Profile - Shampoo & conditioner bars good for your hair, good for the environment.

Be.Bare Shampoo and Conditioner bar smell divine and are so easy to use as well as being kind to your hair and the planet.

BEAUTY PROFILE Shamp & Cdier B

GOOD FOR YOUR HAIR; GOOD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT

By Kerry-Ann Scrase

Stephanie Fuchs, co-founder of Be.Bare was unemployed and by her own admission a 'little lost' when she stumbled upon a shampoo bar whilst travelling abroad. Although she was sceptical at first, she was amazed at how well it worked, and fell in love with everything about it – including that fact that it used no plastic. Together with her friend, turned business partner Robert Blonski, they launched Be.Bare – a zero waste shampoo and conditioner bar range. This is no 'soap opera', but rather a story of determination, resilience and grit.

EBL: TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF.

Stephanie: I did my schooling in Cape Town and then studied Politics at the University of Edinburgh. After that I did two diplomas one in Business Management from WITS and the other in Production Management for Film & Television in London. I worked for a while in the TV Industry but realised it was not for me and then ended up doing social media management and marketing. I just could not find ‘my thin’ until I landed a job working for Faithful to Nature as a copywriter where I was exposed to the idea of sustainability and doing good. I realised this was what I wanted to do - promote sustainability and work with brands that promote that way of life.

EBL: WHAT MADE YOU START BE.BARE?

Stephanie: After using that first shampoo bar, I was completely won over and thought straight away that I would love to create my own brand. Also, while I was working at Faithful to Nature I was exposed to many small businesses that were selling their products, and I thought if these businesses can do it, why can't I? It inspired me and, I guess, gave me the confidence to believe in myself.

I also wanted to do something that would improve the world in some way. I think it is just good business to do good. It's empowering, purposeful work. It makes you believe that, while you cannot solve the world's problem, you can pick something and go with that. If we all just did that, we would solve a lot more problems a lot quicker.

EBL: HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN ENVIRONMENTALLY AWARE OR HAS YOUR JOURNEY WITH BE.BARE AWAKENED THAT CONSCIOUSNESS IN YOU?

Stephanie: When I was at varsity it was a different world – I do not think the environment was at the forefront of people's minds, but so much has changed in the past few years. Just through keeping up with the news and reading about issues such as pollution, especially plastic pollution, has made me realise how pressing environmental issues have become.

Plastic is everywhere - it is so shocking to me. I believe that people want to do the right thing - they want to be more sustainable, but manufacturers and brands do not make it easy for them. Manufacturers need to take responsibility for what they produce and not expect the consumer to figure out how to dispose of their waste in an ecologically friendly manner.

YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE IN A GOOD SPACE IN A FEW YEARS' TIME. ’

EBL: HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO GET BE.BARE OFF THE GROUND AND HOW HAS THE JOURNEY BEEN?

Stephanie: It took just over 18 months from the first time seeing the concept in March 2018 to launching our online store in November 2019. As any entrepreneur will tell you - it has been a roller-coaster ride, however I am grateful for how we have been received in the South African market and for the support from big retail players such as Clicks and Wellness Warehouse.

There are so many unique selling points to our product that it almost sells itself.

Probably, one of the biggest challenges was the development and formulation process. It took months to get our formulations right. What I did learn however was that formulations are moving targets and the thing is to maybe not be 'perfect' when you launch because if you wait until everything is perfect, other brands will get to market faster than you. Time is of the essence.

We are well established locally and are available on various online platforms including Takealot, Superbalist and on our own website. We are also available in 200 independent stores, Clicks and Wellness Warehouse.

Our focus is now on the export market as we do not want to put all our eggs in one basket. We are already available on Amazon in US and we are in talks with a distributor in the US - this will be a real game changer. We have our first order for Finland, from where Be.Bare will be distributed throughout Europe and a shipment has been sent to the UK. The Middle East is also on the horizon.

EBL: WHY DO YOU THINK THE BRAND HAS PROVED SO POPULAR, AFTER ALL THERE ARE OTHER SIMILAR PRODUCTS AVAILABLE HERE AND OVERSEAS?

Stephanie: I think the reason we get such a positive response is because of the way we present the brand - everything from the packaging, the imagery - it is all high quality and sophisticated. Our competitors also use very different ingredients to ours. We use a unique combination of surfactants (cleansing agents) that are mild & plant-derived, which ensures a lovely foamy lather from our shampoo bars. Our ingredients are naturally derived, including fragrance, and we have managed to successfully avoid any type of waxy residue being left on the hair after use, which is a common complaint of users of natural haircare bars. In essence, we have not compromised the efficacy of our shampoo & conditioner bars through our insistence on the use of natural ingredients in our formulations. This is quite a feat in itself, and certainly something that differentiates us from our direct competitors.

EBL: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE?

Stephanie: Getting the right certifications, especially for the EU market. It involves an insane amount of paperwork and because we are dealing with naturally derived materials many of which are sourced from local suppliers this is not always easy. However, it is worth it as if you have the right certification it is much easier to get into new markets.

On a personal note, the long hours. Balance is not really something I've been able to master. I am a perfectionist when it comes to work and also a bit of a control freak, which means I end up doing everything in my areas of responsibility (some of which I could definitely hand over). This is not sustainable and not ideal for growing the business, so this a weakness of mine I am actively working on.

EBL: WHAT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTS?

Stephanie: There have been so many small victories along the way, but what makes it really worthwhile is when you reach your goals and hear from customers about how much they love your product and receive repeat orders and praise for the difference you are making to the planet. Those are the moments that make it all seem worth it, even on the hard days.

EBL: WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO START-UPS AND ENTREPRENEURS?

Stephanie: Don't give up! There will be so many moments that you think 'this is so difficult' and you will wonder if you have bitten off more than you can chew... just hang in there. Those who have succeeded have done so because they have the grit to get through.

EBL:WHAT'S IN THE NAME?

Stephanie: Actually, I wanted to call it Bare. (who knows why I wanted the dot there, but I wanted it). Unfortunately that name was already taken, so we went with Be.Bare – it is a like a call to action.