"The natural cosmetics market is booming!"

Vegan, sustainable, plastic-free - many products now carry these labels. But how do you assert yourself in the highly competitive natural cosmetics market? How do customers know who they can trust and how do you create this trust as a company? We talked about this with founder Xandra von Seeherr from Plantbase. In the interview, she talks about starting up with her own partner, her beginnings with natural cosmetics and marketing with added value.

How did you come up with the idea for your start-up?

Lorenz and I founded PlantBase in summer 2019. However, the idea of producing sustainable zero-waste cosmetics had been on our minds for some time. The story of PlantBase started in a very small circle. I have always shared my enthusiasm for natural cosmetics with friends and family and gave my private home-made cosmetics to them as gifts. I also come from a small organic family, so I grew up with natural cosmetics.

And what was your very first product?

PlantBase started out with home-made lip balm and natural deodorant in cardboard tubes. At the time, we were one of the first brands to offer sustainable zero-waste cosmetics. Back then, the demand for the products was definitely huge! An incentive for me and Lorenz to continue and expand our range. Our range now includes vegan, cruelty-free natural cosmetics made in Germany as well as soaps and utensils for the kitchen and bathroom.

What were the biggest hurdles for you during your start-up phase?

I think the biggest burden or hurdle was that so much came at once. We never expected zero-waste products to become so popular so quickly. Our vision of ridding the world of plastic and giving people access to ethically sourced natural cosmetics quickly became something very big. As there were only two of us at the beginning, there were a few questions, problems and hurdles that demanded a lot from us.

What was the best tip that someone gave you during your start-up phase?

Persevere!

What is your USP? What do you do differently compared to other natural cosmetics brands?

The natural cosmetics market is booming! Over the last two years, we have also noticed that competition in this market is increasing enormously. Every company is advertising "vegan products made from natural ingredients". It is becoming increasingly difficult to compete in this market. However, we are very aware of what sets us apart from others. All our products are produced according to our own recipe - first the ideas are discussed in the team, then tested in the laboratory and finally manufactured in the factory. We only produce zero waste products and stand for quality "made in Germany". We are not only innovative when it comes to packaging materials and shapes and rely on sustainable raw materials such as grass paper or tinplate, we are also constantly driven to develop innovative products to offer our customers something new.

What type of advertising works best for you? Do you use influencers here?

We were aware from the outset that social media presence plays a very important role in terms of advertising and reaching target groups. Influencer collaborations are therefore a big part of our marketing measures. However, it is important to us that the influencers are authentic and support the PlantBase vision. Our SEO work also pays off and ensures representative rankings in Google searches. In addition to social media and SEO, email marketing has become indispensable.

How do you create trust in your brand, especially in terms of sustainability?

We are authentic, communicate 100% honestly and completely transparently, consciously seek to communicate with our customers and try to give them a glimpse behind the scenes as often as possible. Especially with regard to sustainability, we inform our customers about our packaging materials and production. We share our history, our everyday life and show people the personalities behind PlantBase.

What is it like to start a business as a couple? What difficulties or advantages does it bring?

I would say that there are both advantages and difficulties. We overcame stress and challenges together and grew from them - as entrepreneurs and as a couple. Another advantage is mutual trust. Trust is the foundation for everything! To build a startup, you need partners and employees you can rely on and with whom you enjoy working. Of course, founding a company together can also be stressful. Finding a good work-life balance is difficult when work and private life intermingle. However, I would say that we have managed it quite well so far.

Thank you for the interview.

About the founder: Xandra trained as a hotel manager and worked in retail in the visual merchandising sector for many years after completing her training. In 2019, she decided to turn her hobby of home-made cosmetics into a career and founded PlantBase together with her husband Lorenz.