Their organic beauty brand with an ethos of ‘being good for you and looking good’ is now stocked in the likes of Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie.
But The Base Collective was once just an idea conjured up by Melbourne mothers Carly Pountney and Cassie Sanghvi – who decided to take a chance in 2016 and step into the highly competitive world of skincare.
With five children between them it has been a juggling act ever since Carly told FEMAIL, but the pay-off has been huge, with the simply designed products earning the pair millions of dollars.
The Base Collective was once just an idea conjured up by Melbourne mothers Carly Pountney (left) and Cassie Sanghvi (right)
‘We just wanted something chemical-free that you would proudly display on your bathroom cabinet,’ Carly said.
‘We were both taking magnesium supplements orally when one day Cassie – who is a pharmacist – said that applying magnesium topically is a much better way for your body to absorb it.
‘So we created a functional range of skin products that include that ingredient, with our $21 oil a therapeutic product which, when applied to a particular area, can relieve pain symptoms.’
Magnesium has the ability to relieve muscle soreness, treat cramps – whether they be menstrual or pregnancy leg spasms – and even help with migraines.
‘So for example if you have a headache you can apply the oil to your neck and shoulders to alleviate the pain,’ Carly said.
If you use it everyday the magnesium oil will even start to take on a preventative measure and long-term will help you have less painful symptoms.
Their organic beauty brand with an ethos of ‘being good for you and looking good’ is now stocked in the likes of Urban Outfitters and Anthropologie
‘We just wanted something chemical-free that you would proudly display on your bathroom cabinet,’ Carly said
But while their success has been far-reaching and they’re looking towards releasing other supplement-based ranges, the mothers have certainly put in the hard yards over the last two years.
‘You have to do a lot of research. Shipping within Australia is different to freighting something overseas. We actually worked with a boxologist to decipher how best to package our products.
‘We’re getting better at outsourcing things as well – you have to have confidence in asking for help sometimes. But when we reply to customers it’s always Cassie or myself, we want to keep that authenticity to our brand.’
The duo – who are friends as well as business partners – work alongside raising their tribe of children.
But while their success has been far-reaching and they’re looking towards releasing other supplement-based ranges, the mothers have certainly put in the hard yards over the last two years
Their promising tips to other dreamers hoping to start a company is to build a trusting relationship with your manufacturers and suppliers
‘Cassie has a nanny a couple of times a week but on the days she doesn’t it’s a matter of getting up before the kids and answering emails, or we’ll text late at night if an idea comes up,’ Carly said.
‘But we do just catch up generally without it always being work-related.’
Their promising tips to other dreamers hoping to start a company is to build a trusting relationship with your manufacturers and suppliers.
‘Remember your brand is an extension of you so choose the right people to be associated and working with.
The Base Collective is preparing to launch in a large Australian retailer soon – but the ladies can’t say just yet who that will be
‘Also pay attention to the message you’re promoting. Our idea of having a clean, green, safe and no-nasties brand is at the very core of what we do on social media.
‘Have some personality behind your brand as well. People will be able to relate the products better if they know there is a real person behind them.’
The Base Collective is preparing to launch in a large Australian retailer soon – but the ladies can’t say just yet who that will be.
‘We don’t want to jinx it! But things are growing quickly. We’re excited,’ Carly said.