How did FUR come about? What did you do before launching the line?
Fur started as a conversation between sisters. We were discussing exciting trends in beauty towards natural products and defining your own beauty, away from prescribed standards. As we talked, we realized available body hair products were not in line with this movement, the ingredients were harsh, the packaging was unsophisticated, and they focused only on removal. Fur is about taking care of the unique environment of body hair and skin with elevated, natural products, to treat it like your Fur, which is what it is, not an embarrassing growth that must be removed.
Fur Oil was launched October 2015 after a year of formulation and testing (only on ourselves, never animals!). Our products are designed and manufactured locally in the New York City area.
We three founders come from pretty different backgrounds. One was a management consultant, another a marketing executive at L’Oréal and the third was and continues to be a professional makeup artist.
Who did you create FUR for?
We started by creating the products we wanted, but since each of us has different needs we made products that would work for every type of hair and skin. So really, FUR is for everyone, no matter how much hair you choose to keep.
What has the response to FUR been like? It’s seems like you really created a new category of product.
Responses have varied widely. While some consider pubic hair a taboo subject, many people who hear about FUR can’t believe these products have never existed on the market before and can’t wait to try them. For women and men who care for the rest of their body and face on a regular basis, FUR products fit well into their routine.
How did you narrow down your list of ingredients? What are some the key players in the formulation?
It took us almost a year to formulate FUR Oil as we wanted to make sure it worked really well while also meeting quality and safety standards. For example, FUR Oil has been safety tested to European regulation standards, which are stricter than US ones. The ingredients we chose had to be efficacious for softening skin and hair while preventing ingrowns.
The key ingredients in FUR Oil are:
•Grapeseed Oil: quick drying
•Jojoba Oil: softens hair and skin; mimics the molecular structure of skin’s natural oils
•Clary Sage Seed Oil: reduces inflammation
•Tea Tree Oil: inhibits bacteria that contribute to ingrowns
How else would you recommend using FUR, besides for pubic hair?
FUR Oil is great for any part of the body prone to irritation such as legs, underarms, chest, and beards. A lot of people get ingrowns wherever there is skin and hair. It also makes a great scalp treatment in these winter months, massage it in, leave it for a bit (e.g. go to the gym) and wash out.
FUR is such a pretty product that you want to keep out on your sink or vanity, do you think that the aesthetics of the product is helping to destigmatize pubic hair?
We certainly kept the aesthetics in mind when designing the bottle because pubic products had always been shame based, think of those pink, glittery items you want to hide under the sink. It goes beyond aesthetics as well; we approach the conversation with honesty and a focus on care.
What are some of your favorite customer interactions? Have you ever received any fan mail?
We’ve had so many great customer interactions and certainly received quite a bit of fan mail! The most common feedback is they can’t believe a product like this has never existed before. We also love to hear from professional aestheticians who have seen great results on their clients with reducing ingrowns, irritation, and even making removal easier.
Emma Watson uses FUR, how has this celebrity endorsement helped to bring FUR mainstream?
It was really cool to hear Emma is loving FUR Oil, and is using it as a multipurpose product! Up to 90% of men and women groom their pubic hair, but until recently it was never discussed. She’s always been such an outspoken advocate for human rights and everyday feminism, and for her to open up really helps bring FUR more into the mainstream dialogue on self-care and green beauty.
