"iuvo" comes from the Latin word iuvare, which means "to help." That's what I want every product to do: work with your body, not against it. I started iuvo labs in 2019 with that idea, and it still guides everything I make.
Then life asked more of me, and I pressed pause on the business. What started as research turned into something I couldn't put down. I kept reading, testing, and asking questions, and I knew I didn't want to come back with something that was just "good enough."
Here's what I noticed: modern life asks a lot of the body. Short nights, constant stress, and a lineup of products most of us use every morning without reading the label. None of it seems like much on its own, but it adds up.
I've been a label reader for as long as I can remember. (I used baking soda as toothpaste for years, so I'm not exaggerating.) I'd rather use fewer things and actually know what's in them.
When I started formulating again, I began with tallow, something my grandmother swore by when I was little. My first balm worked, but I was shiny all day, and I didn't love that. So I kept tweaking it. More than a dozen versions later, it finally has the soft, velvety finish I was after. And because I'm in Phoenix, the balm has been through a real Arizona summer, which is about the toughest test skincare can get.
That's pretty much how I approach everything:
- Natural and traditional ingredients first. They've earned their place.
- Modern science when it does the job better, and I'll always tell you why.
- Plain language, always. And when the science is interesting, I'll go deeper for anyone who wants it.
- Nothing hidden. Everything is made by hand in small batches. Every batch is numbered, every ingredient is listed, and when a formula changes, Batch Notes explain what changed and why.
- Nothing goes out until it's ready, even when waiting is the harder choice.
Today, iuvo labs is relaunching with two products for skin. They're the first step in something bigger: more products that work with your body, one formula at a time.
Questions? I read every message. Get in touch
Thanks for being here for this next chapter.
— Cesar, founder
Practical formulas for the human body.