Tell us why you launched the ethical Ocean Road range?
We launched Ocean Road initially, because we have seen for years that gift stores were generating significant sales of basic lines such as moisturisers, body lotions and hand washes. These were sales that beauty salons were missing out on. We decided that there was a gap in the market for beauty salons to compete in this higher end luxury market space so we created Ocean Road and kept it exclusive to hair and beauty salons.
You are proudly manufactured in a five star factory near your headquarters in Geelong – tell us about that.
Our 5 star Manufacturing Facility is our headquarters, here in Geelong Victoria. This is our own factory. The same facility where we manufacture all Caronlab Australia Waxes, Creams and Lotions, Massage Oils and Bump Eraiser Products. We moved into this site in August of 2010 and the Owners of Caronlab Australia also own the building. Therefore we have been able to confidently invest in the infrastructure to reduce our ecological footprint. We have installed 350 Solar Panels which generates up to 80% of our electricity requirements, our factory lighting is natural through Laser light panels on the roof and supported by movement and light sensing detectors on LED lights that only come on when the light is low and someone is in the area.
What was the inspiration behind the range?
Once the decision was made to develop a luxury range that would help to add retail sales to Hair and Beauty Salons, our core value of sustainability provided a strong foundation into the direction that the products should take. We looked at ways that this range could help to provide a better life for everyone concerned, our team, our customers, the beauty industry, the community and our future generations. We found that we could make luxury products with ethically sourced natural ingredients from local suppliers. Using recycled plastics and paper means that we keep waste out of our oceans. This helped to also provide inspiration for the name Ocean Road. Potentially the road we need to take to keep our oceans clean and healthy.
What has the reaction been like in the market?
The range has been extremely well received. Participating salons are seeing great retail sales at the time when they need it most. COVID 19 lock downs have had a dramatic impact on the beauty industry, particularly in Victoria. We sped up the launch to get the range into stores before Christmas so that these salons could sell this high quality range with a strong margin to support their reopening efforts.
You are vegan and made locally with 100 percent recyclable packaging how important was this to you?
This was an extremely important factor. We consider our customers and the environment in everything that we do at Caronlab Australia. We want our products to be available to everyone so we are always working on improving everything we do so that nobody is excluded. The Vegan movement is growing and we don’t want these people to miss out on the opportunity to use Ocean Road products.
You have also harnessed the best of Australian actives – was this difficult to find the right mix?
The most difficult part was to get the balance correct between the subtlety of the fragrances and the performance of the active ingredients. We wanted the active ingredients to be effective but also keep the products suitable for everyone. We needed the scents to be present without being overpowering. We are lucky that we have two in house formulating chemists who were passionate about the project. We also have very good relationships with our raw material suppliers so we were able to use our supply network to find the best possible ingredient combinations.
This article first appeared in the January/February issue of Professional Beauty magazine. Download the issue here.
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