A financing deal with Arlene Dickinson from CBC’s Dragons’ Den might have ultimately fallen through, but that didn’t mean the end for Ottawa’s Bushbalm Skincare – in fact, the founders’ appearance on the show late last year boosted their product’s popularity.
Bushbalm is an all-natural and vegan skincare brand. What makes it different is where the products are meant to be used: the ever-so-bashful pubic region.
The idea came about by accident four years ago when co-founder Tim Burns and his wife were on their honeymoon. After a long day of exploring, they wanted to freshen up quickly, so Burns rubbed some of his beard oil everywhere – and we mean everywhere.
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Bushbalm
Noticing his skin felt smoother and was free of irritation and chafing, Burns and his wife knew they had an idea for a product that was missing in the lucrative skincare industry.
“Everyone gets ingrown hairs and skin irritations as a result of removing body hair, but no one seemed to be talking about it,” Burns says.
“People are not used to seeing products made for the pubic region. We are still in an awareness phase, but (we’re) loving the response we’re getting from existing and new customers,” co-founder David Gaylord adds.
Today, Bushbalm sells skincare products ranging from dark-spot treatments to exfoliating scrubs and a list of other products specifically designed for more sensitive regions.
Their use isn’t limited to the pubic area. The products are often used on bikini lines, underarms, legs and any other areas of the body prone to redness or irritation from shaving or hair removal.
This year, the company is launching three new products: an addition to their exfoliating scrub collection, a skin-firming cream for the buttocks called Tushbalm and an electric trimmer.
Bushbalm primarily sells its wares online and via wholesalers, but the products are also found in more than 200 spas across North America.
The company says it’s on pace to do nearly $10 million in sales in 2021 and hopes to add to its team of four employees.
