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When hairdresser Rumbie Mutsiwa launched her salon, she wanted to creative an inclusive and empowering space for women with Afro and textured hair.

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Step inside <a href="https://www.rumbie.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Rumbie &amp; Co</a> hairdressing salon in Sydney’s inner-city suburb of Chippendale, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming – and that’s exactly the way founder Rumbie Mutsiwa wants it.Mutsiwa founded the business in 2014 after discovering how few Sydney salons catered to Afro and textured hair – and after being turned away from several salons because of her hair type.“[Hairdressers] would actually say: ‘We don’t work with your hair texture.’ And the more I experienced this [reaction] the more frustrated I became.”That frustration eventually led to the launch of Rumbie &amp; Co, and today, the business employs two hairdressers, offers a haircare range and works with thousands of clients from a bustling inner-city salon.

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<h2>Make it expert</h2>Mutsiwa never set out to be a hairdresser. Originally from Zimbabwe, she migrated to Australia in her teens and studied nursing. But, a few years into her career, her sister began struggling with hair loss due to stress.It was only after she searched, and eventually failed to find a hair specialist who could help, that Mutiswa realised there was a gap in the market.&nbsp;“Eventually, I just thought: you know what? I’ll just do it. It can’t be rocket science.”

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I just discovered myself in that space. I became a hair nerd.

<h2>Make it my way</h2>For Mutsiwa, switching from nursing to hairdressing meant breaking with her family’s expectations. “My family convinced me to study nursing,” she says. “My career path was actually discussions with other people.” But after plenty of soul-searching, she decided to forge her own path as a hairdresser.

<h2>Make it inclusive</h2>From the beginning, Mutsiwa was determined to creative an inclusive space that represented the best of Western and African cultures.“Hair is such a huge part of [African] culture. In most African cultures, you usually [devote] a specific day – like Sundays – to hair, where kids get their hair done to look presentable for school. It’s massive. And in most African salons, you’ll find there’s always a lot of people laughing, talking, sharing stories.”<h2>Make it transformative</h2>Mutsiwa admits that the early days of the business were challenging – and, at first, she struggled to set boundaries around her time. “Someone would call me at midnight and say, ‘I need to get my hair done for a wedding tomorrow!” and I’d say, ‘Okay what time? It was an emotional rollercoaster.”But she loves helping women look and feel their best. “I really believe in the transformational power of [good] hair. Our purpose is to build confidence in individuals.&nbsp;

“My favourite thing is those moments where [customers] look at themselves.. and their demeanour changes. I love hearing stories of people feeling more confident, more sexy, more beautiful.<h2>Make it with Afterpay</h2>&nbsp;When Mutsiwa spotted billboards advertising Afterpay, and researched the platform, she immediately realised she wanted it for her customers.&nbsp;

“Afterpay allows us to give our clients more options, so they can get what they need now.” Frequently, she says, clients will budget for their haircut – and then realise they’d like to buy products as well “and then they’ll ask can I Afterpay this?”This year, Mutsiwa participated in Afterpay Day Sale for the first time and saw her average order value double from two products to four. “Afterpay is genius!”

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All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.

When Rumbie Mutsiwa couldn't find a salon that catered to textured hair, she launched her own. 

When Rumbie Mutsiwa couldn't find a salon that catered to textured hair, she launched her own, and today Rumbie & Co is an inclusive, welcoming space.

Rumbie Mutsiwa: The hairdresser who cares about curls

Meet the hairdresser who cares about curls

[US] Make it diverse: Rumbie Mutsiwa

It takes a lot to win over Gen Z. But skincare brand Topicals, aimed at chronic skin conditions, has done exactly that with an inclusive, innovative approach.

When Olamide Olowe decided to launch a skincare brand aimed at chronic skin conditions, like eczema and hyperpigmentation, she was met with plenty of scepticism.“I had a lot of people saying, ‘How are you going to make chronic skincare cool? [People would say] ‘People don’t want to talk about this. It’s really shameful.”

People would say '‘People don’t want to talk about this. It’s really shameful."

A few short years later, Olowe and <a href="https://mytopicals.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;">Topicals</a>, the brand she co-founded, has definitively proved her critics wrong. Topicals has raised more than $2m in funding, and in March 2021 it launched in Sephora – and promptly sold out in 48 hours. Meanwhile, Olowe herself was recently included in Forbes 30 Under 30 list for retail and e-commerce.&nbsp;Olowe also features in Afterpay’s Make it your way series, which celebrates business owners who are forging their own path and building innovative businesses that reflect their personal values and passions.<h2>Make it expert</h2>The concept for Topicals was inspired by Olowe’s own personal experiences. Growing up, the 24 year old struggled with skin conditions including boils and in-grown hairs. “I vividly remember being so embarrassed and not wanting to put on a swimsuit in summer,” she recalls. “It was very painful and very visible."

From, the outset she was determined to make a difference to anyone struggling with skin conditions and only use ingredients that were scientifically proven.<h2>Make it compassionate</h2>Not only that, but Topicals aims to transform the way people feel about their skin through mental health advocacy.“A lot of times, with skin conditions, you’re not just managing the discomfort that comes with the skin condition…but also sometimes having to deal with the shame or the embarrassment [that goes with it].

I grew up thinking that there was such a thing as “perfect” skin.

“I grew up thinking that there was such a thing as “perfect” skin,” adds Olowe, who is passionate about changing the narrative around skin and partnering with mental health organisations. “We’ve donated around $50,000 to mental health organizations so far.”&nbsp;<h2>Make it courageous</h2>As a young African-American woman, Olowe is conscious that she faced challenges that other entrepreneurs haven’t had to deal with. “For example, raising capital was very difficult– investing is really about who you know, and if you don’t have access to networks, people aren’t as inviting. So, getting the capital and resources can take a little bit longer and it can be a little bit harder to get.”

She is also passionate about reaching under-served communities. “We’re a very <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/marketing/customer-centricity" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">customer and community centric</a>-driven brand. We spend a lot of time listening to our customers.”<h2>Make it with Afterpay</h2>Those customers tend to be Gen Z and Millennial beauty lovers – the so-called “Skin-tellectuals” who, have grown up on the internet and who are famously savvy about beauty products and their ingredients.Olowe believes that buy-now-pay-later services are critical for reaching younger consumers, and she and Topicals partnered with Afterpay early on. “Not having Buy Now Pay Later, is [similar to] not having credit card processing, back in the day.”

Not having Buy Now Pay Later, is [similar to] not having credit card processing, back in the day.

As a business owner, she says that Afterpay is important for new and indie brands. “As a business owner, you’re always trying to get customers to make that first purchase – and shop with you for the first time – and Afterpay helps with that because [it lowers the barriers to entry and] customers can break up payments.”&nbsp;

For a brand like Topicals, which places a premium on inclusivity and accessibility, offering a platform like Afterpay to make products more accessible was a natural fit.&nbsp;“To know that so many people I’ve never met are now using [our] products and getting results from it… for any entrepreneur, that’s your fuel.

It takes a lot to win over Gen Z. But skincare brand Topicals, aimed at chronic skin conditions, has done exactly that with an inclusive, innovative approach.

It takes a lot to win over Gen Z. But skincare brand Topicals, aimed at chronic skin conditions, has done exactly that with an inclusive, innovative approach. Founder Olamide Olowe shares her story

Topicals: The inclusive beauty brand that won Gen Z

[US] Make it inclusive: Topicals

Hairdresser Rumbie Mutsiwa on how Afterpay has helped grow sales.

Rumbie Mutsiwa began offering Afterpay soon after launching her business six years ago – and it quickly proved to be popular. “Some people will call ahead just to make sure we do have Afterpay.”Mutsiwa runs<a href="https://www.rumbie.co/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: transparent;"> Rumbie &amp; Co</a>, a hairdressing salon in inner-city Sydney catering to Afro, textured and wavy hair. She offers Afterpay instore and online, where the business sells haircare products.For her, offering Afterpay is simply a matter of providing customers with options. “It’s important to give people choice. Everyone’s life is different and how people run their finances is different.”

It's important to give people choice. Everyone's life is different.

“I think it’s really important to focus on customer experience… and Afterpay minimises the uncomfortable part of the transaction when someone feels as though they can’t afford it all upfront or that it isn’t something they can prioritise right now.”&nbsp;It’s a payments solution that’s helped Rumbie &amp; Co grow, too. During Afterpay Day Sale in 2021, Rumbie &amp; Co saw basket size double among customers who shopped with Afterpay. Overall, Rumbie &amp; Co experienced a 583 per cent in sales from Afterpay Day.Offering Afterpay also helps with cross-selling when clients come to pay after their hair cut or treatment and are considering buying haircare products to take home.“You’ll find that some people might come in having budgeted for their hair and then when they see how [well] the products work, they’re like “Can I get them all” And then when they see the price, they say maybe I can Afterpay this.“I think Afterpay is brilliant. It’s genius."

Rumbie & Co founder Rumbie Mutsiwa on how Afterpay has helped grow her business.

Rumbie & Co founder Rumbie Mutsiwa on how Afterpay has helped grow her business by doubling basket size and driving leads

"Afterpay doubled our basket size": Rumbie & Co

Rumbie testimonial

Topicals skincare founder Olamide Olowe signed up to Afterpay early on.

When <a href="https://mytopicals.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Topicals Skincare</a> founder Olamide Olowe launched her beauty brand, which is aimed at people with chronic skincare conditions, one of the first steps she took was partnering with Afterpay.Why? It’s an expected payment method among Gen Z and Millennials, says Olowe - who is herself just 24. “At this point, if you don’t have Buy Now Pay Later, it’s [comparable to] not having credit card processing, back in the day.”

Olowe adds that Afterpay is especially important for emerging and indie brands, as it eases the path to purchase and makes it easier for Gen Z and Millennials to test new brands. “As a business owner, you’re always trying to [convince customers to shop with you for the first time] to get that first sale.

Afterpay gives people the freedom and the flexibility to try a new brand.

“Afterpay lowers the barriers to entry [especially] for customers who are on the fence about purchasing your product. It’s a huge differentiator - it gives people the freedom and the flexibility to try a new brand.”

All references to any registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Afterpay does not endorse or recommend any one particular supplier and the information provided is for educational purposes only.

Topicals skincare founder Olamide Olowe signed up to Afterpay early on - and explains that it is a vital payments platform for young customers.

Topicals skincare founder Olamide Olowe signed up to Afterpay early on - and explains that it is a vital payments platform for young customers

Topicals Skincare:  “Afterpay is super important for brands aimed at Gen Z and Millennials.”

 Topicals - “Afterpay is super important for brands aimed at Gen Z and Millennials.”

Nomad Cosmetics has built a brand based on romance, imagination and personalized touches.

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Over the past six years, Felicia Rintanen estimates that she’s written more than 30,000 postcards.But although Rintanen is a keen traveler, none of these postcards were destined for her own friends and family - or sent from far-flung countries. Instead, most were written from the comfort of her Dallas office.That’s because she and her husband Antti are the co-founders of Nomad Cosmetics, a beauty brand that creates makeup palettes inspired by some of the world’s most exotic locations, from Marrakech to Berlin.Whenever a package is shipped to a customer, Felicia includes a handwritten postcard with the products to echo the travel theme.&nbsp;

The Rintanens say that personalized touches like this, as well as an evocative storytelling approach, are the keys to the success of the brand, which has experienced solid growth since launch and is on track to increase sales by 40 per cent this year.“In corporate world, we learned the importance of front-building and storytelling, but what we wanted to create was a brand that had personality and something that people can relate to, to get to know, and be their friend, versus just selling product,” says Felicia.&nbsp;

<h2>A lean approach</h2>For the Rintanens, Nomad Cosmetics combines their two passions – beauty and travel. They launched the brand in in 2015, after spending decades working for international brands like Max Factor (where they first met).&nbsp;“We wanted to leave behind that bureaucracy from the bigger companies that we’d worked with, we wanted to be small and nimble and be able to make quick decisions. And a part of that is having a lean organization.”While the production of the products – which are cruelty-free and without parabens, phthalates, or mineral oils – is based in the Guangzhou district of China, the rest of the business responsibilities are shared between Felicia and Antti.From social media to <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencer marketing</a>, product development and fulfillment, Felicia and Antti split the tasks between them.

“If you reach out to us on Instagram, Twitter, or email, it’ll be me responding,” says Felicia, who adds that communicating with their customers helps them better understand their market.Nomad’s major sales channel is their own website, and that’s very deliberate, says Antti, “because we’re able to have that connection with the consumer.”&nbsp;

<h2>Growing their audience</h2>The only exception is their affiliation with beauty box subscription provider Ipsy, which has allowed them to reach new customers and broaden their exposure through samples and full-size makeup palettes. “We’ve been lucky to work with Ipsy because they are able to provide us with a larger scale than what we would’ve been able to do on our own,” says Antti.Nomad Cosmetics has also teamed up with about 150 micro-<a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/social-media-tips/instagram-influencers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencers</a>, who are brand devotees with high engagement and a following of less than 50,000.&nbsp;“We made a decision years ago that we're not going to do paid collaborations. We want to work with people who are very excited,” says Felicia.This is an approach that works with their budgets but also helps build genuine relationships.“What's great is when you work with these <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/social-media-tips/influencer-marketing-examples" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">influencers</a> for a while, they start to grow… This one girl we work with just hit 30,000 followers, and she started with us when she had 1,000.”

<h2>Where Afterpay comes in</h2>Partnering with Afterpay has also helped Nomad Cosmetics attract a younger demographic.“We’re in our 40s,” says Felicia. “So, a lot of the conversations we were having about getting an instalment payment provider was understanding how this new generation thinks about buying and paying.”She believes that, as a new brand Nomad also benefited from the reach and brand equity of Afterpay, “Partnering with Afterpay also gives us some credibility, because even though we're an indie brand, we both come from big companies where we really want to have that infrastructure so that anybody and everybody can have access to our brand.”

<h2>How Covid changed the brand</h2>The impact COVID has had on Nomad is similar to that of how the pandemic has affected the economy as a whole.“As online business, we saw some lift initially on our sales last year as the lockdowns started and people shifted their spending to online,” says Antti.“Then, this year we saw some softness with the reopening and people shifting spending back to brick-and-mortar.”It also encouraged a shift in their creative approach, too. For a brand that draws so much inspiration from the personal adventures of its founders, a global pause on tourism forced Felicia and Antti to look local. A palette that draws from the rich and bountiful colors of America’s national parks felt like a natural move for Nomad.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“We were like, ‘OK, we can’t jump on a plane, but we can get in the car,” says Antti.“We’d visited these beautiful national parks many times before so we decided to do another road trip and Felicia would create a palette that draws inspiration from that.”

<h2>Felicia and Antti’s advice for other start-ups</h2>Find the right business partner. “God bless the people who can be entrepreneurs by themselves, but I am not one of them,” says Felicia. At Nomad, Antti specializes in operations, while Felicia, a former chief marketing officer, offers a wealth of creativity.&nbsp;“The reason why Nomad is working so well is that we have very complementary skills to each other between Felicia and myself,” says Antti.Self-fund where possible Felicia says it’s important for brands to “take the time to grow, but not having investors that you have to worry about.” Being self-funded does start with a significant personal investment, but the freedom it lends you is priceless.&nbsp;Get started Felicia and Antti’s only regret?&nbsp;That they didn’t do it sooner.

Meet the makeup business transporting beauty lovers around the world

The <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/exploring-sustainability/sustainability-innovations" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sustainable</a> and “clean” beauty category continues to grow, as the importance of environmentally responsible products—and companies—has never been more important. To learn more about the sustainable beauty and business movement, we spoke with one of the leaders: <a href="https://credobeauty.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Credo Beauty</a>.&nbsp;CEO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawndobras/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dawn Dobras</a> joined us to discuss the Credo Beauty model and philosophy on <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-AU/business/access/exploring-sustainability/small-business-sustainability" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sustainability</a> and clean beauty.&nbsp;

Afterpay: As the name suggests, Credo Beauty has a firm commitment to change the beauty industry for the better. Tell us a bit more about your <a href="https://credobeauty.com/pages/our-mission" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">mission and philosophy about changing “business-as-usual.”</a>&nbsp;

Dawn Dobras: Our name—Credo—is reflective of the belief&nbsp;that there is a better way to look beautiful with both style and substance.&nbsp;It’s a belief in a holistic vision for what beauty is: looking good and feeling good.&nbsp;Credo’s mission from the start is to change the way people think about the products they use every day.&nbsp;It is why Credo exists and the reason we started this company.&nbsp;And since Credo is a platform for clean beauty, our goal is amassing what we believe are the best brands the space has to offer.&nbsp;So not only did the product have to fill a white space in the store, it had to work, smell good, have a passionate founder behind it and comply with our restricted substance list called <a href="https://credobeauty.com/pages/the-dirty-list-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Dirty List™.</a>

AP: <a href="https://credobeauty.com/pages/the-credo-clean-standard-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Credo Clean Standard</a> is your framework for doing business. This encapsulates your approach to sustainability, ethics, sourcing, and safety. How does the Standard guide your long-term vision and day-to-day decision making?&nbsp;

DD: At Credo, “clean”&nbsp;has a strong, clear meaning. Clean is not just a synonym for “natural” or merely a short "free of"&nbsp;list&nbsp;of chemicals. It is these and much more. Clean is comprised of these elements,&nbsp;<a href="https://credobeauty.com/pages/the-credo-clean-standard/#clean_vs_natural" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">all seen overlapping on our "What is Clean" infographic:</a><ul><li>Sourcing (e.g. certified organic, or natural, or synthetic)</li><li>Safety</li><li>Sustainability</li><li>Ethics</li><li>Transparency</li></ul>

AP: Transparency is another key tenet, and one that is increasingly expected by consumers. Why is it so important to be transparent in your operations and communications, especially in the beauty industry?&nbsp;

DD: Credo is a value-based company and transparency is one of our four values, so we apply it in everything we do. We speak the truth, both with our peers and our customers. We value honesty and kindness in every conversation, and we always aim to educate and inform (but not preach) about the benefits of Clean Beauty.

AP: Credo is known for <a href="https://credobeauty.com/pages/the-dirty-list-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Dirty List™,</a> a list of 2700 ingredients Credo will not use in its products. Tell us about how this came to be, and how your business is spurring other beauty brands to follow suit.&nbsp;

DD: We were inspired to start Credo because there was a fresh, new generation of indie brands that needed a retail platform to showcase their products that aligned with their values.&nbsp;These entrepreneurs and founders&nbsp;were passionate about beauty but also conscious and informed about the harmful ingredients that exist in most conventional products—it was the catalyst for&nbsp;Credo.&nbsp;The Dirty List is a robust&nbsp;list&nbsp;of ingredients which, due to safety and/or sustainability concerns cannot be used as ingredients in any of the products we carry.&nbsp;

"Clean beauty is not a trend, it is a way of life. A movement."

Today, we go much further than a&nbsp;list&nbsp;of banned/restricted ingredients&nbsp;to ensure we are offering the cleanest products on the market. We are determined to push the industry in a better direction through our Credo Clean Standard and is a comprehensive agreement with every brand we carry. It’s a roadmap for ingredient sourcing, manufacturing and backing-up marketing claims.&nbsp;

AP: Another way Credo is moving the beauty industry forward is with your <a href="https://credobeauty.com/pages/clean-beauty-council-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Clean Beauty Council</a>. Tell us about the Council’s genesis, and some of the progress you’ve made to transform the industry.&nbsp;

DD: The&nbsp;Clean Beauty Council&nbsp;is a group of experts and advisors who have been&nbsp;propelling the industry forward.&nbsp;Our&nbsp;Council&nbsp;is made up of seasoned veterans of the&nbsp;clean&nbsp;beauty&nbsp;movement with decades of experience between them. A PhD&nbsp;skin pharmacologist, a makeup&nbsp;artist focused on natural, holistic&nbsp;beauty,&nbsp;a founder of the organic certification movement, an&nbsp;aromatherapist&nbsp;and teacher,&nbsp;a public&nbsp;health advocate and market-mover—these are the current&nbsp;Council&nbsp;members we're fortunate to work with.We leverage the Council through unique event experiences, usually including brand founders and our expert staff. We also host larger, hallmark educational events called Mission in Action events with different members of our Council depending on the theme of the discussion.&nbsp;We also have access to more specific experts through the networks of our council members based on the initiatives we are working on and seek guidance on.&nbsp;

Stay tuned for Part II of our conversation with Dawn, running next week on the Afterpay Retailer Blog.

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.

To learn more about the sustainable beauty and business movement, we spoke with one of the leaders: Credo Beauty. 

Part I: A Conversation with Credo Beauty CEO Dawn Dobras

<a href="https://credobeauty.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Credo Beauty</a> CEO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawndobras/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dawn Dobras</a> talked to Afterpay about the importance of sustainability, responsible business, and what other retailers can do to help the environment.Catch Part I of our interview with Dobras <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/en-US/for-retailers/access/success-stories/part-i-a-conversation-with-credo-beauty-ceo-dawn-dobras" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

AP: We celebrate Earth Day this month, and many consumers will be reflecting on the environmental impact they make as individuals and as shoppers. Tell us more about Credo’s approach to sustainability: what does it mean for your business, and what do your consumers expect of Credo as a sustainable company?&nbsp;

DD: We celebrate Earth Day this month, and many consumers will be reflecting on the environmental impact they make as individuals and as shoppers.&nbsp;Since&nbsp;<a href="https://credobeauty.com/pages/the-credo-clean-standard-1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Credo has defined&nbsp;"clean beauty"</a>&nbsp;as the intersection of ingredient safety, sourcing, sustainability and ethics, all with a focus on greater transparency, sustainability&nbsp;isn't an afterthought. It is core to our mission and a key piece of the Credo Clean Standard. Credo prohibits dozens of ingredients because&nbsp;of their unsustainable&nbsp;environmental impacts, and we are about to launch a huge new sustainable packaging standard. We've been&nbsp;partnering&nbsp;with TerraCycle since 2017, collecting over 30,000 lbs. of&nbsp;hard-to-recycle&nbsp;beauty products that will be turned into something new rather than landfilled.&nbsp;Many of our customers are directly asking for this leadership, and others assume that because of our company's mission and ethos, we will continue to push for greater sustainability&nbsp;in our industry…and they are&nbsp;absolutely&nbsp;right. We are, even when it is really&nbsp;challenging. We have to. This is our one and only planet.&nbsp;

AP: The beauty industry is increasingly cost competitive. How does Credo produce safe, “clean” products that compete with drug store brands? Why are consumers gravitating toward products with clean ingredients?&nbsp;﻿

DD: I think it is awesome that we are seeing retailers in the mass space committing to putting safer products on their shelves.&nbsp;When companies like&nbsp;Target&nbsp;and&nbsp;CVS&nbsp;identify chemicals of concern and raise awareness with the kind of reach they have, it pushes contract manufacturers to start formulating using better ingredients. And, it pushes big brands to start making changes.&nbsp;It also lets people know there are effective and awesome options out there without sacrificing.At Credo, the kinds of brands we source have a few primary factors. Since Credo has the highest standards in&nbsp;beauty&nbsp;retail today, that means we ban dozens of ingredients or ingredient classes that are linked to health or environmental issues. Conventional brands use these banned ingredients because they are cheap and easier to formulate with. But&nbsp;clean&nbsp;beauty&nbsp;brands are replacing these questionable ingredients with the highest quality natural/plant ingredients available. Couple that with the fact these brands are usually working with smaller labs that are innovative in their formula development and are working through the challenges of formulating products using safe synthetic and natural/plant ingredients.&nbsp;Clean&nbsp;beauty brands also work diligently to have sustainable packaging options and that means not using stock plastic options.&nbsp;Since they are “indie” in size and don’t have the buying power that conventional brands have, this drives up the price.&nbsp;Credo prides itself on being welcoming to everyone and continuing to launch brands with lower price points is something we actively are seeking. As the&nbsp;clean&nbsp;space explodes and customers are voting with their wallets and allowing these brands some economies of scale, we are starting to see lower-priced, unique brand options.&nbsp;But again, they have to meet our Standard, and be effective.&nbsp;

AP: What’s next for the beauty industry? Do you see more legacy brands following Credo’s footsteps and adopting more transparent, safe, and sustainable practices?&nbsp;

DD: Consumer demand for transparency and better ingredients is growing fast.&nbsp;There is a wealth of information out there today that empowers people to know what they are consuming. The existence of parallels in other consumer categories in the industry where sustainability, ethical sourcing, environmental impact and health are already key factors in consumer decision making—food is one obvious example. The overall shift to conscientious consumption and healthy lifestyle is innate to Millennials.&nbsp;There is a big risk for those who assume this movement is a niche. It is more a risk for the conventional brands and retailers who&nbsp;don’t adapt. They have more to lose than the disrupters and start-ups. The conventional brands and companies that are open minded and accept this change is coming and make changes to meet consumer demand will rise to the top, and others who are complacent will likely suffer the consequence of a significant loss of&nbsp;market&nbsp;share&nbsp;because by not adapting to a better way.&nbsp;

This interview has been lightly edited and condensed.&nbsp;

Credo Beauty CEO Dawn Dobras talked to Afterpay about the importance of sustainability, responsible business, and what other retailers can do to help the environment.

Part II: A Conversation with Credo Beauty CEO Dawn Dobras

<h2>“Spongelle saw a 111% sales lift and a 116% increase in orders during our participation in Afterpay Day. Our team is thrilled with the results!” - Julie at Spongelle</h2>

<a href="https://spongelle.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0rSABhDlARIsAJtjfCeXrFH9IyhWUJUG_bUP_4bblja1ywvecM0aGbWcqVMuSJdL48DOBuQaAphhEALw_wcB" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Spongelle</a> is an innovative bath and body goods company best known for its patented body buffers, which combine multiple body wash products into a luxurious, 4-in-1 buffer that reduces packaging waste.&nbsp;

This forward-thinking company leveraged Afterpay Day, our 48-hour sales event to celebrate retailers and their customers, to increase web sessions and social engagement, ultimately achieving a sales lift of 111%. We spoke with their team to learn how they did it.&nbsp;

With the pandemic keeping people indoors, many of us doubled down on our beauty routines. For Spongelle, this resulted in a higher volume of orders. To give back to customers and celebrate the importance of self care during Afterpay Day, the brand chose to offer a 30% sitewide discount to shoppers. Spongelle’s customers were elated with this generous discount, which was available by using the code AFTERPAY.

To promote the sale, Spongelle used creative assets provided by the Afterpay team in both paid and organic social campaigns, ultimately aligning Spongelle with the Afterpay brand to capture online attention. Creative and copy used the hashtag #AfterpayDay, empowering shoppers looking for Afterpay Day deals to discover Spongelle on social media. Organic campaigns were scheduled on Instagram and Facebook, while paid campaigns ran on both platforms, in addition to Snapchat. Ultimately, social media referred the highest number of shoppers to the Spongelle website during Afterpay Day. These thoughtfully organized posts drove a 66% increase in social sessions for the brand.

To supplement social media efforts, Spongelle launched email and SMS campaigns. A dedicated email announcing Afterpay Day with catchy GIF font captured customers’ attention, and a follow-up email with specific product break-outs empowered consumers to get a head start on shopping, directly from their inbox.&nbsp;

In addition to Spongelle’s overall sales lift of 111%, the brand saw a lift in orders of 116%. The promotion brought 832 new customers to Spongelle, who purchased nearly $40,000 worth of product.&nbsp;

Additionally, Spongelle saw a significant increase in website and social engagement, with 15,015 direct web sessions--a 55% increase--and 7,129 social media sessions, a 66% increase. Search results for Spongelle were up nearly 20%.&nbsp;

To learn more about how our next Afterpay Day can boost your brand, reach out to our team.

Afterpay retail partners can learn more about participating in this upcoming Afterpay Day <a href="https://www.afterpay.com/afterpay-day-merchants" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>. Not yet an Afterpay partner? Reach out to our team at <a href="mailto:sales@afterpayteam.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">sales@afterpayteam.com</a>.&nbsp;

Spongelle saw a 111% sales lift and a 116% increase in orders during our participation in Afterpay Day. 