Editor’s note: Welcome to the first installment of The Creators, a new online feature that profiles St. Louis-based consumer-facing startups, entrepreneurs and innovators. The goal of this series is to highlight innovative products being created in St. Louis while also examining the business model, manufacturing processes and investment pitch behind the brands and their products.
Through The Creators, St. Louis Inno hopes to offer a glimpse into the sizable cohort of consumer-focused startups and brands launched in St. Louis. Companies interested in being featured in The Creators can reach out to St. Louis Inno Editor Nathan Rubbelke at nrubbelke@bizjournals.com.
— Nathan Rubbelke, St. Louis Inno editor
When Candera Thompson gave birth to the first of her three children, she figured she might experience some postpartum hair shedding. She got more than she bargained for.
“I was just prepared for a little shedding and it was on the severe end where it was falling out in clumps,” she said.
With her second child, Thompson said she experienced hair loss instead of just shedding. It’s that experience that led her to become an entrepreneur, launching a beauty brand focused on helping women restore their hair after pregnancy.
Thompson is founder and CEO of Bask & Bloom Essentials, which sells shampoos and conditioners designed for women dealing with postpartum shedding and hair damage. Bask & Bloom says its products are naturally made, with ingredients meant to help hair stay healthy.
Since its launch, Thompson says Bask & Bloom has been profitable each year. It has placed a focus on e-commerce sales, but the startup is now in expansion mode, seeking to boost its presence in retail locations and overseas.
The product: Bask & Bloom Essentials sells a portfolio of hair care products, ranging from shampoo and conditioners. It has developed science-backed, efficacious hair care formulas to help women suffering from postpartum shedding, hair damage and loss bounce back to flourishing hair.
Where the product is sold: The startup sells its products through its e-commerce website and select beauty supply stores and boutiques. Individual products listed on Bask & Bloom's website ranged from $12 to $26 in price.
Where is the product made: Bask & Bloom does manufacturing at its own facility and works with a local manufacturer for mass production. Thompson said the company could not name its manufacturers due to a non-disclosure agreement.
Ideal customer: The brand’s ideal customers are women, including new and expectant moms, who have experienced severe shedding, breakage and hair damage recently.
Size of the market: The size of the global care industry was pegged at $77.2 billion in 2021, according to a market study.
Competition: Bask & Bloom considers other hair care brands that cater to female consumers, like Vegamour and Nutrafol, as its competition.
Expansion plans: Bask & Bloom is currently expanding its product line, its team and distribution channels, including expanding overseas. It says it owns a formula that is not on the market and that will be submitted for a patent this year.
Competitive advantage: The startup says it has formed a bond with customers through its founder's vulnerability in sharing her story of dealing with postpartum shedding and hair loss. With that, it understands consumer’s needs and frustration with the market and what drives them to purchase hair products.
Founder and her background: Born and raised in Abaco, Bahamas, Bask & Bloom founder and CEO Candera Thompson moved to the U.S. to attend college at the age of 16. She attended Lindenwood University in St. Charles, where she received a scholarship to compete in track & field and earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing. After working in marketing, consulting and sales for eight years, Thompson launched Bask & Bloom. She took a few formulating courses and eventually connected with cosmetic chemists to help her launch a line of products.
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Company name: Bask & Bloom Essentials
Headquarters: Bridgeton
Year founded: 2015
CEO: Candera Thompson
Employees: 5
Website: https://baskandbloomessentials.com
