Acquiring an unusual nickname from her friends led Babs Bodycare founder Andrea Galas to start her business in 2014.
“I got the nickname ‘Babs’ from friends due to my love of garlic and ineffective deodorants,” she says.
“I had tried [everything from] commercial antiperspirants to natural sprays and rolls ons. They either left a thick, unnatural coating under my arm or just weren’t effective in keeping my ‘kebab’-smelling body odour away.”
Faced with this problem Galas decided to make her own deodorant and realised the all-natural product was better than anything she had tried. Babs Bodycare now produces a whole range of products from face masks to body oil, which will debut to trade at Life Instyle Melbourne.
Each product in the range is produced by hand in small batches in St Kilda, Melbourne and Galas’ focus is ensuring they are effective, natural, affordable and eco-friendly.
The brand’s newest product is a pink clay and cacao face mask. This is a gentile exfoliating and detoxifying mask packed with mineral-rich Australian clays and anti-aging botanicals.
“The range was created to help make my life easier when it came to skincare,” Galas says. “We use pure, natural and certified organic ingredients and package into glass, not plastic.
“I have a background in horticulture, which has helped with understanding the benefits of natural ingredients.”
While Babs currently has a few stockists, Galas says this year she is focusing on expanding further into wholesale and getting her range on shelves across the country.
By Ruth Cooper
