Meet Rebecca, founder of the award-winning aromatherapy brand, Beatitude. In this interview with Beauty and the Dirt, Rebecca shares the history behind the brand, how she broke into the market, and where she plans to take Beatitude next!
Beauty and the Dirt: What motivated you to start your own aromatherapy line? Why aromatherapy?
Rebecca: I trained with Geraldine Howard at Aromatherapy Associates over twenty years ago and it was from this moment on that I was hooked! I found the treatment of aromatherapy to be one of the most effective treatments, and I had amazing feedback from clients which made it all the more rewarding – it never ceases to amaze me how powerful and effective essential oils can be.
I had wanted to create my own aromatherapy range for years but always knew that I would need a very strong USP to stand out from the bigger and more established ranges. Like all good ideas I had mine in the bath! I was really getting fed up with the fact that most traditional bath oils leave the bath in such a mess afterwards, and they also make the bath very slippery. I felt there had to be a better way to enjoy the aromatherapy bathing experience.
Beauty and the Dirt: How is your aromatherapy line different than traditional commercial skincare products?
Rebecca: The natural emulsifier in the bath blends mean that our bath oils disperse in the water and therefore avoid any greasy residue (either on you or the bath). We are also using more unusual plant/carrier oils. All our products contain oat oil for example – this is such a wonderful nourishing, anti-inflammatory oil that really moisturizes and softens the skin. Our body oils contain daikon radish seed oil and this has the most beautiful silky serum like texture that is absorbed very quickly. It is due to the fact that we are using more unusual plant oils that make our products very different (lighter) to traditional oil based products.
Beauty and the Dirt: How did you develop your initial client base and break into the market?
Rebecca: I had a client base from my treatment room at home and so they were my very first customers. I also took a stand at the Country Living Christmas Fair and Kate Shapland, beauty editor at the Telegraph Magazine also got in touch and wrote a fabulous review of the products. I would say this is when the business started to take off.
Beauty and the Dirt: How has social media helped you reach your audience and build a following?
Rebecca: Social media has been a wonderful tool for building awareness and reaching more people. We are constantly finding new ways to promote Beatitude and we find competitions work well and this offers a great way to engage with potential customers too.
Beauty and the Dirt: Do you have plans to expand your line? What are your future plans for Beatitude?
Rebecca: Yes, we have a beautiful cleansing balm in development that is going to be quite different to anything else on the market, and we are also looking at a pillow spray and a shower product.
Beauty and the Dirt: What advice do you have for other aspiring beauty entrepreneurs?
Rebecca: Patience –building a brand takes time and sometimes things you anticipate to be easy are not and unforeseen obstacles often can present themselves. I think you need to enjoy problem solving. Have a supportive network too – I have found this hugely important.
For more information on Rebecca and Beatitude products, check out the Beatitude website here!