Monica Nawrocki, the passionate founder behind Plant Based Beauty tells us all about how and why she started her organic superfood brand and the challenges she faced whilst doing so. Read on to learn more about her amazing journey!
Hi Monica, welcome to Nourish Beauty Box! How did Plant Based Beauty come about?
I started Plant Based Beauty as a hobby that turned into a passion to share safer & cleaner skin-care alternatives with as many people as possible. I’ve always placed a big emphasis on eating healthy and staying active but as I continued to research ways to feel even better and optimize my health even further, I realized one missing piece was understanding the effect that household products had on my health.
I learned that chemicals in household products can be really harmful, with side effects as severe as cancer. This was so surprising to me but also hit close to home because my mom battled two different types of cancer (breast cancer and thyroid cancer). I started to clean out the products in my household and I started to make my own skincare items that led to nourished, healthy skin and I realized I was onto something that needed to be shared with as many people as possible to help them make the switch to safer, cleaner products that actually work. Before I even knew it, Plant Based Beauty was born!
What sets Plant Based Beauty apart from all the other vegan beauty brands out there?
Our organic skincare is made with superfoods and we carefully select only the highest quality, all-natural ingredients. We only use plant-based ingredients that you know and trust - like Avocado, Rose, Spirulina, Cacao and so many more good-for-you superfoods. Our plant-based botanicals come from nature and are full of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals that nourish the skin.
“Our products are made with certified organic ingredients that are sourced with attention and care, and our products contain no artificial ingredients, added chemicals or preservatives of any kind.”
We are also making huge shifts towards becoming entirely plastic-free!
Sustainability plays a huge part in Nourish Beauty Box’s selection process when choosing brands to work with. Please tell us more about your plastic-free initiatives.
In 2020, we moved away from plastic face mask spoons and are providing eco-friendly bamboo spoons with our face masks. We also transitioned to recyclable metal jar lids instead of plastic jar lids which are paired with our glass jars. We no longer use plastic (shrink wrap, styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap) with any of our packaging, and all orders are packed with shredded Kraft paper in a recycled + biodegradable corrugated Kraft box.
“We made the decision not to package our products in individual marketing boxes in order to be as sustainable as possible and prevent waste; instead, product details, instructions and ingredients are printed on the label or on small product cards that are provided with each order.”
We want to feel good about what we put out into the planet by minimizing our environmental impact as much as possible - and these small but impactful changes are so exciting to us.
What has been your biggest learning curve in the running of your business?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned when starting my business is to take the risk even if you don’t feel like you are 100% ready. With any type of change, you will never, ever feel 100% ready, but you have to believe in yourself and you have to take the leap, otherwise you’ll be waiting around forever.
“Make bold, big moves as if you are already successful. You have to take the risk and believe your business will be successful… and then the pieces will fall into place.”
This has been the biggest lesson I’ve learned over and over. And the hard part is that it even shows up with small things, too.
Can you give us an example of how this showed up in your decision-making process?
In 2020 we switched our face mask spoons that come with our Avocado & Algae Face Mask – previously we were providing mini plastic spoons and now we are providing eco-friendly mini bamboo spoons to be more sustainable as we go towards being entirely plastic-free. As soon as we launched this change, I asked myself “why didn’t I do this sooner?”. The bamboo face mask spoons are more expensive and we are absorbing the cost – meaning we aren’t increasing the price of our Avocado & Algae Face Mask with this change – which is what held me back before. But being plastic-free is so, so important to me and I want Plant Based Beauty to be known for being sustainable.
I don’t want to make my business sustainable once it’s successful or when it feels “ready” to make these more expensive changes – I want Plant Based Beauty to be as sustainable as possible now, no matter if the risk is small (like losing a little bit of revenue from these bamboo spoons) or something larger. Act as if you are successful now. Create your brand and live your mission in the way that you want your company to be represented.
How important a role does social media play in your growing brand?
Social media is the main place where we connect with our customers. You can find us on Instagram for skincare tips, eco-conscious tips, upcoming events and more. I love to get to know customers and see our items shared in others’ stories and see the small but mighty impact we are making.
We are always in awe of brands that give back! Do you support any movements or charities?
We are committed to giving back as much as possible and using our platform as a voice for the greater good. Over the last year, we have donated a portion of proceeds to :
Feeding America - an organization focused on providing meals to families in need from job losses and school closings during COVID-19.
Race Forward - an organization focused on achieving racial equality through education, training and pushing the tough but necessary conversations forward.
Rise Up For Children by Operation Underground Railroad - an organization focused on rescuing children from sex trafficking and bringing awareness to the severity of this issue.
We are always striving to be better and give back more. If there’s an organization or cause that’s important to you, please contact us and tell us more about them.
Thank you so much for allowing us to have a glimpse into what makes a superfood brand!
I am so thankful for the continued support! We were able to move to a new dedicated workspace this year and are continuing to share our mission with others. Thanks for following along and please use code NOURISH20 here for 20% off your order!
Find Plant Based Beauty’s Avocado & Algae Face Mask in our October 2021 box!