I love supporting small businesses, and I love discovering vegan companies. Which is why I was so excited to find Medwin Skin and have a chat with owners and co-founders Vicki and Catherine.
Here’s their story.
Introduce yourself
Hi! We are Vicki and Catherine Medwin of Medwin Skin which we started in early 2020 we are both cousins (though, definitely more like sisters) and we are based on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Vicki has grown up on the peninsula and Catherine moved to the peninsula around 5 years ago and has recently moved to Melbourne with the hope of moving back to the peninsula next year, because it is such a beautiful place to live!
What is your business name and why?
Medwin Skin is named after both of our surnames. We thought it was really nice to have a name that reflected both of us and our connection to our family, which is super important to us.
Why did you begin, what was your motivation and inspiration?
We really saw a market for skincare that aligned to both of our values as well as being affordable. We found it difficult to source products that were really clean and natural, sustainable, cruelty free and are Australian made.
Where do you see your business in 5 years?
It would be wonderful if we were able to grow a little and see our products stocked in some wonderful local businesses that we love! It is also a goal of ours to continue to be innovative and lead the way in developing sustainable products and we are excited to be able to continue to reflect on our current practices and adapt based on new information and technology to ensure we continue to be a brand that actively works towards reducing our environmental footprint and raising awareness of environmental issues through our platform.
What role do you think your business plays in our current society?
Our brand truly aligns with our values and we are really proud of that. We make decisions considering these values and don’t do anything to put out a perception of these values purely on a surface level. We also see the impact that brands can have on people’s self image and we are really passionate about supporting inclusion, diversity and diversity and body positivity and we make deliberate efforts to do so through not editing and distorting the bodies or faces of the models we use and sharing body positive and diverse content. As a small business we are currently limited in our ability to access the range of models we would love to and as we grow, and our budget grows we are really excited about producing campaigns that include a range of diverse people.
What’s your favourite out of your creations?
So currently Vicki’s favourite is the Island Sky mask and Catherine’s favourite is the Desert Moon mask however these favourites change all of the time and we both jump from which one is our favourite! We wanted to make sure we were both crazy about the products we were giving to people and we are sure you will all love them as much as we do!
How long does one item take to create?
I guess because we are just starting the process has taken quite a bit of time so it is harder to give an accurate indication because we are developing our brand from scratch. Setting up things initially takes time, as does designing and developing our social media and website. We do everything ourselves and we are really lucky that we work together as a great team and bring lots of different skill sets to the table! Something that has been a challenge that took a longer time than anticipated was sourcing packaging that was absolutely sustainable, it feels a little like the technology around sustainability products has not quite caught up with the demand for such products so we may have been a little naïve in assuming that there would be easily accessible options for our products, because we held those values.
What advice do you have for those wanting to begin their own creative small business?
Our advice would be to 100% back yourself and go for it, but also be kind to yourself and give yourself time and enjoy the process. You may encounter people who do not hold the same levels of positivity that you do, and that is okay – keep being you and keep believing in yourself.
Give your business a plug, make it an over the top good one!!
Haha this is tricky because we both aren’t the best at talking ourselves up! BUT we truly believe that our brand is worth supporting – we back and believe in ourselves 100% and we know that we have created a brand that we would be proud of our (future!) children to be influenced by, we are proud of the people who promote and support our brand and we are proud of the work we do in taking care of the planet. We have successfully created a brand that is KIND to ourselves and our bodies, our skin, the planet and to animals. You can have peace of mind that you are supporting these values when supporting us. At this current time more than ever, supporting Australian small businesses is so important and we actually do a full blown crazy happy dance whenever we get an order notification!
Shop Medwin Skin here and don’t forget to use code SNL10 for a special discount.
Happy Saturday!
Simply,
Natalie Laura
simplynatalielaura 