New product
Ecopet - all natural pet shampoos
 |
 |
Top: Elinor McEwan and her chief shampoo tester.
Lower: The Ecopet range of natural canine shampoos. |
WHEN her "pet" soap started outselling her "people" soap, Devonport's Elinor McEwan knew she had created a hot new market for her handcrafted, 100percent pure, all natural soaps. "Ecopet" is her entrepreneurial range of pet soaps and shampoos based entirely on holistic, aromatherapy principles using pure olive and coconut oils with intense essential oils.
"While there is a wide selection of natural products for humans, I could find very little for animals. Most pet shampoos contain a conglomeration of chemicals that have nothing 'natural' about them," says Elinor. "While it may get your pet clean, I question the cost to your own skin and that of your pets." Elinor's soap-making hobby quickly turned into a thriving business when she started whipping up a range for her own pets.
"I sell to select pet shops in Auckland. But most of my sales now come through my website. And I have customers from as far away as the United States and United Kingdom," she says.
Her five "flavour" range includes: lavender, lemon, cinnamon, aniseed and peppermint in both liquid shampoo and solid soap form. "Three of them contain tea-tree oil, a natural antiseptic and flea repellent," says Elinor. "I've also just developed an eau-de-toilette spray in vanilla or rose geranium for those 'bad hair days' between shampoos. It smells wonderful - great for hiding a doggy smell and perfect for carrying in the car."
"It's all very well to call a product 'natural' or 'herbal' by adding in a few herbs and essential oils. But these can't overcome a toxic base. With my soaps, the results are pretty dramatic and virtually instant," says Elinor. "You should see a marked improvement in the sheen and quality of your animal's coat and an overnight reduction of the red, rawness around any irritation."
While dog owners can't seem to get enough of her natural soaps for their pampered pooches, Elinor is happy to report her pure products are also being used on all kinds of other animals.
Having just stepped up from a kitchen-bench to garage-based industry, Elinor is adamant that growth won't get in the way of quality. "A few years ago, I thought soap was just soap and bought the cheapest I could. Now I know very differently and want to share my passion and discovery with pet-owners worldwide.
You can find out more about Elinor's Ecopet range by visiting www.ecopet.co.nz
|
