In today’s society we assign a high value to natural personal care for our natural beauty. The young startup “The Solid Bar Company” goes one step even further and produces products which are not only plastic-free but also without the use of water, alcohol or any other chemical ingredients. They aim to create a product line, which is not only easy in use but also good for the planet. We had to take a closer look at this exemplary commitment and therefore talked with the founders about the company, the personal care market and their mission.
How is the current economic situation at your company?
We are a young company, having recently moved back to the UK after a number of years in the Caribbean, where we developed and perfected our anhydrous product range. The idea came to us whilst sailing across the Atlantic, surrounded by cheap, diluted personal care products in plastic bottles.
We are already finding a strong and growing interest from consumers that want convenient, plastic free and vegan products for both travel and home. We are just emerging from the start-up phase but are gaining real traction and as we meet these requirements, we see enormous potential for growth in these areas.
What are your main distribution channels?
We currently sell the majority of our products online through our website internationally. We havealso successfully partnered with a US retail outlet. Additionally, we will be on Amazon EU shortly and are in talks with major UK retailers.
Our products have recently been endorsed by the Prince Albert Foundation. We also have vegan investor interest and would ideally welcomebusiness partners with media or retail connections. Funding will be used in several areas; to promote a strong marketing campaign, to assist in bringing our ‘6-in-1 biodegradable travel pack’ to market,to increase our margins through bulk buying, to enable us to establish relationships with fair trade partners directly and afford us the opportunity to source emerging greener alternative ingredients coming to market.
Which campaigns are you running for promoting your products?
Our competitively-priced products fit into a broad range of sectors and therefore appeal to a wide range of consumers. We are currently marketing through social media and plan to promote our products through trade shows, exhibitions and retailers across a number of sectors, as well as continuing to promote our website to an international audience. We are ready to take our company to the next level and are looking for funding to do so.
How is the market of vegan/natural body care developing?
We are excited to see a strong and growing consumer interest in natural and vegan products as well as those that are plastic free. We are looking to continue to broaden our vegan personal care range to include biodegradable deodorant sticks, more healing balms, children’s hair detangler bars and a natural repellent bar for the equine world!
From your market insights: What role does the topic veganism play within this segment?
As research and statistics confirm, veganism isexpanding exponentiallyand we are increasingly seeing interesting, well thought-out animal alternative products coming to the market. If you can provide vegan products that are as equally effective as non-vegan products, then you are providing a desirable product that also protects our planet. If a vegan product is offered in plastic packaging, however, this somewhat defeats the object in my view.
What makes you and your products differ from the other products on the market?
As well as being 100% vegan, our products are plastic free, contain luxurious, undiluted ingredients, are long lasting and highly convenient. We continually find products on the market that fail in at least one or more of these areas.
Are there any new “hot” new vegan ingredients being used in your sector at the moment?
We infuse natural herbs into carrier oils to capture their incredible benefits in our bars. These include Calendula and Chamomile flowers, Juniper berries and Catmint leaf. We also use Vegetable Keratin and Oat Protein along with Pro-Vitamin B5 in our hair care bars for silky smooth hair with incredible slip and shine.
Do you have any expansion plans within the next 3 years?
Yes we do have expansion plans. With our exciting anhydrous product range and veganism increasing even more in the future, our production will continue to increase to fulfill greater demand on a global scale.