Beauty Tofu is one of the most successful skincare brands in New Zealand. It’s vegan, cruelty-free and 100% natural. And it was created by Melanie de la Reta right here, in the Bay.
WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND BEAUTY TOFU?
My journey started 15 years ago. I was working in the beauty industry and noticed that some of the hair stylists had dermatitis on their hands. I started questioning what chemicals were being used in beauty products and their effect on us. When I did the research, it turned out these products I was using on myself and my clients were largely made up of synthetic chemicals. Certain products weren’t even allowed during pregnancy or breastfeeding!
I then went on to study beauty therapy, which led me to paramedical studies. A new-found love for yoga and Ayurveda changed everything – I no longer wanted to work with salicylic acid and harsh chemicals. I wanted to create something natural, safe and nurturing that would be good for my clients’ health and wellbeing. I believe skincare went down the wrong path – nature has enough to offer our skin and there’s no need to harm animalsin the making of products. From my kitchen to markets to women’s in Cambodia, Beauty Tofu came to life. It was never about money or starting my own business; it very much came from a place of love and learning. I hope all of my customers feel that when they use Beauty Tofu.
WHAT MAKES BEAUTY TOFU STAND OUT AMONG VEGAN SKINCARE BRANDS?
Beauty Tofu was never supposed to be just a product or a brand. It’s a lifestyle, a whole community on Instagram and far beyond the digital world, where women feel safe and can be vulnerable and open to share their insecurities, worries and, of course, great achievements. We call ourselves ‘Green Girls’. No matter who and where our Green Girls are, we want them to feel supported!
WHAT ROLE DID SOCIAL MEDIA PLAY IN LAUNCHING AND ESTABLISHING YOUR BRAND?
Our growth online has been overwhelming! It has been completely organic and our Green Girl tribe is growing every day. They are all a part of something
bigger and without our Green Girls, there wouldn’t be Beauty Tofu. We hope they know that! Beauty Tofu is not just a skincare brand, it’s a platform for Green Girls to share their wellness rituals and their personal stories.
YOU’VE SPENT MOST OF YOUR LIFE IN AUSTRALIA. HOW IMPORTANT IS THIS MARKET FOR YOUR BRAND?
Beauty Tofu was born in New Zealand and that will always be our home. Originally it was only supposed to be sold in New Zealand but we started receiving requests from our neighbours and step by step found ourselves selling to Australia as well. It’s all about our Green Girls, really, and wherever they are in the world. I’m glad we’re now able to help not only Endometriosis New Zealand but also Endometriosis Australia to raise awareness and funds through the sales of our products. But Beauty Tofu will always be made in New Zealand and I’m very proud of that.
YOU’RE ALSO INVOLVED WITH OTHER BUSINESSES, SUCH AS KALON AESTHETICS. TELL US A LITTLE MORE ABOUT YOUR ROLE THERE.
Kalon Aesthetics is a beauty clinic in Tauranga and was originally created to help Beauty Tofu be able to grow. I never had a loan or investors and, as most people would know, creating a businessand keeping your head above water is a struggle for many business owners. I worked full time in my clinic as well as full time in Beauty Tofu until 2018 when I was finally able to focus solely on Beauty Tofu and hand Kalon Aesthetics onto other specialists.
WHAT ARE YOUR BUSINESS PLANS FOR 2020?
We are launching in America and Canada, which is very exciting! We have a couple of new products coming and we will be hosting Green Girl Retreats in beautiful Bali.