Jena Covello | Woman Made
WOMAN MADE:
JENA COVELLO
How the Agent Nateur founder was empowered by her autoimmune condition to create green, high-performance beauty essentials.
- Written By
- JAYME CYK
VIOLET GREY profiles female beauty entrepreneurs who are considered industry game changers for their individual approach to business. Each one entered the conversation in her own manner and maintained a steady, if not unparalleled, trajectory with her indomitable spirit. Here, we talk to Jena Covello, the founder of Agent Nateur.
The first beauty product Agent Nateur founder Jena Covello removed from her skincare routine for a cleaner formula? Aluminum-based deodorant. Why? Because antiperspirants have an absorption rate of 100 percent and aluminum is said to mimic estrogen. But besides the apparent harmful nature of the ingredient, the Los Angeles-based entrepreneur also nixed it to help ease the pain she suffers from hormone-related health issues: “I started Agent Nateur because of my diagnosis of stage four endo and adenomyosis,” she says. “I try to share all of the holistic knowledge I've learned through my platform." Which brings us to the creation of her first formulation, holi (stick) deodorant.
Before she formulated the hero in her kitchen and launched a full collection of skin care, Covello was working as a shoe designer for a host of companies, then assisted stylists like Samantha McMillan and Ryan Hastings. That’s when she began blending. “I went to a few holistic doctors in LA for my endometriosis and I was advised to get on a healthy diet and remove gluten and sugar to detox the liver. One doctor even said to cut the aluminum out of my beauty routine,” she explains. “I bought a multitude of natural deodorants after that, but they didn’t work. I thought this can’t be rocket science. There has to be a way to create a natural deodorant that works.”
And she did. In between designing and styling, Covello also had a kids’ clothing line and sent her deodorant, which at the time was packaged in a jar, to 100 moms that were on her mailing list. “They said this really works, but I don’t want a jar,” she adds. She went back to the drawing board and played with 100 formulas over a nine-month span. “There was nothing beautiful and nothing chic and I wanted to make something that looked luxurious,” she says.
But she didn’t stop there. Her passion for creating unique green formulas was ignited after she went to the South of France to study fragrance. She forged a relationship with her teacher, who she trusted for her knack of sourcing the best quality ingredients. Agent Nateur now has over 10 products with an eye serum and other innovations on the way. “My ingredients are top priority,” she says. “Also, I'm not cutting my ingredients with anything. They are all 100% active and never diluted.”
And while the founder has dealt with her share of health complications, she is committed to using her holistic know-how to educate customers and followers. “Everything comes from my heart,” says Covello. “I don’t follow trends and I release only what I initially create for myself that fills a void. Always trust your intuition, break the rules, follow your heart, and think before giving too much equity away. Don’t short change yourself. Value your ideas and worth.”
JENA BEFORE 10AM
BEDROOM
What is the atmosphere of your bedroom?
My bedroom is very white and minimal with a beautiful view of Los Angeles. I don’t have a television in my room because it’s not feng shui and it’s unhealthy to have the electromagnetic fields in the bedroom while you’re sleeping. EMF’s completely disrupt sleep. I look at the bedroom as a place to only sleep peacefully or have sex. I don’t even sleep with a cell phone in my bedroom, but I do enjoy playing music before going to bed.
Please describe your bed and your favorite thing about it.
I have a Cloud bed and it’s literally like a giant, soft cloud. It's very peaceful and my white Legna sheets are so cozy. I like big, soft, fluffy pillows and I love cuddling with my Persian cat Farrah Joon.
What time do you wake up?
I wake up anytime between 4:30 and 5:30 a.m.
How many hours of sleep do you require?
I require seven to eight hours of sleep.
Any bedside beauty essentials?
Next to my bed is my Agent Nateur three-step process known as the holi (trinity), non-toxic prescription strength retin-A, the ZIIP Beauty device, my upcoming eye serum, a silk pillowcase, and my anti-stress adaptogen that I launched with Dr. Will Cole.
BODY
Do you drink coffee or tea, eat breakfast?
I drink a blend of lemon balm and nettle leaf tea to detoxify and strengthen the uterus. I also drink a lot of matcha with cinnamon, a touch of maple syrup, hemp milk, and sea salt. For breakfast, I make a heavy metal detox smoothie with frozen wild blueberries, spinach, cinnamon, water, hemp milk, vanilla, blackberries, and maple syrup.
Do you work out in the a.m.?
On the weekends I work out with my trainer Karen Lord. She also has endometriosis, so she understands my body. During the week we work out in the evenings because she’s in Venice and that’s pretty far from me with traffic.
BEAUTY
What is your morning skincare regimen?
I wash my face with a cleanser I’ve been developing. Then I use the holi (trinity)—holi (water) mixed with holi (c) followed by my holi (oil). I’m also obsessed with Tatcha’s Dewy Face Mist. I use that to set my makeup.
What makeup and products do you use on a daily basis?
I use the Dior Airflash Radiance Mist Primer and Setting Spray, Dr. Perricone’s No Foundation Foundation, Giorgio Armani Rouge D'Armani Matte Lipstick in 102 and Smooth Silk Lip Pencil in 12, and Dior Flash Luminizer.
What’s your hair situation in the a.m.?
Usually, it’s natural and wavy and matted in the back, but my silk pillowcase has helped a lot with that!
BUSINESS
What’s the first thing you read each morning?
Always my emails, first thing.
What business do you conduct before 10:00 a.m.?
Most of my emails and calls with my team happen before 10 a.m.
What time do you head to your office?
10 a.m.