needed a bit of modernisation and artesanal touch – some glitz&glam it deservs. The Aestia concept is that you can create for yourself exquisite store-bought-like products – serums, balms, and anything else – that are comparable to commercial cosmetics, using the best and most suitable ingredients.

About me

I’m Niina, a creative professional and a hobby formulator. I currently work in the field of user experience, web design and service design in creating digital products. Aestia is my passion project and a learning diary. 

Feel like we can collaborate? Hit me up and we could chat!