Meet the nutritionist-turned-bath scientist behind the vegan & cruelty-free skincare line, Wunderbath Co!
Evelyn talks bout her passion and successes of her one-of-a-kind bath products and cosmetics.
Hello Evelyn! Tell us more about yourself.
Hey I’m Evelyn, I handmade my own bath and cosmetics using plant based ingredients and sell them through a fun filled brand called Wunderbath at www.wunderbath.co 😉
You’re an entrepreneur, nutritionist and model – how do you juggle everything?
Before Wunderbath, I was already juggling between working full-time as a Food Scientist and modelling/ emceeing. So actually now that I have my own business, I got better time flexibility. But anyone will agree that the first couple of years into starting a business will be crazy busy. Honestly even after 1.5 years since we started, I still have to try hard to balance work, life and health.
But, so far I managed with crazy work hours, perseverance and passion! I just love what I do so much that I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep making a living out of it.
Share with us how Wunderbath started off!
It started with lipbalms! I’ve always been a lipbalm lover, my lips are very sensitive, so I can only wear some lipbalm brands that I’ve been buying since my uni days. I always find myself having to import these lipbalms to Malaysia because I just can’t find one with a non-waxy texture and doesn’t create cold sores on my lips. Then one day, I thought to myself, how nice it is to have a lip balm that comes in vibrant colours so I don’t have to wear lipsticks anymore to work!
I can’t find any in the market, so I resorted to making my own in the kitchen.
The ultra-realistic soap came after that when I made a fried egg soap to troll my husband (then bf) by serving it on a plate for him. Then everyone in the family had a little excitement, including those who has never paid attention to natural products. Then I realized that I can use humour and creativity to reach out to consumers who on normal circumstances, won’t look at natural products twice.
Have you always been interested in vegan, natural products?
Yes! I became aware about what I’m putting on my skin when I saw a shelf full of natural products on a specialty supermarket when I was studying abroad in Canada. I began reading more about it and gotten obsessed in finding the best possible products to put on my skin.
I’ve always been very analytical when it comes to reading ingredients on food products, then I carried that habit to my skincare products.
What exactly is 100% natural and vegan skincare?
There are a lot of implications with 100% natural statement. Even our drinking water is not 100% natural as it has been processed. These processes are good for us, to ensure these products are easily available and safe. But the problem is when manufacturers add chemicals that typically doesn’t occur in our natural environment can act as a toxin, building up in our body in a long run e.g lead in our lipsticks
100% natural skincare for me is those made with ingredients originated from natural sources and sources you are familiar with (e.g. coconut oil, shea butter, etc). Ultimately, when consumers read these ingredients a product, they can make a sound judgement whether to use them or not based on ingredients they are familiar with. E.g. some customers might avoid hazelnut oil because he/she recognizes that it will cause them nut allergies. But how about ingredients like EDTA? Or Sodium Laureth Sulfate? How well do we know the impact of these ingredients to their body?
Wunderbath is such an adorable name! How did the brand name come about?
I wanted a name that was loud to match the creative of the products. My first choice was Soap Opera but it was taken in a few countries.
Finally I took a German word “Wunderbar” which means “Wonderful”, add a twist and Wunderbath was born!
Share with us Wunderbath’s vision.
To be a market leader in high quality, creative bath and cosmetics in Asia.
Any advice for aspiring business owners like yourself?
Start from passion and add a little creativity to create a scalable business model. Be optimistic but stay realistic and never ever discount yourself!
Name 5 of your favourite beauty product(s) that you can’t live without!
Rogue Wunderlippie Lip Stain – My daily make up routine is really just mascara on brows and Rogue on my lips
Youth Potion face spray – I spray it on cotton every day and use it as a daily mask
Fairy Godmother body butter – to moisturize my dry and itchy skin
Rose Geranium Essential Oil – for my PMS stress relief
Stardust bath bomb – to even out my skin tone
Tell us how is a day in your life like?
Wake up – make power breakfast – strategizing, answer emails, manage operations, plan purchasing – lunch – attend meetings – manage or do production – dinner – new product development or improvements – plan next day task – sleep
Is there any particular bestseller ingredient in your products?
Lavender!
Other than skincare products, will Wunderbath venture into something new?
Yes! We have ambitious plans for the 2017. There are so many products we could launch but we’re waiting for the right product with the right market positioning.
What inspires you?
Other brands that started out in the kitchen just like Wunderbath.
Where do you see yourself in 2 years?
To only do what I’m truly good at and have a great team to fill in the gaps.
What is the ideal weekend for you?
A weekend without concrete agenda or plans and weekends I get to spend with friends and family.
Right now I’m torn between new home renovation, visiting flooring stores sunshine coast, and Wunderbath. So, an unplanned weekend is very rare for now.
Tell us what makes you smile the most?
Holding a new product I developed for the first time after months of researching, designing and planning!
