A few weeks ago, late at night, I received an email from a public relations exec about an all-natural children’s hair care product. Called oopsy daisy! leave in detangler and conditioner, this “incredible, must-have” product was $18 for 8.25 ounces. What!!?? My hair care products don’t even cost that much (I admit, I may have screamed out loud)! This was the last straw in a series of eye-popping price tags that I just couldn’t let go without comment. After I hit “reply,” I was as calm and polite as possible, asking the exec to please explain me how a hair care product for children could be so pricey.
While I write green, read green, and try to live as green as possible, it’s become extremely tough to not notice how expensive, and often un-affordable, it has become to buy a lot of eco-friendly products. From milk and eggs to toys and clothing, “green” is often synonymous with “expensive,” and I am constantly disappointed at organic or natural price-points, both for children and adults. One of the most rewarding parts of writing teensygreen is connecting with moms and dads who have created these amazing solutions for better living, and who often risk a lot to get them noticed. Yes, the economy is tough. Yes, everyone is struggling. But in this world going crazy for all things eco, how can we provide all these amazing things for people who can’t (or won’t) buy them?
I ended up emailing with Debby DeOliveira, the founder and creator of the oopsy daisy! line. She was very kind to answer some questions about how she came about pricing her products, and understood the plight of the modern green mom. Below is a very lightly edited interview, which hopefully sheds some light on how some green companies need to compete, and survive, in this competitive eco-market:
teensygreen: Who is your target audience for oopsy daisy?
Debby DeOliveira: It’s really any parent with kids! Our rinse free products are perfect for toddlers, because they are the masters of getting messy. High Chair Hair Care rinse free shampoo and No Bath Bubble Bath rinse free body wash can clean them up quick, anywhere, because you don’t need water. Our Traditional products are PH balanced for babies and can be used as they grow.
tg: How did you come up with your price point?
DDO: A lot of factors figured into that. First there are the costs of manufacturing, which I have no control over. My products are all natural and the ingredients are more expensive than synthetic ones. I am also a small company and I can only do small runs at this point, so the cost of everything is more expensive. Even the packaging figures into it – I spent months looking for the best prices I could find in the US, without having to import from China. If I were manufacturing tens of thousands of bottles at a time my cost would be reduced and the product prices would be lower. The costs essentially set the prices. I did look at everything I could find on the market that was as similar to my product. I needed to make sure I was in the ballpark and I think the price is right for the quality of product I produce.
tg: Who are your competitors, and why?
DDO: I don’t really think I have competitors because I am the only company who manufactures an all natural rinse free shampoo for kids. High Chair Hair Care rinse free shampoo is our signature product and where oopsy daisy! started. I needed something to help keep my girls clean throughout the day without running to the tub after every meal.
tg: What makes your product different than similar products?
DDO: There are a lot of great products on the market. A lot of them were created by moms and that’s my story as well. I needed something to help me with a very specific problem and that’s what lead me down this path. The fact I can use my products to wash my daughter’s hair in a restaurant or clean her knees at the park is what makes my product different. I don’t stress out over those little messes anymore; we just clean them up and keep on going! My Rinse free products are like having the whole bathtub in a bottle, they don’t need additional water to work.
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tg: Why do you feel it’s important for your company to uphold green standards, even if it means marketing products that are more expensive?
DDO: The funny thing is I never went into this to create a green product. I just wanted something to solve my problem that was safe for my children. I did a lot of research about the ingredients in baby products on the market and I wanted to use the best ingredients I could find. Based on my research, I decided to use all natural ingredients. When I started telling my friends about what I was doing they wanted some too. I started getting really great feedback from them, and their friends started asking where they could get it. So, it just seemed natural to put it on the market. It was important to me that other parents felt as good about using these products on their children as I did using them on mine. There is a wide range of products/prices on the market for children and parents have a choice. The prices are a reflection of my costs and the care I put into my line. All I can really control is the quality of the product I sell.
I’d love to know from you (yes, YOU reading this) what green products, toys, clothing, anything, you splurge on. Or, what you would never overpay, no matter how organic it is. Whatever the case, it’s a tough market to navigate as a consumer. I hope this helps people realize how tough it is for both sides of the green market!
Original 5 Minutes For Going Green post. You can read more and find some practical green tips from Stefani Newman at her blog teensygreen.
I splurged on an organic sleep sack from Sage Creek, but to counter act that bought my own fabric and had organic sheets made for $6 a piece! It was really important to me in the newborn stage that my son sleep in organics sans pesticides, fire retardants and whatever else might show up on bedding.
I however would never shell out $18 (or more than $10) for baby shampoo. It has taken us 6 months at a time to go through 6 to 8oz jars of baby soap and around town a wet rag and water seem to do the trick.
I also splurge on organic berries for my son, because he loves them and they are good for him…
Otherwise I try to keep our green budget in balance and not go overboard. If I can find wholesome products that are affordable, but not necessarily “certified” or “organic” I will buy them rather than paying more for something marketed as green.
We don’t “splurge” on much, except, I suppose, organic meat and fruit. And why don’t we splurge? Because I think that there are lots of less pricey options – but they are not always marketed as green or natural. Take green cleaners, for example. You can spend a fortune buying green cleaners – or just make them at home with Castile soap, vinegar, water, baking soda and lemon. All pretty cheap in and of themselves. Even if you add some essential oils, which can be pricey, it is still cheaper. Same with beauty products. I can make my own shampoo, rinse, tonic, hair color, etc. a lot cheaper – even a rinse or conditioner good for kids. (And, by the way, if you have a green conditioner you like for your children, you can put it in a spray bottle with water to make it a detangling spray – 1 part conditioner to 4 parts water usually, shake well, water/conditioner ratio can be adjusted). So, if you make your own conditioner (I like a rose water/jojoba oil), you can then make your own detangler. And save $18.
Actually, that’s what I probably splurge on – essential oils (organic) from Mountain Rose Herbs.
Jennifer
Smart Mamas Do It All Naturally
http://www.thesmartmama.com
I am actually really glad you posted about this, not only because it’s a very good topic to discuss, but also because I’ve been looking for a natural no rinse shampoo for years! My kids can’t handle water too well, so this is an ideal product that I would definitely pay that amount for. Pricing out other no rinse options (and those that aren’t natural at all) still makes this a good deal.
Our splurges are for things that I consider an investment. Kleen Kanteen or Sigg bottles, bamboo travel utensils, reusable bags, all things that will last me a while.
Great post!
Seriously, I don’t splurge on anything, except maybe yogurt.
In terms of shampoo specifically…I heartily recommend looking into ‘no poo’ or washing with baking soda. I don’t do it full time–only about once a month. The rest of the month I wash with a cheap shampoo like suave. (I have long hair and only wash it weekly btw). I use an aloe-juice based leave in spray conditioner from http://bluehousesoaps.etsy.com and it’s about $5 for a 4oz bottle, and is AWESOME. I love supporting the little guy.
I have recently been doing a series on my blog about hair care, including getting rid of the products and just having naturally healthy hair…feel free to check it out! http://brightonwoman.blogspot.com/search/label/hair (And you have just inspired me to do a post about caring for kids hair, so I’ll have to do that soon!)
[…] 5 Minutes for Going Green, Teensy Greeny interviewed Debby DeOliveira, the founder and creator of the oopsy daisy! line, to […]
That’s interesting. I remember when the Body Shop first opened locally when I was in England complete with recyclable and biodegradable packaging. What a boon.
Best wishes
Yeah, that’s definitely something I could never justify paying for. In fact, most green things like kids body washes and household cleaners can be made at home from products you have around the house anyway. Nobody needs to pay that much for something “green”. It’s great that Americans are becoming more environmentally conscious but it seems to be more of a trend than anything else and marketers are taking advantage of that.
$18 is about what I spend on wipes and personal care products for an entire month. That’s alot compared to one little bottle of hair stuff (as neat as it sounds).
The only things I could ever even afford to (and justify) splurging on is items that will last forever like cloth diapers, Wrap N Mats and the like. And even then I have to sacrifice to shell out the initial cost.
I would love to be more green in my life, but I can’t afford it and probably never will be able to. It’s frustrating.
I very rarely buy anything organic, unless it is on a major sale. Our family just can’t afford it on our limited budget unfortunately. I look for other ways to go green, besides buying things like $18 shampoo. (That is insane to me by the way!!)
I have longed to buy personal care items that are all natural but the cost is usually double the “other stuff” and if I have to choose between that a food items that actually go IN our bodies, we choose food! It’s frustrating to see shampoo, toothpaste, soap, etc. costing $6-$10 just because it’s all natural.
I understand all of the points made above BUT, it’s a vicious cycle. If the prices don’t come down, the public at large will NEVER begin buying en masse and the cost will never come down…what to do??