Feeling frustrated trying to find skincare products that were safe for pregnancy, breastfeeding and beyond, Laura Roberts set out to create a brand dedicated to making skincare easy and earth-friendly for new mums. This led to the birth of Orchard & Ocean. They are a small, New Zealand-owned, mama-led business bringing you natural, healthy sunscreen and skincare products, from their family to yours. Kind to the planet, organic whenever possible, and sourced from nature always, their products contain no toxins or harmful ingredients. Their organic, 100% natural zinc oxide sunscreen is safe for everyday use through pregnancy and breastfeeding, as well as for the whole family. Here Laura talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind her business, the challenges she has overcome, and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
When mummas here in Aotearoa first become pregnant, we’re given so much information about what foods to put into our bodies and what to avoid… but nothing about what we put onto our bodies.
As a first-time mumma-to-be, I spent way too much time Googling skincare ingredients, trying to be a conscientious host for my precious little bub. And the more I learned, the harder it became to find great skincare products I could feel 100% confident using.
Orchard & Ocean combines two things I’m passionate about – connecting with nature and making life a bit easier for other mummas!
Growing up in Hawai’i, I learned to see the health of the land as inseparable from our own health. For years I dreamed of building a company that would nourish our land as it nourishes us. I was just waiting for the right idea.
When I became pregnant for the first time, the frustration I experienced trying to find pregnancy-safe skincare products transformed into that idea – a brand dedicated to making pregnancy skincare easy and earth-friendly. No worries, no compromises, no need to spend hours Googling; we’ll do the research so you can rest easy, with natural products that are healthy for you and for our planet.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
This is our first summer, so we’re still starting out!
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Finding a manufacturer that had experience developing organic, 100% natural zinc oxide sunscreens meant I could turn my dream into a reality. I worked with them to get the ingredients just right for my “No worries, no compromises” promise, and took the plunge, launching Orchard & Ocean with a seriously awesome sunscreen.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
I’m a terrible salesperson, so being confident in my sunscreen’s effectiveness (it’s fully compliant to AS/NZ 2604:2021 standards, and is batch tested for SPF performance), and absolutely loving it myself, has made a huge difference in my willingness to put myself out there publicly.
I’ve also been so grateful for support from a wide range of mummas, from customers and friends to Instagram bloggers, who are helping to spread the word. The enthusiasm for our sunscreen and for what we’re about has been humbling.
