Natural and organic cosmetics are greatly influencing and changing the panorama of the cosmetic industry today. People use cosmetic products to enhance their aesthetic appearance. However, growing awareness about the environment and changing market shifts have resulted in customers seeking cosmetic products that make them look beautiful while being environmentally friendly and sustainable. Perhaps, it is safe to say that the cosmetic industry has come a long way in the past decade. Natural cosmetics represent authenticity as they care about the well-being of their customers as well as protecting the environment from harmful chemicals. Today, the cosmetic industry landscape is significantly different, which has allowed emerging sustainable cosmetic brands to come forward and showcase their products in front of the world.
Established by Amanda Lavery, CoCaBee is a cosmetic brand that guarantees younger-looking, beautiful skin and helps preserve the environment. According to her, being a female entrepreneur extremely important in today’s cosmetic industry because men dominate the industry. But, more importantly, women entrepreneurs inspire other women and younger girls to enter the industry as business leaders. Amanda started CoCaBee to provide her customers with safe and healthy skincare products that are also cruelty-free and chemical-free. In addition, she went a step ahead by ensuring that her products are antibacterial by testing and using all-natural, safe antibacterial essential oils added to her body care products.
Despite her success in the business world, Amanda originally started her career as a model. She grew up in a military base in Petawawa, Ontario. At 16, she was discovered at a modeling convention in Toronto, where she received an editorial award and several callbacks from agents. She eventually went ahead with an agency in Montreal called ‘Montage’ that booked her for work in Paris and Greece. From there on, her journey into the modeling world officially started. She got booked for magazine shoots and runways. However, Amanda soon discovered that modeling wasn’t her only passion; she wanted to be her own boss. Hence, she enrolled in an entrepreneurial course while simultaneously finding her love for yoga and meditation. Moreover, she became fascinated about the holistic and wellness side of things and, as a result, began discovering that most body care product ingredients were actually unsafe for use. This revelation prompted Amanda to take matters into her own hands while providing her with a viable business opportunity. Thus, she decided to start her own line of lip balms she formulated in her kitchen. She presented her initial line of lip balms to her co-workers, receiving amazing feedback. It was all the affirmation she needed to start her own business. That’s how CoCaBee was born.
The idea behind CoCaBee was essentially the love Amanda had for nature. She saw how big brands often exploit nature to sell their products, but she wanted to do something different. Amanda, in particular, is a huge animal lover and hates seeing how companies still test on animals to this very day. “It’s quite disturbing and inhumane,” she added. Her goal is to make her organic brand a voice to show other companies that you can manufacture high-quality, long-lasting, cruelty-free products without testing on animals.
On top of that, CoCaBee also aims to preserve the environment. “We see so much waste and plastic affecting our planet. So I wanted to create a safe and biodegradable product that won’t harm our consumers and the environment,” she emphasizes.
CoCaBee targets people of all genders and ages (from 20 and up). The company’s lip balms and creams are exceptionally moisturizing and rich in natural ingredients that work like a miracle on your skin. While developing the formula for the lip balm, Amanda made sure that all the ingredients used were 100% organic, like coconut oil, bee wax, and honey. The use of completely authentic ingredients made the lip balms work even better than chemically induced ones, as they were smoother, more flavorful and even lasted longer. Similarly, CoCaBee offers a range of creams with added antibacterial essential oils, naturally softening the skin and protecting it from harmful bacteria. The model turned entrepreneur also ensures that all the products have eco-friendly packaging to eliminate plastic from the Earth.
Every CoCaBee product is handmade in Canada and carefully shipped worldwide. But, at the end of the day, the skincare brand is more than just a cosmetics brand. Rather, it’s an idea that originated in Amanda’s kitchen and was designed to inspire thousands of people to stop using brands harmful to the environment. Amanda has a long journey ahead of her and hopes to create a safer, cleaner, and healthier environment for generations to come!
