History

In 1957, a Japanese pharmacist named Yoshikiyo Nowatari had a chance encounter with an outspoken woman who suffered from chronically cracked, super dry skin. She had been using petroleum products for years, she told him, but she found the greasy results far from satisfying. At her request, Nowatari teamed up with a chemist to develop Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream, a glycerin-based and vitamin-enriched moisturizer designed to smooth over dryness from head to toe. Word quickly spread of its remarkable ability to heal everything from split cuticles to frostbite, and it became Japan’s bestselling skin cream. In the decades that followed, the brand expanded its offerings to include exfoliators, lip balms, and more—all based on the same concept of no-frills formulas that deliver real results.

Philosophy

Skincare that’s gentle enough for the whole family. Yu-Be products leave out pesky ingredients like petroleum and sulfates. The time-tested formulas have a huge following in their native Japan, and now we’re lucky enough to have them stateside.

Birchbox Extra

World class Japanese mountain climber Sumiyo Tsuzuki used Yu-Be’s skin cream to protect herself from harsh winds during her record-setting climb up Mt. Everest.