Latest / Skin Anarchy / booni doon founder Pooja Ganesan shares her brand vision

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booni doon founder Pooja Ganesan shares her brand vision · Skin Anarchy

• 0:00
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• 0:33
  SPEAKER_02: Hi guys, welcome back to another episode of Skincare Anarchy.
• 0:37
  SPEAKER_02: This is your host, Ekta, and I have an awesome guest today.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_02: Her line is brand new, and as soon as I saw it, I was so, so like just enamored by it because of the packaging concept.
• 0:48
  SPEAKER_02: And then the more I looked in, I was just, I love everything about it.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_02: So without further ado, I want to introduce you guys to Pooja Ganeshan.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_02: She is the founder of Bunny Dune Skincare.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it is a beautiful concept, Pooja, where you have this, you know, individual capsules of cleanser.
• 1:07
  SPEAKER_02: So why don't you tell us um really everything about the brand journey and how you got started and where that idea came from?
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, thank you so much for having me.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um so I started Booney Dune at the beginning of this year.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_01: And prior to starting Booney Dune, I actually worked in investment banking.
• 1:25
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I was working really long hours, I was very stressed out.
• 1:29
  SPEAKER_01: And the only time I really had for myself was, you know, a couple hours on Sunday night when I would do my full, you know, skincare routine.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 1:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I just found myself one day looking around my bathroom and there was just so many products and there was so much packaging and there's plastic everywhere.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: And I thought to myself, there has to be a better way.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, I of course, you know, got onto Google and I looked for low-waist skincare and zero-waist skincare.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I just felt really frustrated because I didn't want to sacrifice efficacy for and science for my skincare, you know, just because I wanted to be more sustainable, I don't want, you know, a bunch of clays mixed together and sold for$70.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I wanted something that actually had science behind it, innovation.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: And that's really what drove me to start Booney Dune is you know, we create skincare products, we almost like redesign skincare products so that they remain efficacious, but also are sustainable.
• 2:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, we say that we operate under like a kindness perspective.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_01: So everything has to be kind to your skin, to the oceans and the earth.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh, I really love that.
• 2:44
  SPEAKER_02: Because, like when I honestly, Puja, when I first saw your line, you know what?
• 2:48
  SPEAKER_02: It just it hit a nerve for me because I was like, this is amazing.
• 2:52
  SPEAKER_02: Because that individual packaging that you thought of, I mean, I had, you know, I've I've sat around and thought about if I if I were to start start a skincare line, you know what I mean?
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like, um, and and that idea was always in my mind as well, where it's like everything should be individually packaged.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_02: And it really made me think of the concept of dosing because I've like kind of stressed that point, like in my previous um episodes, where I think that um, you know, since you mentioned science, like there should be a way to regulate how much, you know what I mean, of product you're using.
• 3:20
  SPEAKER_02: So I really like that component as well of this, because I feel like in the capsules, it's like a certain amount, right?
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_02: That you measure out for the capsules.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: Exactly.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: We actually did extensive consumer testing just because, you know, cleansing.
• 3:33
  SPEAKER_01: So our cleanser um taking a step back is a powder formulation that's enclosed in a tapioca derived capsule, and that allows you to just pour the powder in your palm, add some water, and turns into a foaming cleanser, and then the tapioca capsule just dissolves, you know, at the bottom of your shower or in the sink.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um zero waste that way.
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, part of the reason we encapsulated is because you know, we tested with American consumers, and you know, in America, powder cleansers aren't as you know frequently used, versus in Asia where they're a little bit more popular, and no one knew how much powder to use.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: Like everyone was adding powder and then adding water and then adding more powder and adding more.
• 4:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it just created a lot of product waste.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, as a zero waste skincare brand, how can we have people wasting our products?
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so then we you know looked to the market and found a really great alternative um in terms of you know encapsulating the formulation and having it be still retain our zero waste principles.
• 4:37
  SPEAKER_02: That is really cool.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_02: And I didn't know the capsule dissolved.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_02: That is like the cherry on top with this.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_02: Oh my gosh.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_02: So, like what went behind this um this uh development of this, like the engineering component.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: So, for for the formulation itself, we worked with the formulation consultant, and you know, when I was create, I sort of wanted to start with a cleanser because, in my perspective, you know, when you think about the market, everyone needs to wash their face.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: Um and it just seemed like a really great product to start with the line with.
• 5:09
  SPEAKER_01: And um, especially when you consider that most of the ingredients that are um problematic in terms of the environmental impact tend to be found in cleansers like SLS and other surfactants.
• 5:20
  SPEAKER_01: So I decided that you know the cleanser would be the great start to the line.
• 5:25
  SPEAKER_01: And then when we worked with the formulation consultant, I really wanted to use a biosurfactant.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: So we sourced our biosurfactant, we created a powdered formulation, revolved, you know, sort of um with the biosurfactant ramolipids as the starting point.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: And then, you know, when we decided to do the encapsulation, I really went to the market.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: I wanted to, you know, create something special for the encapsulation.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um it would be like aesthetically pleasing, but cost effectively, it just was easier to go find a partner that creates nutraceuticals and they have this really large capsule that holds enough powder for a face wash.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, it helped us because we didn't have to reinvent the wheel.
• 6:09
  SPEAKER_01: So from a manufacturing process, it's actually quite beneficial to use something that you know is already out there on the market.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I didn't even realize this was out on the market.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm not gonna lie to you.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_02: Like I had no idea that this individual, I mean, I've seen the individual little um, I usually look like little droplets, like some brands have them for like their little their serums or whatnot.
• 6:31
  SPEAKER_02: But I um I love that yours looks like an actual pill, you know.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_02: I really, really like that because the capsule is larger.
• 6:41
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not sure, but you know, when you look at the pictures, it's hard to tell scale, but it's a larger size.
• 6:47
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, the powder that we enclose in the capsule, it's it's plenty to use for for washing your face and even you know your neck.
• 6:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_02: That's awesome.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_02: So, what is the actual formulation, like the the gro the basis of this formulation?
• 7:04
  SPEAKER_02: Like, you don't have to go through the whole thing, but like um, what is your main, I would say, main ingredient in your deck?
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_01: So I would say the main, there's a couple main ingredients.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: The the first one I would say are colidal oats.
• 7:17
  SPEAKER_01: And this is something I knew I wanted to include in the formulation because it there's so much evidence related to Avenus sativa and just the fact that it's calming and soothing and has a lot of anti-inflammatory properties.
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um and I wanted, I did a ton of research, you know, that's sort of like the basis of all our formulation, all our product development is really just looking at, you know, online on scientific articles and seeing what the data says and what researchers are saying.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_01: Um there's so much um information about how if you finely mill oats, there's a lot of um, there's even more um, you know, inflammatory, anti-inflammatory and you know, skin beneficial properties because it allows for even dispersion.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: And um, that was really important.
• 8:06
  SPEAKER_01: So we looked to a supplier that provided us that's finely milled, it's called collidal oats.
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_02: That's interesting because oats are so they're so frequently used in skincare.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, they are, and it's just it's a really great formulation.
• 8:21
  SPEAKER_01: And we do testing on our oats as well to make sure, you know, people don't realize this, but when you have, you know, uh a highly produced um, you know, plant-based ingredient, like almost like grains, you end up actually having um heavy metal uh pollution related to it, contamination.
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_01: So we do make sure that you know our products don't include any of those heavy metals either, because they can be absorbed from the soil.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and I'm sure they're going into the the water, and I know that fish absorb them too, right?
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_01: So like it's all related.
• 9:00
  SPEAKER_01: It's so it's so um, you know, this entire process has taught me so much just about you know our ecosystem and the way that you know our behaviors as consumers affect our environment and therefore also affect us.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_01: Right, right.
• 9:14
  SPEAKER_02: So let's, I mean, I completely agree with you.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_02: And I think what the interesting part is is that this whole conversation around sustainability of products is really kind of shifting focus to where people are now saying, you know, when I was talking like to other people who claim that their products are sustainable, they're like, well, you know, this is why or whatnot.
• 9:34
  SPEAKER_02: But it's like I feel like it's becoming all or nothing.
• 9:37
  SPEAKER_02: That's what I'm trying to say.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_02: It's very hard for me to articulate sometimes.
• 9:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um, it's like becoming an all sustainable or nothing.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and so when I look at something like what you're doing, I think it is pretty much fully sustainable, right?
• 9:50
  SPEAKER_02: Packaging-wise.
• 9:51
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that that's something that was really important to me.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, to your point about, you know, we are completely, we're a plastic-free company.
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I worked really hard to source our bamboo lids directly from China where they were custom carved, so we didn't have to include the plastic liner.
• 10:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, our jars are made of glass and fully recyclable, and all of our paper includes post-consumer recycled content.
• 10:16
  SPEAKER_01: But that being said, I do think that in the skincare industry right now, there is an increased emphasis on being sustainable, which is amazing.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_01: But I think that related to that, there needs to be more transparency about it.
• 10:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, like I feel that many brands, and there I think there needs to be more transparency and probably less judgment about it as well.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because from a consumer perspective, you know, launching this brand during COVID, I feel I launched with a specific, you know, consumer in mind.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_01: And so the more I'm going through product development for our next couple of products, the more I think about how do I make sustainability accessible to more people, right?
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_01: Because it's always been, you know, predominantly reserved for people who can afford it, versus people every day people should be able to, you know, you know, you shouldn't be spending, you know, an extraordinary amount of money to be sustainable when it comes to skincare.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_02: Well, I also think that it's something that where skincare should not be something where you like open one jar and if that jar goes bad, you've lost 80% of your product, right?
• 11:28
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like there's a lot of brands and there's a lot of um products like that.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_02: And that's what I think is so so good about yours because you know, you can share it.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_02: Like you can share.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_02: I know, like uh with me, a lot of my my friends will be like, Hey, you can have your cleanser, and it's like, why don't you just take three capsules?
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_02: You know, so I really like that I can say that now um with this, and and also uh like you said, yeah, the price point that's huge.
• 11:54
  SPEAKER_02: The you know, so what is your price point?
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_02: I don't you don't need to give us like a number, but like um what was your target?
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_01: So I wanted to like in terms of selling products, I like my entire range of skincare products for Booney Jan will be under$50.
• 12:10
  SPEAKER_01: And that has been something that when I first launched, I probably wouldn't have said, you know, our cleanser is at$38 for 35 capsules, but we do have a refill program that's far more, you know, accessible at$29.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, so I think that, you know, as I'm developing the company, I you know, subsequent products, I want to be more accessible, but still retain the science and still retain the quality of our our ingredients.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right, of course.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_02: And so what about okay, so with the cleanser being your first launch, um, do you have like a kind of a um a blueprint in mind how like what sequence you're gonna be coming out with your products, or is it kind of like you're gonna see how this goes first and then decide?
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, actually, we have a couple products already in development.
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_01: We're working with a couple of labs, different labs, to get those products um in the market probably early next year.
• 13:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that's very exciting for um, you know, in terms of the products that we are developing, it's a focus on products that would be used every day versus more treatment-focused products.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_01: Um that would be, you know, we have another oil-based cleanser in development as well as a face oil and a moisturizer.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that those, you know, three additional products would probably round out, you know, any launches for the next 18 months, just because I do want to be very intentional about, you know, what it is we are launching, just because I want to make sure it's, you know, adding something new rather than just launching a product for the sake of launching it.
• 13:46
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_02: Of course.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, you know, I think that it's really important to look at like where there's a there's a gap, right?
• 13:55
  SPEAKER_02: Because everyone's got a cleanser, everyone's got like a moisturizer, but to really come up with a really cool new idea like you did with this clean this first launch, which is I think very, very unique.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_02: I've never seen something like this in the skincare um industry.
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I maybe I'm missing something, but I, you know, I when I first saw it, I was like, this is extremely unique.
• 14:14
  SPEAKER_02: So um and going forward, I think that this individual packing packaging design can really work for almost anything now that I think about it.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_02: Like, even like uh I remember in the early episodes we were talking to like Dr.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_02: Talia Spearings, and she was talking about like the dosing of sunscreen, right?
• 14:31
  SPEAKER_02: And then she was explaining how like this is the amount that you should be using on your face per day.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_02: And I and I was sitting there thinking, I'm like, someone should really make that.
• 14:42
  unknown: You know what I mean?
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_02: Like someone should really put that exact amount in one little packet so that you have it.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_02: So I think this um this concept, in my opinion, it can be applied to serums, oils, you know, all that stuff.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_02: So this is cool.
• 14:55
  SPEAKER_01: Product base is enormous in the skincare industry, and if you could even address that as a company, it's you're addressing a huge sustainable issue.
• 15:05
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_02: So where did like okay, so is this something that was always important to you, like in terms of like the environmental aspect?
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, it's so funny you asked me that because I, you know, the past couple years when I was working in banking, probably not.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_01: I always, you know, sacrifice sustainability um when it comes to convenience.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but you know, growing up, I I grew up in Delaware and I was really involved.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_01: I was really interested in the environment.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER_01: I was actually, you know, involved in my high school's environmental action committee, and I would go to like all the different homerooms in the morning along with my gosh and recycle, which is so funny to think about.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um but then over time, and I studied environmental science in college as well, but you know, over time I just lost sight of that.
• 15:52
  SPEAKER_01: So I really feel like starting Booney Dune is, you know, finding my way back to that.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_02: Why don't you tell us a little bit about your name, the name, Booney Dune?
• 16:01
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's so cool.
• 16:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um when I started um the company, I really wanted to have a clean slate.
• 16:07
  SPEAKER_01: And I was thinking about, you know, I I feel like every founder goes through this.
• 16:11
  SPEAKER_01: Like, what's the ideal name for your for your child, essentially your baby, your company?
• 16:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I just wanted something with a clean slate.
• 16:18
  SPEAKER_01: And Booney Dune is actually just a silly nickname I have for my sister.
• 16:22
  SPEAKER_01: Doesn't mean anything.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, it just seemed like the perfect fit for for the company.
• 16:29
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, why not?
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, if it's something that means, you know, the the word should mean something to you, right?
• 16:34
  SPEAKER_02: That's that's so cool.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_02: I'm so glad you did that.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_02: Seriously, because I mean, how many, how many skincare lines out there are like, you know, it's like this epic name, like destiny, like dude, like skincare.
• 16:47
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's not like you know, uh, but this is this is so cool, which I'm so excited um to not only to see your product, you know, just everywhere, which I know it's gonna be, because I know there are so many women that um really align with this idea of like they need more, like, you know, they need something that they can take very easily wherever they're going.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_02: And I keep bringing this point up, but like in one of the interviews that we did, the whole idea of travel came up, and that really sparked so much interest in me because traveling is a major problem, you know, in terms of products.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_02: And so this is a huge solution to that, you know, and um I really, really like that.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_02: Also, I'm thinking of like high school students, you know what I mean, or like people just of every age range could, you know, really benefit from this.
• 17:31
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's it's so interesting because when I first started the brand and when I was thinking about, you know, my target demographic, I really thought of millennials, but I would be, I would, I was so shocked to see the response from older women who really the brand resonated with them.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: Their skin, they loved using the capsules, they loved incorporating in their self-care routine, and um even from more Gen Z women where they were using Gen Z men and women who are using you know our capsules when they're going hiking and you know, really involved with the environment and love the outdoors and take our capsules with them because it's zero waste and leaves no footprint.
• 18:12
  SPEAKER_02: Right, right.
• 18:13
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, this is it's just versatile, like and I think this is interesting because I when I when we get to the conversation about sustainability, I think there's like two people, like two groups of people.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I feel like your product is like kind of overlapping those groups because I'm not gonna lie to you, I'm a millennial and you definitely hit your target mark.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_02: So I will give you props for that.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_02: Um, but I'm I'm honestly coming from the perspective that I have friends who are like, eh, I don't care about sustainability, you know, and other friends who are like super health conscious, super eco conscious, you know, they're very much into it.
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_02: But I think your product is like not pushing it in anyone's face.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I mean?
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_02: Like you're not standing there going, look at this, this is super sustainable.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_02: But it's obvious that it is.
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_02: So it's like that's what I'm just giving you like my own feedback, you know, looking at it, because I know a lot of sustainability, um, like products that are big on sustainability, their whole packaging is like all about that one thing.
• 19:07
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm glad that you didn't go in that direction where it's like, you know, bam, in your face.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_02: This is what we do.
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so happy to hear you say that because that's so intentional on our part, where I wanted to start a skincare brand.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: I didn't want to start a sustainable business per se.
• 19:25
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why, you know, our products always talk about the skin benefits and you know, the efficacy about, you know, and like also the safety of our ingredients, um, versus, you know, the fact that it's in a you know, bamboo lid with a glass jar.
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so I think that it was really important to me also when we think about our branding and our positioning, not to be judgmental because I do, at least as a consumer, I felt oftentimes like, oh, I wish I was, you know, like if you're not a vegan, if you're not, you know, super zero waste, you know, perhaps these products, you know, you don't deserve our products, or you're not vegan enough.
• 20:03
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_02: I know it's it's a huge thing, right?
• 20:06
  SPEAKER_02: Because when veganism started, everyone was like this cult-like mentality with it.
• 20:11
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, we can't do that, right?
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_02: Like we can't like segregate based on like, well, I'm, you know, really into sustainability versus not.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_02: Like it you can't do that.
• 20:19
  SPEAKER_02: Like it has to be a concerted effort where it's like what you're doing, where it's like, okay, yes, this is sustainable, but let's still focus on the skincare part because I would hate to pick up a product and then my skin break out, you know, just because I don't want to leave a footprint.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_01: Completely agree.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: I think that, you know, it's about making like Boonie Dana is about making sustainability and sustainable skincare more accessible.
• 20:42
  SPEAKER_01: And that's actually, you know, related to that, we have part of our, you know, focus is we have this sort of mission of imperfectly sustainable.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so we do interviews with, you know, influencers and people just part of our community, just to say, like, you know, every little bit helps.
• 20:58
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, being zero waste isn't feasible for everyone, but doing your part, doing as much as you can is within the realm of possibility.
• 21:06
  SPEAKER_01: And what does that look like for you?
• 21:08
  SPEAKER_01: So that's really what we're working to show and like hopefully convey to our community.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_02: I I really love that.
• 21:16
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, one thing I really wanted to tell you when I first discovered your brand was I love that you're a South Asian woman and you're not sitting there just like waving the Indian flag everywhere.
• 21:26
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's like in the sense that your product isn't like full, you know what I mean, full-blown, like just like elephants everywhere and like you know, like henna.
• 21:35
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like, and I say that, and I say I know I sound very bold saying that and very like kind of aggressive, but it really gets on my nerves because it's like there's so much innovation in the South Asian community, there's you know, so much intelligence and these bright ideas, and we can't paint it with like you know, something that's only appealing to South Asian people, right?
• 21:54
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's like you have to become universal.
• 21:56
  SPEAKER_02: So I really love seeing you as a female entrepreneur and And of South Asian background, and you're doing something that's for everybody, you know, it's not branded with like race or or culture.
• 22:06
  SPEAKER_02: It's it's just really good stuff.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_02: I love that.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, thank you.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: I, you know, I am so proud to be South Asian.
• 22:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like my dad's from India, my mom, you know, was born from and came from Sri Lanka, and I feel super proud of my heritage, but you know, I'm more than just my heritage, and I feel like you know more and more everyone is sort of feeling like the fact that they are multidimensional and you can do something that's you know, when I first told people I was starting a skincare line, I think the questions really were really just like, oh, is it like you know, rooted in Ayurveda?
• 22:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's not, and that's fine.
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: It doesn't mean I'm not a South Asian entrepreneur.
• 22:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's every Indian is not about Ayurveda, because every city is just about but you know, it's completely fine if you are.
• 22:51
  SPEAKER_01: There needs to be more iBeauty.
• 22:53
  SPEAKER_01: There needs to, you know, why not start another Ayurveda line?
• 22:56
  SPEAKER_01: But I, you know, for me, that wasn't the right fit.
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: And I wanted my my line to be more about science and you know, more about just sustainability.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_02: Well, it's interesting you bring up the whole iBeauty um, you know, conversation too, because I, in my opinion, iBeauty is all of this innovative technology going behind our brands, right?
• 23:17
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, that's what I think of when I think of the South South Asian community.
• 23:20
  SPEAKER_02: I think of um very, very bright minds.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that you we don't have to paint anything a specific color for it to be fitting into iBeauty.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_02: I mean, I would say any day of the week, like your product falls into the category of iBeauty, as well as you know, sustainable beauty, as well as, you know, like everything, right?
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_02: And so I I really, really like seeing this um because it it's important.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_02: That's why I keep stressing it, because I don't I don't want our our initiatives to be just Indian only, or you know what I mean?
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_02: Like that's very important to me.
• 23:52
  SPEAKER_01: And I yeah, I completely agree.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_01: There's no need to bat box around everyone's, you know, what you can and can't do as a Asian, you know, brand founder.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_02: And then especially like women of color right now.
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_02: I'm noticing that there's so many more entrepreneurs that are coming up, and it's so so wonderful to see it.
• 24:13
  SPEAKER_02: And you know, we're all kind of just meshing together, I feel like, you know what I mean?
• 24:17
  SPEAKER_02: Like we're all just in this like community, and it's so nice to just keep propagating that rather than anything else.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_02: But, anyways, let me get back on track.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_02: So, um, let me tell me more about um in terms of just okay, so you've your packaging is pretty much solid.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, so we've covered that.
• 24:33
  SPEAKER_02: Um, in terms of your influencer reach, now how do you figure out who you want to like invite to try your products?
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like, do you utilize Instagram for that, like for consumer testing?
• 24:45
  SPEAKER_01: So for consumer testing, we so for the next couple of products, we don't really reach out to people via Instagram for them to try it.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: Only because, you know, uniquely enough, I'm not sure if other brands feel this way too, but you know, our customers don't find us necessarily from Instagram, like they find us sort of organically through word of mouth, or you know, going on a camping trip with their friend and using our product and then purchasing it themselves.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_01: It hasn't really been driven, our sales aren't driven through Instagram.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_01: That being said, we use Instagram just because we love engaging with people who, you know, share the same values as us, are interested in skincare, interested in sustainability.
• 25:27
  SPEAKER_01: And it has been so tremendously meaningful in that way.
• 25:31
  SPEAKER_01: Um and then when we think about our influencers and the way that we sort of reach out to them or they reach out to us, it's been very organic.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: We haven't paid at all for any sort of influencers, not because, like that's not to say I don't I I think influencers should be paid, you know, content creators should be paid.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but it's just because, you know, we just wanted people to get, you know, their feedback.
• 25:55
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, people just naturally wanted to try the product for themselves.
• 25:59
  SPEAKER_01: So it hasn't been, it's just been really organic, I would say.
• 26:03
  SPEAKER_02: That's wonderful though.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_02: That's really wonderful.
• 26:05
  SPEAKER_02: It's like just letting people discover you and then, you know, forming real relationships with those people, you know, and that's I think that's very important because right now Instagram is interesting to me.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_02: You know what I'm saying?
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_02: Like it's a really interesting space because I think there's so much like value there in terms of like really getting that consumer like feedback and research.
• 26:23
  SPEAKER_02: But there's also I think a lot of bias, um, depending on like, you know, if a band a brand is willing to like whatever it is, doesn't have to be payment, you know, it can be like just anything and give them an initiative.
• 26:34
  SPEAKER_02: And I don't really like that component um of it.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_02: So I'm glad that you said that.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_02: I'm really glad that you're going the other route.
• 26:41
  SPEAKER_02: Um but cool.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_02: Okay, yeah, I'm I'm just like so excited about your product, honestly.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_02: I is there anything else that I that we don't know about that you'd like to share?
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_02: Something cool about your brand story, maybe.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I would say that in terms of our brand, it really I think like the most meaningful part of starting Booty Dune has been seeing how much the story of being zero waste and the story of like starting a sustainability journey resonates with so many people.
• 27:11
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel energized by that.
• 27:13
  SPEAKER_01: When I started Booty Dune, I was nervous that no one would buy the product because people, you know, will constantly be like, what is zero waste?
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_01: What is, you know, what what do you mean by plant-based ingredients?
• 27:26
  SPEAKER_01: What do you like, you know, there's all these questions about safety of our ingredients.
• 27:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I think, you know, I'm I'm sure you have thoughts about this too, but where, you know, as a consumer, I feel so many people, and myself included, I was really um skeptical of clean beauty and skeptical of greenwashing that was happening.
• 27:46
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, you know, the sort of light bulb moment for me was I love this lavender soap.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_01: It comes in a purple bottle.
• 27:53
  SPEAKER_01: And then one day just happened to read the ingredients.
• 27:55
  SPEAKER_01: There's no lavender in it.
• 27:57
  SPEAKER_01: And how how how like I was duped, you know?
• 28:02
  SPEAKER_01: And I I feel like as you know, starting Booney Dune, I took it upon myself to make promise myself that I would never do that too.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, it's like your trust was lost.
• 28:14
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I just I couldn't believe it.
• 28:18
  SPEAKER_01: And I I like to think that I'm sort of I read I'm the type of person to read ingredient list.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_01: I'm the type of person to worry about what I'm putting on my skin and what I'm putting, you know, in my body or on my body.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like I just couldn't believe I was, you know, bamboozled while um, you know, doing that to someone else.
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: So that's why when it comes to Booney Dune, you know, our key tenants really are the kindness I mentioned before, but also transparency, like complete transparency with our consumer.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_01: So if you go to our website, you'll see, you know, different articles about every one of our ingredients.
• 28:51
  SPEAKER_01: You'll see exactly what to do with the product packaging and what it's comprised of.
• 28:56
  SPEAKER_01: And all of this is very, very important to me as a founder because I have been duped before.
• 29:02
  SPEAKER_01: I never would want to put a consumer in that same spot.
• 29:05
  SPEAKER_02: Of course, of course.
• 29:06
  SPEAKER_02: And especially because right now, as you had brought up, COVID is a big thing and people are already dealing with so much.
• 29:13
  SPEAKER_02: And it's like whatever we're investing our money into, we want to make sure that it's something we really need and it's gonna work for us.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_02: So I love that you said that.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_02: I love that that's at the heart of your, you know, like your mission here because there are a lot of people and a lot of brands out there that are just making product after product, and it's like people don't have that money right now, you know what I mean?
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_02: Like, we don't have money to invest in like five different things because the first one didn't work, you know, like so it's it's it's important to be very transparent.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_02: That's really cool.
• 29:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I would challenge those companies that just market product after product because you know, what are you really adding?
• 29:49
  SPEAKER_01: How do you justify your use of those resources to add something that is already exists on the market?
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that's from like a sustainability and just like as a person, like a human perspective, how do you really justify that?
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_01: And um, you know, in sustainability, there is this concept of extended producer responsibility, where you know, what does and that's sort of what guides Boonidune as well, where what is you know sustainability look like if the company was to take responsibility for everything, you know, not asking consumers to take on that burden.
• 30:25
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_02: And I think that's that is the right way to do it because the consumers already have so much to do.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_02: You know, it's like I'm not saying companies don't, but it's like if you're selling something to somebody, make it a little easier for them to go down the road of recycling and the road of, you know what I mean, like just being eco-friendly.
• 30:41
  SPEAKER_02: Like I think that you know, your concept is brilliant because it it puts a lot of like it's almost like you took a lot of thought out of the consumer's hands, you know what I mean?
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_02: You said, here you go, don't worry about all the other stuff.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_02: We got you, you know, kind of thing.
• 30:55
  SPEAKER_02: So I really like I like that because I think that has like a personal care aspect and feel to it.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_02: I really do.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_02: Like just from that consumer perspective, I can tell you, you know, and I really appreciate it when I see that in a brand.
• 31:07
  SPEAKER_00: Um yeah.
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_02: So I anyways, but yeah, I want to congratulate you.
• 31:11
  SPEAKER_02: This is such a cool, cool project.
• 31:14
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, and you know, I know that you're gonna, you know, you're gonna kill it with this.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_02: I hope everyone goes out and buys your cleanser.
• 31:20
  SPEAKER_02: I'm gonna tell everyone too.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_02: Um because I just love the concept.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_02: You know, I'm a big science nerd, and anytime I see something that's very, very um, you know, engineering heavy or science, I really love that.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_02: And I I have so much appreciation.
• 31:35
  SPEAKER_02: So thank you um for telling us, you know, all about your journey.
• 31:40
  SPEAKER_02: That was awesome.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_02: It was a pleasure being here and talking to you about it.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so okay, cool.
• 31:46
  SPEAKER_02: Thank you guys for tuning in.
• 31:48
  SPEAKER_02: Um, if you have any questions for me or Booja, just leave us a comment on the cover art for this episode and I will pass it along to her.
• 31:55
  SPEAKER_02: Um, this was such a cool and fun episode.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_02: I hope you guys enjoyed it.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_02: And if you know of any brands or you know of any cool initiatives coming up and you want to hear the story, let me know.
• 32:05
  SPEAKER_02: You can always DM me on Skincare Anarchy.
• 32:08
  SPEAKER_02: Um, and I'll talk to you guys next time.
• 32:20
  SPEAKER_02: Hey guys, so I hope you love that episode.
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• 32:27
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• 33:27
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