We caught up with Amy Wordsworth, Good Bubble’s Founder to talk about her new range of vegan and cruelty free children's toiletries.
Amy Wordsworth
Please tell us about your range of children’s bath time products.
Good Bubble is an award-winning range of naturally-derived and organic toiletries made with free-from ingredients and superfruit extracts. We launched in April 2014 with a Dragon Fruit and Cloudberry range. Last year saw the addition of our fabulous organic coconut oil and in Feburary we released our collaborated line with the nation’s favourite grizzly guy, The Gruffalo, featuring extract of prickly pear. Our mild formulations are suitable for newborns and those with sensitive skin. All products are suitable for vegans and are certified by Cruelty Free International meaning that non of our products or their ingredients are tested on animals. In 2015 I appeared on Dragons’ Den and (after a famous dizzy spell!) successfully received backing from Deborah Meaden.
Where did the idea for Good Bubble come from? At what point did you see a gap in the market?
I grew up in the family business of toiletries manufacturing and after graduating with a degree in advertising and marketing, I started my career at the shopper marketing arm of Saatchi & Saatchi. There I worked on some of the UK’s leading healthcare brands for consumer account P&G. Whilst researching the children’s toiletries sector, I saw a gap in the market for a natural range for babies and children that was truly safe, affordable and caring but that was also fun and engaging - to bring enjoyment back to bath time. I approached my family with the idea and together, along with a children’s illustrator and real mums and their little ones, we developed the Good Bubble range.
How much did your background in advertising and your family routes help you to get to where you are today?
It definitely helped. Having the combined experience of growing up in the industry, alongside working with brands, is what initially gave me the inspiration to create the brand. I don’t think this would have been possible without my family as I was able to use their lab and research facilities along with expert contacts to develop the original range. Then when it came down to the design and branding, I was able to call on my previous colleagues and contacts for their advice and creative expertise.
Why was this such a passion of yours even before you had children?
I have always had an interest in skincare, which I think partly comes from growing up in the family business and also from having terrible acne as a teenager. Even before I had my son, at school I was always known as the “mum” of the group – looking out for my friends and being the resident agony aunt whenever any of us had a problem, which was pretty much always boy related! I like to feel like I am making a difference to people and when I spotted this gap in the children’s skincare market, I knew there was something I could do about it.
Why was it important to you to have the products accredited by the Vegan Society and Cruelty Free International?
Never has there been a better time to help to care for our planet and by producing our products with sustainable and vegan friendly ingredients, we feel like we’re contributing to a better way of life. Also, knowing that our products haven’t been tested on animals and achieving the accreditation by the Vegan Society and Cruelty Free International gives our customers peace of mind when choosing products to use on their children.
Why was illustrator Krystyna Litten the perfect person for the job of bringing your products to life?
Once I saw Kristyna’s work, I knew she would be the perfect person to bring the brand to life. I wanted to create products that ticked all of the boxes for safety and care-conscious parents, and also brought bath time to life for children. The fruits used in the products have been made into the adorbale characters Dexter Dragon Fruit and Clara Cloudberry to engage with little ones and help keep bath time fun and stress-free.
Please tell us about your experience on The Dragon’s Den for those who missed your pitch?
Well it wasn’t the best experience but it was definitely worth it. Basically I almost fainted in the den after a gruelling 2-hour session under some very hot lighting! I went light-headed and had a bit of a wobble but I think the fact that I got back up helped show the Dragons that I don’t give up easily. Shortly after that Deborah made an offer and has taken our business to another level.
How much has Deborah Meaden’s backing helped you to expand the brand?
Deborah is an asset to the Good Bubble team and has helped opened the door with Sainsbury’s, leading to national distribution in over 240 of their stores across UK. She is actively involved in the business, lending her experience to our branding, product development and strategy, which has undoubtedly accelerated our growth.
How did your approach to the range change once your son was born in 2016?
My son Freddie was born in 2016 and although I had lots of experience with little ones and an understanding of how delicate their skin is through Good Bubble, it was a completely different story having a child of my own. Being a mother brought a whole new level of empathy with other parents and I instantly understood the expression that “A mother’s love knows no bounds” because I would go to the end of the earth and literally do anything to protect Freddie, as would any mum for their child. It added fuel to my fire to make a difference to the future generations and really protect and care for their hair and the skin, their largest organ.
What is next for you?
It’s been a really exciting start to 2018 and we have lots more in-store. We kicked off the year with a new website, a double Platinum win in the Loved by Parents awards and of course the launch of our Gruffalo range. We also have a new travel range coming out next month, including a fragrance-free moisturiser and we’re currently working on our Christmas offering, which I’m really excited about. We’re working hard on distribution to get listed in more stores near you and last weekend we exhibited at The Baby Show, ExCel London. We’re also at the Baby & Toddler Show in Manchester from the 16th-18th of March. If any Female First readers are attending make sure to come and say hello!
Tagged in Vegan Cruelty Free