Gregory MacDonald Founder of Bathorium Talks Exotic Bath Soaks — Retail Boss
As seen in Harpers Bazaar, Elle, BuzzFeed, Clin d’ceil, Business Insider, and NarCity, Bathorium is a wellness brand founded on the concept of benefits based on bathing; bath soaks that invigorate, restore and rejuvenate the end user. With a lack of high-quality bath products made with natural ingredients on the market, Gregory MacDonald set out to create premium bath soaks that not only give a unique experience for the bather but also a product that the user can benefit from both physically and mentally.
Free of any harsh chemicals, artificial fragrances, colourants, phthalates and parabens- Bathorium wants everyone to leave the bath rejuvenated, relaxed and restored.
Meet Gregory MacDonald, Founder & CEO of Bathorium
In the summer of 2014 while traveling through Europe that bath-aficionado and soon-to-be Bathorium founder Gregory Macdonald checked into an airbnb accommodation on the coast of Italy. To his surprise, Gregory discovered a clawfoot bath, next to it an apothecary shelf containing rich clays, exotic salts, fresh vegetable butters and essential oils. It was this decadent combination of pure and beneficial ingredients to the tub that became the backbone of Bathorium products today.
We sat down with Gregory for an exclusive interview, to learn more about his wellness brand…
What is your inspiration behind Bathorium, and why is now the best time in the market to launch?
My inspiration is the ritual behind baths and the powerful healing that comes from taking a proper soak. After my experience in Italy back in 2014, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to bathe in anything but pure decadent ingredients. Wellness is at the forefront for every area of retail and how it can be adopted. We are seeing major trends for our products in retail verticals such as book stores, clothing boutiques and high-end grocery. We are living in the wellness revolution era!
How does Bathorium stand out from other wellness brands in the bath — salts, clays, bombs and essential oils?
I always say that Bathorium does not produce bath salts, we produce Bath Soaks. Each of our products are all encompassing bath experiences that contain several layers of mineral salts, earth clays, citrus acids, vegetable butters, botanical extracts, vegan milks and essential oils. When the products come in contact with the water they create decadent creamy milk soaks that envelop the bather. Wellness is such a broad category that many brands try and capture all of. At Bathorium, we focus only on the bath ritual and ensure we obsess over the details.
As a former Shopify employee, when did you decide to take the leap and invest in your own wellness line?
I worked at Shopify from 2015–2020 and at the same time, founded Bathorium and grew the brand over the years. It wasn’t until the pandemic when my team grew to 30 full time staff and I made the choice to be the best leader for them and jump both feet into the business. Shopify is the one company in the world that encourages you to grow a multimillion-dollar side hustle while working full time for them!
Who is the ideal customer for Bathorium and what role does bathing in natural clays, exotic salts, and essential oils do for the body?
When I founded the company our initial hashtag and mission was #bringbackthebath- revitalizing the tub for people who weren’t ‘bath people’ or who haven’t taken a bath since they were kids. Encouraging people to invest the time in themselves to slow down and stop. Time for them to reconnect with their bodies, meditate with their thoughts and experience tranquility in the bath. Bathorium products create decadent settings for the bather to indulge in self worship- our products are truly for all of us.
How key is sourcing quality ingredients? What common harmful or toxic ingredients can be found in other low-grade bath products?
Our ingredients are everything to us and it’s one of the leading factors that contribute in our brands success. We continually ensure our procurement team are pushing our suppliers for increased badge certification such as Eco Cert, Fare Trade and Cruelty Free. Our goal is by 2025 is to be sourcing 100% of our raw materials from independent farms globally- sourcing direct from farm so our dollars go even further for their local communities and we ensure the best quality of product available.
In today’s market you want to avoid fragrance/parfum derived from synthetic sources, FD&Lake colour dyes and sodium lauryl sulfate. Just a few ingredients commonly found in lower grade bath products! Many of these are not regulated and are hormone disrupters. Not ingredients you want to exposed to your most sensitive regions!
What is the best way to relieve stress, detox and unwind from your everyday hustle as an entrepreneur?
Disconnecting for me is huge- the ability to turn off devices and focus on what I am doing or who I am with. Little things like taking my dog Charlie for a walk without my cell phone is so liberating. Being uncontactable is such bliss!
Do you have any exciting company news to share upcoming for Bathorium?
Stay tuned for some very exciting A List celebrity involvement in Bathorium! Baths are becoming the forefront of wellness in many regions and we’ve attracted the attention of America’s top wellness advocates. Fingers crossed!
If you could be sold at any retailer, which one would you choose and why?
I’ve always had such a retail crush on Onda Beauty. Their aesthetic, brand curation and overall mission align with Bathorium (and me!) so well. We’d love the opportunity to present our product line to the Onda team one day.
What are some products from Bathorium you would like to spotlight?
If you’re new to Bathorium I recommend trying our signature products like Northern Sage Recovery and Ancient Oat Hydration. If you are a seasoned bath-veteran and take bath detoxing seriously, you need to try our new range of Mineral Clay baths… they are less-messy mud baths like leave you like a pile of puddy after the bath. A must try!
Learn more about Bathorium and shop here at https://www.bathorium.com/
Author: Jeanel Alvarado — Ohemeng
I have 15 years of experience in the retail industry including expertise in marketing, operations, merchandising, buying, shopping and technology. I am a former senior managing director of The School of Retailing, University of Alberta. My education includes a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from The University of Alberta in Marketing, Certificate in Real Estate and a Diploma in Fashion Merchandising and Buying from LasSalle College, a Canadian private school founded in 1959 by fashion designer Jean-Paul Morin.
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Originally published at https://retailboss.co on December 12, 2022.
