The Founder of Everyday Humans Puts People and Planet First

Charlotte Chen Pienaar calls herself a "lazy skincare person," but we'll give her a pass. After all, she's been pretty busy over the past few years building her inclusive skincare brand, Everyday Humans, and redefining eco-friendly beauty.

"As a W.O.C. myself, inclusivity is nonnegotiable," says Pienaar. "The DNA of Everyday Humans has always been anchored on creating sun-led skincare for every human and every skin type. You see this in our P.O.C.-friendly formulas, diverse creators and influencers we work with, charities we support, and people we hire. We aim to elevate and uplift our community in all ways possible."

Pienaar, who lives in Hong Kong, graduated from New York University with a degree in economics and founded what would become Everyday Humans in 2018. United by brightly colored packaging and playful product names, her brand is aimed at Millennial and Gen Z consumers of all skin tones and types.

Its core offerings are sun protection products that are comfortable enough to wear every day — including Oh My Bod! SPF50 Body Sunscreen and Resting Beach Face SPF 30 Sunscreen Serum. Everyday Humans is also branching into planet-friendly skincare formulas, such as Bomb Diggity Wonder Salve and the newly launched Ease Up Water PHA Oil Cleanser.

A Women-Led Revolution in Beauty

As part of our Women's Future Month initiative, House of Wise has teamed up with Everyday Humans to create a limited-edition Strength Bundle, which combines Oh My Bod! Sunscreen, Big Mood SPF30 Milky Lip Balm, and House of Wise Strength Gummies to fuel your outdoor workouts all year round.

Working with other women-led brands is paramount to Pienaar's philosophy. "The best part of being a modern minority- and female-owned brand is that it's not a competition — we all want to uplift and support each other and celebrate our community's successes," she says.

While the beauty industry has traditionally been marketed to women, Pienaar says, it's only in the very recent past that women founders have come to the fore. "Heritage brands like L’Oreal and Revlon only named their first-ever women bosses back in 2018-2019, and that’s pretty shocking," she says. "Today, beauty’s going through a spectacular rebirth and we're seeing more female trailblazers re-creating the industry and making it better for everyone."

"The biggest advantage of being a woman founder now is that you can feel this evident support among female founders," she says. "Even though we’re all in the same industry, we don’t try to tear each other down. It’s amazing to be able to build successful businesses and pave the way for the next generation of women entrepreneurs."

Like House of Wise, Everyday Humans is creating a company that puts women's needs first, supporting young women and working mothers in their career growth. "As more women leaders and brand owners enter the space, I look forward to a future where we collectively retire restrictive environments that male-dominated leaders started," Pienaar says.

The Dual Meaning of Natural Beauty

The other reason we love Everyday Humans is its dedication to conscious consumerism. The company's approach to "natural beauty" spans not just clean ingredients but also a commitment to making as little environmental impact as possible.

"Nowadays, caring for people and the environment is no longer just a bonus for businesses — it's a natural part if you want to succeed," says Pienaar.

Everyday Humans's rigorous product development and commitment to sustainability is impressive, especially for such a young company. All of its best-selling products are packaged in post-consumer recycled plastic, making the brand officially Plastic Neutral Certified, and its formulas are PETA-certified Cruelty-Free. The company is also a member of 1% for the Planet, which means it donates 1% of its proceeds back to organizations that focus on environmental causes. Even its branded merchandise is eco-friendly.

That said, maintaining these achievements takes a lot of ongoing effort. Everyday Humans reviews its product development guidelines every six months, to ensure that its current and upcoming formulas comply with current innovations in sustainability.

"For example, we've just started using upcycled ingredients in our products that help push our eco-agenda beyond our current sustainability initiatives," Pienaar says. "We know that regulations and ingredient innovations are an ever-changing landscape."

Pienaar's Approach to Self-Care

Of course, you can't build a successful company if you're a burnt-out founder, so Pienaar incorporates self-care rituals into her workday. "Doing simple stretches on my rooftop garden after lunch, where I can get my daily dose of the afternoon sun and fresh air, really helps break up my day," she says.

When it comes to skincare, Pienaar finds that a "less is more philosophy" best suits her busy schedule. Her skincare routine is intentional but includes only three steps. "I rarely wear makeup, and I like products that are multipurpose," she says. She starts each morning by washing her face with a cleanser that exfoliates and brightens her skin, so that her skincare products absorb better. Unsurprisingly, she turned her favorite type of cleanser into an Everyday Humans offering: the recently launched Ease Up Water PHA Oil Cleanser. She follows that with Hada Labo’s lotion: "it's a toner, serum, lotion combo that helps my skin feel prepped and ready to go."

The final and most important step is applying her own Resting Beach Face SPF30 Sunscreen Serum, which is a super lightweight organic SPF30 and hydrating serum in one. "It doubles up as skincare, as it has moisture-boosting hyaluronic acid and pentavitin, antioxidant-rich spinach, and green tea extract," she says. "It leaves a gorgeous lit-from-within finish that makes my skin look healthy, glowy, and well-rested."

For both Pienaar and Everyday Humans, beauty is about celebrating individuality, breaking rules, and embracing change.

"We've redefined what beauty is. It's no longer this superficial thing you do to look good for others. It's a form of empowerment for one’s self, and it's a renaissance that's long overdue."

>> Want to try Everyday Humans for yourself? Shop the limited-edition Everyday Humans x House of Wise Strength Bundle before it sells out.