Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Newman
Hi Karina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Thank you for your invitation, Stephanie.
My name is Karin. I am the creator of “Naturale Handmade by Karin.” We make natural personal care products for everyone, and my mission is to stay true to our values: Quality whole and safe ingredients, 100% Naturale.
Before Naturale, I enjoyed working in the pharmaceutical industry. I gained valuable experience and learned about the necessity of offering safe and effective medical treatments to patients. During my time with Novartis is where I envisioned that one day I would marry someone, raise a family, and run a home-based business.
In my free time, I began to plan and prepare for this venture, aiming to create a product that could benefit society while allowing me to balance my family and work life. I would research ingredients, and I fondly remember the weekend I was ready to test the market. I prayed, asking God to grant me success on this journey and headed to the coastal area. I visited a Spa where the owner was there and placed the first order. The following Monday I had a business trip to Mexico City. Little did I know that on that day, I would hear about significant layoffs at my company. Fortunately, I was prepared to pursue this project. I never felt laid off. As I was flying back to Tijuana, I was finalizing the details of the logo and label for the first order I needed to fulfill. That is how I started Naturale.
I was selling my lotions and scrubs to a large spa & nail salon, which consistently re-ordered. After a year, I started supplying my Naturale deodorants to a small local chain of natural food stores, which drew in a steady stream of customers looking for organic alternatives. Huerto Urbano began placing more orders for my deodorants, and I quickly discovered that they were being purchased by locals, tourists, and patients from Canada and the USA. Many of these customers were seeking alternative treatments for their conditions and looking for products that were free from parabens, triclosan, phthalates, and aluminum.
Servicing this group of clients encouraged me and gave me a much deeper sense of purpose. It also inspired me to adopt the Eco-Safe Elements philosophy, which focuses on using only safe ingredients in our products. I initially sold my products to natural stores in Baja, until I married my husband, a US citizen, I relocated to California. I started connecting with the local farmers markets in Solana Beach, followed by locations in Fallbrook and San Marcos, as well as selling online at https://naturaleusa.com. I love this community, and I am filled with gratitude.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Of course there are challenges in business. I try to focus on key plans of actions to address the issues. Staying aware of external and internal forces prepares me to overcome the obstacles. This clarity helps me to focus on solutions, avoiding waste of energy on uncontrollable external factors. This helps me to keep an open mind for creativity, aiming to improve and stay focused on my goals.
The relocation to California was a challenge. It was crucial for me to have the right timing and place to establish my brand in a different country, with a different market. It was essential to identify where I could meet customers that would be interested in my Naturale products and adapt my products to the preferences of my clientele. I faced delays waiting for permits to work in the country legally and dealt with issues related to the pandemic.
Another challenge was deciding on the right portfolio of products to start sell in San Diego, coupled with needing additional products to create more sales, bigger portfolio, bigger sales.
I started in Solana Beach Farmers Market with six products; two deodorant scents and four different bar soaps. Then, I added the coconut and Frankincitrus Lotions, followed by the fragrance-free and Mayflower deodorants, and scrubs. The second year, I added the shampoo bars, hair conditioner bars, and the Naturale sun skincare stick.
The greatest challenge as a business owner was that I needed to create new products that could match the customer’s needs. I had a desire to create new products that the market would need and love and would eagerly return for more. Basically, creating products that could help me create word of mouth sales, so the money can be reinvested, back into my business.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Naturale Handmade by Karin?
We make 100% natural bar soaps, shampoo bars, conditioning bars, underarm deodorants, lotions, scrubs, Sun skin care. Ideal for everybody and all ages!
We specialize in truly natural products for personal hygiene.
What sets us apart from others is that our products are made with 100% whole ingredients, cold press oils and unrefined oils. Most others have harmful chemicals or synthetic ingredients.
We are proud of our name Naturale (one hundred percent natural). And the unique products we make like “My Goat Loves Lavender,” our aluminum free deodorant collection comes in a plastic free container., we take pride to be making the finest natural hair care products non BTMS Conditioner Bar and Shampoo Bars free from sulfates, silicons, parabens, artificial fragrances and colors, our paraben free lotions, scrubs and Sun skin care push up stick.
At Naturale we care about the health and happiness of our clients. I hope you’re enjoying our products and sharing with friends.
You can buy with confidence our products online https://naturaleusa.com or you can swing by on Sunday @solanabeachfarmersmarket from 12-4pm or on a Saturdays @fallbrookfarmersmarket. From 9am-1:30pm
Please follow us on instagram and facebook
https://www.instagram.com/naturaleusa?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==&utm_source=qr
https://www.facebook.com/naturalebk?
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see a big increase in environmentally friendly brands, a growing demand for natural and organic ingredients, and a notable surge of bio technologically engineered sustainable ingredients within the cosmetic and personal care industry. It is important to recognize that greenwashing is impacting and changing this industry.
I’ve been tracking trends across the continents and find it intriguing how companies worldwide, including in the USA, are responding to the demand for clean natural skincare products. They are innovating by introducing new raw materials derived from natural sources, botanicals, and also the nature identical materials that are synthetic components bio engineered and manufactured in biotech labs, yet marketed and certified as natural and organic.
Many companies take advantage of this trend to launch new ingredients and sustainable skincare products. Fortunately, as a producer, I can investigate the raw material suppliers, and customers have the right to inquire about the ingredients in the products they wish to purchase. There are so many options of new materials available, some are genuine while others are not. It’s essential to educate yourself about the product, its production processes and the entities behind it.
In a market overflowing with new suppliers and green trends, at Naturale Handmade by Karin we are dedicated to being purely Naturale. We adhere to our Eco-Safe Elements principles, guaranteeing 95-100 % whole ingredients in our formulations. This includes single ingredients, plant extracts, and we will continue to use cold-pressed and unrefined oils. We ensure that our suppliers can provide certificates of analysis, GC/MS analysis for essential oils and quality certificates of organic ingredients. We are also open to exploring new natural offerings, as long as their extraction methods are safe and the supplier can document the production processes involved with transparency. This way help us determine which ingredients to include or avoid at Naturaleusa.com
Pricing:
- Deodorants $16.31
- Body Lotions $21.75
- Shampoo Bars $16.31
- Conditioning Bar $16.31
- Body Scrubs $27.19
Contact Info:
- Website: HTTPS://Naturaleusa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturaleusa?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturalebk?
Image Credits
Pier @purelovedragon & Andre @glowtide and @juliaericsonfit
