Business: Everkind
Founder: Amanda-Jane Healy
HQ: New Plymouth
What products, services, solutions or technology have you developed?
We create certified organic body care for people who don’t want to choose between their health and what works.
At Everkind, we seek to do no harm to people or planet. So from our formulas to our packaging, innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We’ve taken a leaf out of nature’s book, and pared it back to the basics. We put just as much thought into what we leave out, as what we put in because we believe that the more we leave nature to it, the more your body will love you for it.
Our best seller is our Ultra natural deodorant. It won Organic Product of Year 2018 + 2019 and Best in Odor Care in the 2020 Canadian Clean Beauty Awards. The formulation came from a 12-month collaboration with our customers, and reflects Everkind’s commitment to creating truly natural products that really work.
Everkind’s Lip Care range is our latest product innovation. We developed our fabulous formula three years ago, but we couldn’t find the right packaging solution to do it justice. More than 200 million lip balm tubes go into landfill each year, and we didn’t want to add to the problem. So we explored the eco-friendly lip care packaging options already on the market, but they all lacked the luxurious feel that epitomises the Everkind brand. We wanted the same user experience as traditional lip balm tubes, but without the plastic packaging. But the solution simply didn’t exist. So we set to work with a team of paper engineers in China, and developed the next generation of paper lip balm tubes.
The revolutionary design is a world first. It features an inner sleeve that slides down, rather than a base plate that needs to be pushed up. Most impressively, every element of the tube is made entirely of paper – meaning it’s 100% home compostable. We enlisted the help of Auckland graphic designers, phd3, to craft the finished look of the clever new paper tube. Together, they created a product truly beautiful from the inside out, and reimagined the look and feel of luxury all-natural lip care.
We’re also thrilled that Everkind’s Plush recently won Good Magazine’s 2023 Best of Natural Award for Lip Care. So it seems like the hard work has really paid off.
WHAT KEY CUSTOMER PROBLEMS OR CUSTOMER “WANTS” DOES YOUR SOLUTION SOLVE?
We’re on a mission to make ‘truly natural’ the natural choice. We want to give people an organic and effective way to care for their bodies with confidence, inside and out – all without compromising on the things we care about most; the health of ourselves, our families, and our planet.
In the world of natural skincare and bodycare, things aren’t always what they seem. Greenwashing and over-promising abound, and it can be hard to know what to trust. So, we decided to take a stand, and make a promise backed by radical transparency and third party accountability.
We have three guiding principles for everything we do at Everkind; it’s our promise to our customers – to be body kind, people kind, and planet kind, in everything we do.
These three fundamental ideas drive us forward and create the base for all kinds of decisions, from the high-quality ingredients we use, to the like-minded people we partner with.
Body kind means never having to choose between your wellbeing and what works. For many customers, choosing to ‘go natural’ means having to forgo genuinely effective products. That’s why we create award-winning products that actually work – while also using only the purest, safest, and best natural ingredients, with no nasties in sight. So whatever’s ahead, you can face your day with natural confidence.
People kind means caring for the people who buy our products, the people who help make them, and people in need. Bodycare should never come at the cost of human health and wellbeing, which is why we’ll never compromise on what matters to us most. That means no harsh work environments, no child labour, and no harmful business practices. Being truly people kind takes more than words. That’s why we give a minimum of 2% of our revenue to help make a genuine difference for people in need, and we also lend our support to like minded charities and organisations.
Planet kind means sourcing wholly sustainable ingredients and being committed to our zero-waste journey. These days, our planet’s future is top of mind for so many. But with harmful chemicals and plastic packaging still rife in the body care industry – not to mention our broken recycling system – it can be incredibly difficult for people to make genuinely sustainable choices. At Everkind, we try and make it that little bit easier. We’ve worked hard to ensure all our packaging is 100% home compostable. So our customers know that when they buy with us, they’re doing as little harm to our planet as possible.
Who and where are your target customers?
Our customers are not defined by a demographic, but have a common desire to care for their health and wellbeing and the planet we pass on to the next generation. They’re truly conscious consumers who are using their dollar to vote for a world they want to see.
So, how did they get there? Everybody has a turning point. A moment when we realise just how nasty chemical nasties can be. And we think to ourselves, what exactly are we putting on our skin? For some, that turning point is a health scare or a desire to improve their wellbeing. For me, it was the moment I learned I was going to be a mum.
Whatever the trigger, we step into a personal wellness journey that means we pay more attention to what we put in and on our body, and we look for products that tread a little lighter on this wonderful world that we call home.
How and when did you first come up with the idea for your business?
Two key turning points led me to create Everkind. When I was a mum-to-be with a little body on board, I started looking at the products I used in a whole new light. I soon discovered that when it comes to body care, things aren’t always what they seem. I started to seek out safer, more natural options – and my personal health journey towards living a healthier life began.
Then a couple of years later, my family and I moved to the country. We lived next to a market garden, and were shocked by the massive amounts of synthetic chemicals we saw being poured onto the produce that feeds us all.
We didn’t just see the effects. We felt them, too. Our family’s health took a real hit, and the impact of harsh chemicals on our bodies became impossible to ignore.
Until that moment, my wellness journey had been personal. But the market garden made it clear that the real problem was far bigger. I became passionate about creating a more natural and healthy way to live. Not just for me and my family, but for everybody. And the idea for Everkind was born.
What are three things about your business that you are proud of?
- Our community. Our story started with two parents who wanted to give their children a naturally healthy life, and now it’s grown into a beautiful community of organic bodycare lovers. We listen, we learn, and we respond to what our customers really need. And together, we create truly natural products that care for everybody, everyday.
- Our deodorant and insect repellent formulations. We created these formulations in collaboration with our customers. They smell great, they feel great, and they do the job just as well as the synthetics (if not better). I get such a huge sense of satisfaction from knowing we’re giving people the very best of natural. We work on our products tirelessly, and don’t release them until we get every element perfect – right down to the finest details. Our products get consistently rave reviews from our amazing customers, so I think that dedication has definitely shone through in the final product.
- Our zero-waste journey. Ever since day one, our goal has been to achieve zero waste. When we first launched, we opted for recyclable packaging. But when we realised quite how broken the recycling system was, we knew we wanted to put more control into our customers’ hands. So we transitioned to 100% home compostable, paper-only packaging. We also use eco-parcels for deliveries, eliminating thousands of plastic courier satchels from landfills. As a certified organic brand, every element of our supply chain is audited to ensure our ingredients are grown in the most natural, carbon-friendly way. Our water source is filtered rain, any wastewater feeds our orchard, and we use LED lighting and solar power. As a business, we don’t take a single step forward without considering its impact on the planet. And while we still have a way to go on our zero waste journey, I’m really proud of how far we’ve come.
How do you market your business and what advice do you have for others around marketing?
Being a small family business, we started with limited access to capital, so we’ve relied on very organic growth methods. Our approach to marketing has been through collaborations with like-minded companies, social media, micro influencers, loyalty and referral programmes, niche magazines (like Organic NZ), and regular newsletters to our retailers and customers – together with our fabulous customer service.
Our focus has been on delighting our customers, giving them such a fantastic experience that they stay loyal and tell their friends. Word of mouth can be a slower way to grow, but it helps you build an awesome foundation. Community is key.
What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced in building your business so far?
The desire to change always comes before the ability to deliver. And that wait can be really frustrating.
Because of our zero-waste goal, packaging in particular poses a consistent challenge. 100% home compostable options often don’t exist yet, so finding the perfect solution can mean constant innovation.
I started looking for paper packaging options back in 2017. By 2018 we could import some tubes that did the job, but they weren’t the dimensions I was looking for. It took us until 2019 before we could design our own paper-only deodorant tubes. A few years later, the same thing happened with the lip balms. The paper-only lip balm packaging already on the market would mean a big compromise on the user experience, and that wasn’t a compromise I wanted to make. In the end we did develop a better way, but it took time.
Innovation doesn’t only take time, it also takes a team of great people who are all on the same page. That doesn’t happen overnight, but when it does happen, it feels amazing.
You take a dream and make it reality – you’re creating something out of nothing. And once you’ve felt that, you can never go back.
What is the biggest entrepreneur lesson you would like to share with other Kiwis thinking of starting their own business?
Overnight successes really take ten years. So be kind to yourself along the way. Business is a marathon not a sprint. Never decide how long you’ll run on an uphill, and always be grateful for the learnings along the way. Because whether the business is successful or not, you’ll be transformed. And that’s a beautiful thing.
Story created in partnership with Venture Taranaki.
Innovation Nation is a series celebrating stories of innovation and diversity in entrepreneurship from around New Zealand.
