NEWS
GreenTalk with Nom Nom SkincareBack to News
28 Dec 2021
What inspired you to create a Soil Association accredited range of skincare products?
Before launching Nom Nom seven years ago, I worked for twenty years as a pre and postnatal massage and nutritional therapist and my biggest inspiration was my clients – who often asked which products I’d recommend for their pregnancy and baby skincare issues. I found that, while they wanted to avoid potentially harmful and irritating ingredients, they also wanted to make good choices for the environment.
They were unclear about which skin care products were truly natural and organic for use during pregnancy and for their babies. It is not currently a legal requirement for natural and organic skincare to be certified, so there is confusion. There are a lot of pretenders out there, with many companies making misleading claims, so Nom Nom was founded with the primary aim of being great skincare – gentle, but effective enough to really help with their pregnancy and baby skincare issues - and also to be a sustainable and free-from range which gives new and expectant parents complete faith that when we say we are organic and natural they can trust that. Our Soil Association certification ensures purity, transparency and sustainability - what is left out is as important as the carefully selected nourishing ingredients which go in. I wanted high levels of organic, plant-based ingredients and certification guarantees that, while restricting synthetic chemicals, prohibiting genetically modified ingredients and animal testing and ensuring environmentally friendly packaging. Certification ticks lots of boxes with one logo!
What were the main challenges you faced in order to get it launched; and are you still facing these challenges today?
My certification wasn’t easy to achieve! The Soil Association and COSMOS standards are very exacting, covering ingredients, manufacturing processes and sustainability. I went through the certification process when COSMOS (the harmonisation standard for Europe) was still in its infancy so I faced many difficulties sourcing approved skincare ingredients and also permitted packaging in smaller quantities. To formulate the range, I chose all my ingredients for their compatibility with pregnancy and baby skin and specific benefits for common skin issues, so it was not a simple case of finding substitutions. When the supplier of vanilla oil for our best-selling Stretch Butter stopped production due to rising costs, it was especially difficult to source this organic ingredient. After a couple of months of searching, several dead ends and some eye-wateringly expensive quotes, I decided to gain approval from the Soil Association to infuse this deliciously scented oil myself in-house. Finding solutions like these, joining forces with other certified brands and encouraging ingredient suppliers to certify to the standards is what ensured we were able to continue. Perseverance has paid off as, gradually, more suppliers and ingredients have achieved COSMOS organic standard, making it a little easier.
What helped you to see it through to the end?
Feedback from happy customers! This has always been my driving force. From lovely reviews and repeat purchases (even beyond pregnancy and baby), we know our customers have found Nom Nom to be a range which really helps with their skincare issues, aligns with their values, looks great and is a joy to use. In addition, the range has won fourteen national awards, many of these parent and midwife-tested, which is especially gratifying.
I’m also motivated by the environmental crisis. I try to educate and spread awareness, whenever I can, about the importance of choosing certified organic for its benefits to people and the planet, as well as reducing packaging and using green materials. I think concerns about the effect we are having on the natural world and climate change can feel more magnified when you are expecting a baby – after all, this is the legacy we are creating for the next generation. It can feel overwhelming but it is encouraging to know that we can affect real difference by making all the small individual positive choices that we can.
What are your plans for the next 5 years?
I would love to continue to spread the word about wellbeing, skincare and sustainability for parents and their babies through the range and bring it to a wider audience. We also offer a professional range and I am really keen to grow this and get as many pregnancy massage therapists, baby massage instructors, salons and spas as possible using the products and introducing their clients to the benefits of Nom Nom. Finally, I would love to extend the collection and include a range to support new mums, if I can find the time!
www.nomnomskicare.com
Before launching Nom Nom seven years ago, I worked for twenty years as a pre and postnatal massage and nutritional therapist and my biggest inspiration was my clients – who often asked which products I’d recommend for their pregnancy and baby skincare issues. I found that, while they wanted to avoid potentially harmful and irritating ingredients, they also wanted to make good choices for the environment.
They were unclear about which skin care products were truly natural and organic for use during pregnancy and for their babies. It is not currently a legal requirement for natural and organic skincare to be certified, so there is confusion. There are a lot of pretenders out there, with many companies making misleading claims, so Nom Nom was founded with the primary aim of being great skincare – gentle, but effective enough to really help with their pregnancy and baby skincare issues - and also to be a sustainable and free-from range which gives new and expectant parents complete faith that when we say we are organic and natural they can trust that. Our Soil Association certification ensures purity, transparency and sustainability - what is left out is as important as the carefully selected nourishing ingredients which go in. I wanted high levels of organic, plant-based ingredients and certification guarantees that, while restricting synthetic chemicals, prohibiting genetically modified ingredients and animal testing and ensuring environmentally friendly packaging. Certification ticks lots of boxes with one logo!
What were the main challenges you faced in order to get it launched; and are you still facing these challenges today?
My certification wasn’t easy to achieve! The Soil Association and COSMOS standards are very exacting, covering ingredients, manufacturing processes and sustainability. I went through the certification process when COSMOS (the harmonisation standard for Europe) was still in its infancy so I faced many difficulties sourcing approved skincare ingredients and also permitted packaging in smaller quantities. To formulate the range, I chose all my ingredients for their compatibility with pregnancy and baby skin and specific benefits for common skin issues, so it was not a simple case of finding substitutions. When the supplier of vanilla oil for our best-selling Stretch Butter stopped production due to rising costs, it was especially difficult to source this organic ingredient. After a couple of months of searching, several dead ends and some eye-wateringly expensive quotes, I decided to gain approval from the Soil Association to infuse this deliciously scented oil myself in-house. Finding solutions like these, joining forces with other certified brands and encouraging ingredient suppliers to certify to the standards is what ensured we were able to continue. Perseverance has paid off as, gradually, more suppliers and ingredients have achieved COSMOS organic standard, making it a little easier.
What helped you to see it through to the end?
Feedback from happy customers! This has always been my driving force. From lovely reviews and repeat purchases (even beyond pregnancy and baby), we know our customers have found Nom Nom to be a range which really helps with their skincare issues, aligns with their values, looks great and is a joy to use. In addition, the range has won fourteen national awards, many of these parent and midwife-tested, which is especially gratifying.
I’m also motivated by the environmental crisis. I try to educate and spread awareness, whenever I can, about the importance of choosing certified organic for its benefits to people and the planet, as well as reducing packaging and using green materials. I think concerns about the effect we are having on the natural world and climate change can feel more magnified when you are expecting a baby – after all, this is the legacy we are creating for the next generation. It can feel overwhelming but it is encouraging to know that we can affect real difference by making all the small individual positive choices that we can.
What are your plans for the next 5 years?
I would love to continue to spread the word about wellbeing, skincare and sustainability for parents and their babies through the range and bring it to a wider audience. We also offer a professional range and I am really keen to grow this and get as many pregnancy massage therapists, baby massage instructors, salons and spas as possible using the products and introducing their clients to the benefits of Nom Nom. Finally, I would love to extend the collection and include a range to support new mums, if I can find the time!
www.nomnomskicare.com
