An inspiring story of a women entrepreneur dedicated to creating natural and organic skincare products for those with highly sensitive skin.
My company is called Naturals Beauty and we produce a range of natural skin and body care products for women, teens, babies, kids and men! So, what inspired me to start my company? My son’s Autism diagnosis back in 2008 was the catalyst for this business. I became acutely aware of ingredients only after having a child that was so sensitive to toxins, and I was alarmed at all the ‘nasties’ that go into commercial body products. Not having a chemistry background I could only take the range so far, so I was delighted in 2009 when I met our wonderful Contract Manufacturer – Louise Botes. Louise comes to Naturals Beauty with 12 years’ experience in natural and organic ranges. Her knowledge of botanical extracts and natural preservative systems and organic ingredients has helped us to make our products highly sophisticated. We work as a team researching, developing and producing new and existing products. Our little lab is in the beautiful Riebeek Valley, and our labelling and admin is done in Cape Town, South Africa.
"What gives me the most satisfaction being an entrepreneur is the flexibility. I undoubtedly work harder and probably longer hours than I ever have before, but I can stop at 12:30pm everyday to fetch my toddler from school and spend some time with her before heading back to the office. I enjoying defining my work and making decisions about the future of our business."
So, why should people use our products? Well, firstly we are a family-run business and have become known for our excellent customer service. Our products are made using only the best natural ingredients, and as often as possible we source organic ingredients. The Essential Collection Range is a sophisticated botanical range using many extracts and actives known for their anti-aging and skin well-being properties. These extracts include Rooibos, Chamomile, Baobab, Cucumber and Sutherlandia, to name just a few. Our Teen Range is also incredibly successful and is a proudly South African range, as we use only South African essential oils and extracts. Moms that are conscious of the ingredients in baby and kids grooming products will love our Ruben & Rebekah Ranges. Formulated with my kids in mind, these products are made for all children but particularly those sensitive to toxins or with sensitive skin.
The Naturals Beauty team is a great one. Louise, our contract manufacturer is the chemist and brains behind our formulations. Not only is she excellent at her job, but she is the loveliest lady with the biggest heart. Gail plays an integral part in the day to day running of the business. She packs our orders, deals with the couriers and oversees the office. Edith cleans, labels our products and does our stock takes, while Nicole deals with accounts. We have an awesome group of agents who work in areas around the country and they are integral in getting our products out to potential customers. The rest of our tasks are outsourced and we try to support other small businesses in the area.
"If I had to offer a piece of advice to other women looking to start-up their own businesses, it would be to persevere. If you are passionate about your business and your product/service, then don't be put off by competitors’ successes or your own failings along the way. Persevere on your path and be flexible to change and grow if something is not working for you."
In terms of my entrepreneurial journey to date, I don't have an entrepreneurial background and my journey happened by chance. I wanted to start using natural products on myself and my family and I struggled to find good quality, locally produced ranges at affordable prices. We decided to start making our own so that we could be sure of the quality and be sure of what was going into the products. In the immediate future, we are excited to be starting our export journey and our focus will be on that for the next while. We also have plans to grow our Teen Range and we continue to enjoy working on bespoke ranges with boutique stores, health shops and individuals across the country.
Contact Naturals Beauty:
tanya@naturalsbeauty.co.za
Why LoA loves it…..
We love the totally natural ingredient sourcing philosophy behind Naturals Beauty and the wonderful products they create - sensitive skin sufferers, relief is at hand. We also applaud Tanya and her team for being so highly supportive of other entrepreneurs in the area and creating opportunities for everyone to share in the success of the business chain. --- Melanie