Be Green Bath and Body Interview

Embark on a journey into the heart of e-commerce brilliance with Be Green Bath and Body. In this exclusive interview, discover the secrets behind the brand’s success and gain insight into the dynamic world of online entrepreneurship. Join us for a quick dive into the unparalleled journey that fuels Be Green Bath and Body’s prominence in the ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.

1. Can you introduce yourself and Be Green Bath and Body?

Hi!  I’m Karen Roche and I founded Be Green Bath + Body in 2009.  We formulate and hand-craft flexible, natural, affordable skincare products that keep your skin healthy, your body safe, and make the least impact on our planet. We research our ingredients extensively, source thoughtfully and test thoroughly on friends and family.  Our products are not only non-toxic and made with the fewest ingredients possible, but have the highest efficacy.

2. How was Be Green Bath and Body born? How did you start?

Around 2007-08 my neighbor had a life-threatening health crisis where she was told it may have been environmentally caused.  Together, and with other friends, we embarked on a journey to learn about what is actually in our food, our cleaning products and our personal care products.  It was eye-opening, to say the least.  I could not believe that in the US, the FDA does not have regulations requiring specific tests to demonstrate the safety of individual products or ingredients and only a few ingredients have been banned.

I started out researching ingredients and making products mainly for myself and my family.  I have incredibly sensitive skin, I am a breast cancer survivor and BRCA2 gene mutation carrier so it is imperative that I use products that will not cause harm. I began to nourish my skin safely with simple, non-toxic, plant-based ingredients found in nature.   I developed a line of skincare products based on my values and created a website to share them with others.  Be Green signed the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics many years ago and then listed the products on the EWG Skin Deep Database where they were rated for safety.  Later, I graduated from an Organic Skincare formulation school where I honed my skills.  I have a business degree (which has come in handy!) but I really enjoy formulating products that help those with skin sensitivities and skin conditions be able to use and have success with skincare products.  In 2009 when I started, the organic and natural movement was not mainstream like it is today.  The company has grown organically over the years.  I had no idea it would grow into a business and a full-time job!

3. What makes Be Green Bath and Body different? Can you explain your products with details?

Our products trustworthy, effective and sustainable!

Our products are EWG VERIFIED™.  This means our products avoid EWG’s ingredients of concern, we are committed to full transparency and operate under good manufacturing practices.  We Meet EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.  We avoid ingredients that authoritative health bodies have flagged for potential health concern.  We have labeling that fully discloses ingredients.  We use adequate preservatives and the products are free of contaminants.  We also earned Green America’s Green Business Certification and we are certified cruelty-free by PETA.

We have over 3,700 reviews with a 4.85/5.0 rating.  96.5% of the ratings are 4 or 5 star.  They work!  People love them. They are sensitive-skin friendly, gluten-free and soy-free, free of dyes, synthetic fragrance and petroleum products.

Being sustainable is really important to us (Be Green is not an accidental name choice!).  We are working to become as earth-friendly as possible every day.  While it is difficult to be low waste in the beauty industry, especially for a small business, we are striving in this direction. For instance: our labels are made from Fiberstone (they are tree-free, water-free, chlorine-free, acid-free), we use approximately 75% organic ingredients, we use no outer boxes or excess packaging that would be tossed immediately, and 50% of our packaging is glass, aluminum or post-consumer recycled plastic

We have a wide range of products today.  For facial skin, we have cleansers, toners, serums and creams for different skin types as well as several lip balms.  For the body we make lotions, powders and balms, foaming hand soap, body wash, bar soap deodorant and shaving foam.  We also make a hair oil and a super popular dry shampoo. Many of the products are available in trial size so customers can see how they work for their skin without spending a lot of money.

4. What reactions do you get from your clients? Do they love your products?

Oh my goodness, customers email us all the time and tell us that this is the first time a product has not caused a rash or burning or they tell us how the products have soothed a skin condition they have or their child has.  It’s very rewarding!  Most of our products are unscented and this is such a big deal for someone that has an allergy or multiple chemical sensitivity.  Some emails have actually brought a tear to my eye. Mainly customers share their stories via product reviews saying how well they work and how much they appreciate the minimal ingredients and affordable price.

5. What are the advantages of Be Green Bath and Body?