Very good! On the one hand, I am of course a big coffee fan myself. And on the other hand, I have always been fascinated by the potential of coffee. During my studies - initially environmental sciences, then chemical engineering - I looked into the used coffee grounds that are produced in cafés. What can you do with this supposed waste product? That's when I found out about biodiesel or briquettes. The idea of ​​upcycling has stuck with me!

During my research, I came across skin care as another way to use coffee grounds. The coffee oil has an antioxidant effect and supports the skin to regenerate quickly. At the same time, it stimulates the body to produce collagen, which can make the skin firmer. And as I sipped my coffee, I thought: This valuable natural product is grown on the other side of the world, shipped over to us - and then unfortunately almost completely disposed of. There are so many good things in coffee grounds. Why is nature's power so wasted? I asked the barista to give me some of the coffee grounds and started experimenting at home.

After the first experiments, I started working full-time straight after studying, on the first day! For two years I put all the time, energy and love I had into it. In an old double garage in my hometown, I dried coffee grounds in an oven and extracted the valuable coffee oil.

Yes, I still have my first coffee with me I collected my Opel Astra from roasteries and at the university and processed it in the garage - that quickly no longer worked. Today the coffee is processed in Germany, and we then send the coffee oil to our partner in Italy for cosmetics production. The bottle production is right next door, so we can optimize the routes.

Climate protection is extremely important to me, hence the short distances. I have calculated the emissions for each product, starting with the cultivation of the raw materials. We also compensate for all the CO2 we emit in the production and transport of our products. For example, we participate in climate protection projects to protect the rainforest in Indonesia or to reduce deforestation in Malawi by building wells. In addition, for every bottle sold, mellow NOIR donates a tree in a destroyed forest. We don't just say we're green - we go one step further!

I've always asked myself: How can I make the world a better place? That was also the reason for studying environmental sciences. I want to make a positive contribution to our society.

I was super excited. But I told myself: whether I get a deal or not, at the end of the day I definitely won. Because I get feedback from entrepreneurs who have a lot more knowledge than me. Judith was always my dream lioness.

I received three offers but didn't even have to consult. I really wanted to see Judith. She has a lot of experience and a large network in cosmetics - just right to get the most out of my idea!

She whispered the first product idea to me in the television studio! And so we got started straight away and developed new products such as a small “problem solver”, an immediately firming hyaluronic serum or a vitamin C serum that prevents light-induced skin aging. Judith and her team gave me great support and strategically improved my concept. Now I know exactly where the journey is going: what I'm doing - and what I'm improving on.