In a time when self-care has taken on a whole new significance, Canada-based Bathorium is a brand with the focus and momentum to make bathing a ritual of import rather than an occasional personal care indulgence or luxury of days gone by. Here Founder Gregory Macdonald shares a profile of himself and the brand.
Name: Gregory Macdonald, Founder and CEO
Indie Beauty Company: Bathorium
Launched: July 2014
Headquarters: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Cash flow: Bathorium is self-funded through bootstrapping and capital advanced from ClearBanc and the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).
Indie how? Let’s face it – brands need access to cash in order to grow and be successful. In the world of beauty, there are large players with deep pockets who focus on profits over the wellness of consumers. Indie beauty brands thrive in the space between, maintaining financial independence and growth whilst focusing on the end consumer by delivering them superior products that have not undergone the scrutiny of shareholder profit demands.
Teamwork: We have 10 full-time employees, 8 part-time employees.
Distribution: We sell globally through Bathorium.com and at select retailers such as The Detox Market, Four Seasons Hotel, and Anthropologie. In New Zealand we sell through Grace Beauty distribution.
Years in beauty: 7 years
Years at Bathorium: 7 years!
Entrepreneurial experience: I’ve had the entrepreneurial bug since I had a monopoly of Kool-Aid stands across my suburb at age 4. Growing up, I started a t-shirt company, catering business, cheesecake shoppe, bread bakery, and finally Bathorium. The common thread amongst these endeavors looking back was creating goods that exceeded customer expectations. My philosophy has always been to under promise and over deliver.
The business: Bathorium was born after I experienced a decadent bathtub like no other in Italy back in 2014. The bath was drawn using fresh milks, vegetable butters, essential oils, mineral salts, and clay. This bath experience became an ‘ah ha’ moment and I knew I had to share it with the world.
Bathorium produces Crush bath soaks, bath bombs and bubble oils that create decadent and indulgent bath tub experiences. We are a Canadian small business on a global mission to #bringbackthebath.
The wow-factor: Bathorium is an entirely bath-centric brand, obsessing over the bath experience. We create clean bath soaks that contain only pure essential oils and luscious ingredients founded in nature. We never use artificial fragrances, colours, or any other toxic nasties.
Bathorium products melt instantly into the tub and contain roughly 20% dry oils. This creates a creamy frothy bath that coats the skin in a layer of hydration. These are not average bath salts – this is Bathorium.
The consumer: Conscious clean ingredient shoppers that truly care about what products go on their skin. Consumers who are detoxing their beauty and wellness routines and opting for quality products with ingredients all founded within nature.
Advice for fellow beauty entrepreneurs: Never compare your business to other brands in the space. It’s easy to become discouraged by seeing other brands succeed and achieve new milestones. Instead, look to those brands as mentors and allies. It’s incredible when the community of indie beauty brands align together and help one another succeed.
Just one: Asked about his go-to product, Macdonald says it’s Tata Harper clarifying facial cleanser OR their floral hydrating mist. It’s just so wonderful!