Jesslynn Shepherd takes up behind the scenes of the locally made all-natural skincare brand ...
Lulu & Marula started, mostly by accident, in 2013 when I was a junior strategist working in advertising.
Skincare has always been a huge interest of mine, and having struggled with my own skin since my (mostly awkward) teenage years, I gathered a lot of knowledge on different ingredients and formulations and started experimenting with my own concoctions in my kitchen.
The plan was never to launch a product range that people could purchase, but a friend of mine offered to help me create a brand around my hobby, and before really thinking about it I had a real brand and an online store.The timing was good as there weren't a lot of local, natural skincare brands around then and I think it was something that people were starting to be more conscious of.
Lulu is my family dog. She just brings me so much love and happiness! And Marula is from Marula oil, which is the hero ingredient in our range. We've included it in every product we have as it's such a skin-loving, lightweight oil that suits every skin concern, and is packed with vitamins, omegas and other incredible properties.
We have a lot on the go at the moment as we build out our distribution, product offering, and brand awareness. We want to be South Africa's most loved natural skincare brand.
Lulu & Marula is a natural, cruelty-free skincare range that doesn't just look and smell beautiful, it works. It's a simple, everyday skincare routine that targets different skin concerns.
The range harnesses the properties of pure botanical ingredients to feed and nourish your skin, working to boost its natural processes for healthier skin.We source a lot of unique ingredients to ensure our products deliver amazing benefits to the skin, and we've created an experience around using the products so that taking care of your skin doesn't feel like a chore, it feels like an indulgence.
Yes we do! We have a few exciting launches and formulation improvements lined up for next year.
Lulu & Marula started in 2013, but I would say officially since 2014. So that's six years now!
Brand awareness is one thing, but with skincare comes a whole education and trust factor that is very important in driving consideration and trialling of the product. Getting people to take the first step, and showing them how to use the product correctly, is probably the biggest challenge.
Then there's distribution, which is key in getting your product in front of consumers and making it accessible.As a small or new brand, getting buy in from retailers can always be challenging.
We have our own online store where we offer door-to-door courier. We are also available on Superbalist and in selected Truworths Context stores, and are soon launching in selected Woolworths and Foschini stores.
Visit www.luluandmarula.co.za to shop from Lulu & Marula.