TAGS: Current Affairs
August 2018
Meet the guys behind Native Man Skincare
GLOBE members and 2018 GLOBE community grant winners Andrew and Anderson are the faces behind the All Natural, Organic, Cruelty Free and Australian Made brand Native Man Skin Care.
GLOBE wanted to check in with the guys and find out more about the back story of the company, how the community grant has helped them and also what the future holds for the internationally growing gay-owned Melbourne business!
How and why did you come up with the idea of a 100% natural men’s skincare?
Anderson and I have backgrounds in pharmacy. Both of us having worked in compounding pharmacies where we had to formulate and make skincare for specific skin conditions on a daily basis.
The idea behind Native Man started when we were trying to find products to use for ourselves.
Being pharmacists, we have a habit of picking up a product and examining the ingredients inside. What we found with a majority of the products that were currently available at the time was that they were filled with basic synthetic ingredients. These are mainly just designed to bulk up the product and don’t actually have any benefits for the skin.
That’s when we had the light bulb moment to create our own skincare for men. A product that we can proudly say is certified organic and filled with real native Australian ingredients that are actually good for the skin and will provide benefits.
It is so important to be aware of what we are putting onto our skin – it is our largest organ, and everything we put on to it is absorbed into the body.
Having just two products in the face regime sounds amazing to us men who have a plethora of different products, how have you concentrated all these products into just two?
Prior to releasing the two products, we spent several months doing market research, as well as going through countless formulations and prototypes – testing these on ourselves, family and friends until we were confident with the final results.
The two products; Native Man Wash + Shave, and Moisturiser + Aftershave, encompass 65% of what a man typically purchases for their skincare regimen. We wanted our core products to be multi-functional and easy to use. Your skincare regimen is your time to look after your skin, and it should be an easy, smooth and uncomplicated experience.
What made you become involved with GLOBE?
Anderson and I have been partners for 5 years, and being a part of the Globe community was something that was very important for both of us, and close to our hearts. We all understand what it means to be a part of this community, and how we need to support one another.
It was important for us to help set a good example of what it means to be a gay couple, and be able to meet and build relationships with all the other amazing friends that we have met through Globe.
You were a recipient of this year’s community grants, what did that mean for you and how has it helped Native Man Skin Care?
In June 2018 we were lucky enough to be chosen for the community small business grant, which for Anderson and I was a humbling experience. It allowed us to feel like we were truly appreciated in the community, and all the countless hours and sacrifice has been recognised. Native Man is a small business, which means that we still have our full time jobs, and all our funds and pay checks go in to supporting the business.
Earlier this year we were approached by the Natural and Organic Products Asia (NOPA) exhibition in Hong Kong. We were asked to be 1 of 20 businesses to represent Australia at the show. The small community business grant has allowed this to come true by providing us with the financial support to take us to Hong Kong. This has given us the opportunity to take Native Man to an international platform, and really show the world what a gay couple can achieve.
I know I definitely want to try your products, where can I purchase them from?
Native Man products can be purchased from our online store – www.nativemanskincare.com. On the website you can also find over 80 retail stores that are currently stocking our products.
What does the future hold for Native Man?
The future is looking bright for Native Man!
We are currently working on several new products that we will be releasing soon, and are also in negotiations with international wholesalers and distributors to take the brand global.
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