Wellow is a startup that has created an eco-friendly, plastic-free, and completely biodegradable deodorant. When customers finish their deodorant, they can place it into their compost bins and watch it completely dissolve within months.
Founders Dan Hernden and Martin Ochwat wanted to create a deodorant that actually worked – but they also wanted to create something truly sustainable. In a recent interview with Disruptive Nation, Dan Hernden explained:
“We believe that plastic has been overused, and we need to get away from it to find more sustainable and responsible everyday products. We need to redesign everyday objects around us with some new criteria in mind.”
The elimination of plastic was a key goal when Messrs. Hernden and Ochwat set out to design Wellow deodorant. The resulting product features recycled paper packaging, plant-based ink, and a water-soluble adhesive. These components naturally break down so that all waste returns to the Earth. Customers can choose to either recycle their empty deodorant sticks or compost them.
Wellow may be in the early stages of development as a startup, but its founders have high goals. While Mr. Hernden understands that Wellow’s main audience is passionate about sustainability, he was also careful to underscore his goal to turn Wellow into a legitimate, mainstream player in the personal hygiene space.
One thing’s for certain: self-care products will become more sustainable as the years go by, and brands like Wellow could be a sign of what’s to come. There is growing concern about plastic packaging that can take hundreds of years to break down, and even the biggest brands are starting to change their ways. For example, L’Oreal aims to make 100% of its packaging biodegradable/reusable by 2025. Wellow is positioning itself to be at the forefront of this movement.
After the first two weeks of Wellow’s Kickstarter campaign, the company surpassed its initial goal of $10,000 and reached funding of over $25,000. As of this writing, there are still two weeks remaining on the campaign, which means that Wellow could raise four or five times the capital of its initial goal.
With this funding, Wellow will create more inventory and put its products in the hands of consumers around the globe. This is the end result of a long process involving plenty of R&D, engineering teams, and outside advisers who have provided their expertise in sustainability practices.
Dan Hernden and Martin Ochwat found that other eco-friendly deodorants failed for a number of reasons. These products were often too expensive, difficult to use, or ineffective. To create a product that could solve all of these issues, Messrs. Ochway and Hernden focused on ease of use and long-lasting odor control while maintaining affordability.
While Wellow has no patents as of yet, plans are developing behind the scenes as this startup moves forward. Soon Wellow will expand into an entire line of new self-care products, including shampoo and body wash. As for the future of the self-care industry as a whole, paper-based and biodegradable packaging could be a massive trend for even the most mainstream brands going forward.
To gain access to questions that investors may wish to consider before investing in companies such as Wellow, please purchase below for $9.95 or contact Neomi Barazani at neomi@disruptivenation.net.