Berrichi’s founder, Berit Joosepit, was raised from an early age to believe that natural and organic are best for the body — and that our bodies have an incredible ability to heal themselves. After the birth of her second child, Berit struggled to restore her skin’s balance. When she couldn’t find a solution on the shelves of cosmetic stores or pharmacies, she began researching and experimenting with how to make her own cream at home.

It might have remained just a home experiment, but during a family trip to Bali, Berit noticed how widely seaweed was sold at Asian fish markets and how local cosmetic treatments often used seaweed extracts and tinctures.
Berit’s husband, Janno, made an interesting observation during a fishing trip on the island — elderly fishermen had soft, silky hands like those of a baby, even though their facial skin was tanned and wrinkled from the sun. Upon closer inquiry, they learned that this was because the fishermen’s hands were in daily contact with seaweed while cleaning fishing nets.
This discovery sparked curiosity and inspiration for Berit and Janno. Once back home, they sought out Professor Rando Tuvikene at Tallinn University’s School of Natural Sciences and Health, a world-renowned algae researcher.

In collaboration with Rando Tuvikene, the first study was conducted to determine that furcellaran, a compound found in red algae growing in the Baltic Sea, possesses strong antioxidant properties and is a suitable ingredient for Berit’s cream. Furcellaran had long been known in the food industry as a key component in making marmalade, but it had never before been used in the cosmetics industry.
However, the cream formula was not yet complete. Samples were distributed to cosmetologists and beauty salons for feedback. While the initial reactions were positive, Berit wasn’t fully satisfied and decided to continue refining the formula. She met again with Professor Tuvikene, and this time the university suggested testing a few other types of algae.
That’s when astaxanthin — the world’s most powerful natural antioxidant and a well-known ingredient in dietary supplements — emerged as the perfect addition. More research and testing followed, and this time the feedback from testers and professionals was overwhelmingly positive. The cream formula was ready — but it was only the first step of the entire journey.

Berit, by education, is an accountant, and her husband Janno is a book publisher. While both had an entrepreneurial spirit and business experience, they were complete newcomers to the world of cosmetics. Berit recalls with a smile how, during their first meeting with Professor Rando Tuvikene at the university, they left the room, looked at each other, and burst out laughing — much of the scientist’s complex explanations and terminology had gone right over their heads.
The university had provided the input in the form of the cream’s recipe, but what next? Berit and Janno had no knowledge of how to proceed. They began reaching out to everyone in their network with any experience in cosmetics, trying to learn how to start production, what equipment to choose, and where to source packaging. Out of twenty people they consulted, eighteen advised them not to pursue it — the cosmetics industry was fiercely competitive, and success would be extremely difficult.
There were moments when they seriously considered giving up. But perhaps due to that characteristic Estonian persistence, Janno later admitted that the more people told them not to start this business, the stronger his inner determination grew — he wanted to prove that it was possible to make it work and bring their idea to life.

In the autumn of 2016, an opportunity arose to participate in the Baltic Blue Biotechnology Alliance competition, where a few start-ups were selected each year to receive financial support and professional mentorship.
Janno recalls that, until that moment, he had mostly played a supportive role and hadn’t taken his wife’s business plan all that seriously. Berit sent Janno to Helsinki to pitch their idea, and when the BBBT Alliance chose them as one of their project partners, Janno admits that it was at that moment he, too, finally gave his heart to Berrichi.

With the help of mentors from the BBBT Alliance, they gained valuable knowledge on how to set up small-scale production and find raw material suppliers. By the summer of 2017, they had transformed their home garage into a 45 m² laboratory, where the first creams were produced.
At the same time, while planning small-batch manufacturing, the brand creation process began — and they were fortunate to involve one of Estonia’s top designers, Tõnu Sikk.
The brand name BERRICHI may at first sound a bit Italian, but in fact, it carries a meaningful story behind it. Berit’s childhood nickname has always been Berr, and the word Chi comes from Asian philosophy, symbolizing spiritual energy and the soul. Figuratively speaking, every Berrichi cream contains a small part of its creator Berit’s soul. The first three creams were launched in October 2017 at the Beauty Fair, which — fittingly — took place on Friday the 13th.

Et lisada tõsiselt võetavust Berrichi toodetele sai pika taotlusvooru tulemusena 2020 suvel Berrichi sertifitseeritud Ecocert Cosmos Natural sertifikaadiga.To add credibility to Berrichi’s products, the brand achieved Ecocert COSMOS Natural certification in the summer of 2020, following a long and thorough application process.Ekspordimüügi alustamine on väiksele brändile alati suur väljakutse aga nagu siit jutust on juba välja koorunud siis väljakutseid Joosepite abielupaar ei pelga. Tänaseks on tooted müügil Eestis naaberriikides, Lätis, Leedus, Soomes, Rootsis aga ka Saksamaal ja Austrias. Samuti leiab Berrichi tooteid Amazoni veebipoest. Beriti kirglikust hobist ja fookusest enda nahaprobleemidele alguse saanud julge ja ettevõtlik teekond on olnud inspireerivaks eeskujuks paljudele.Starting export sales is always a major challenge for a small brand — but as this story already shows, the Joosep couple has never been afraid of challenges.
Today, Berrichi products are sold not only in Estonia but also in neighboring countries — Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden — as well as in Germany and Austria. Berrichi products can also be found on Amazon.
What began as Berit’s passionate hobby and her quest to solve her own skin concerns has evolved into a bold and entrepreneurial journey — one that has become an inspiring example for many.

To add credibility to Berrichi’s products, the brand achieved Ecocert COSMOS Natural certification in the summer of 2020, following a long and thorough application process.

Starting export sales is always a major challenge for a small brand — but as this story already shows, the Joosep couple has never been afraid of challenges.
Today, Berrichi products are sold not only in Estonia but also in neighboring countries — Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden — as well as in Germany and Austria. Berrichi products can also be found on Amazon.
What began as Berit’s passionate hobby and her quest to solve her own skin concerns has evolved into a bold and entrepreneurial journey — one that has become an inspiring example for many.