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When did you start your business and why?
I started off in 2018, after realising there was a gap in the market for shampoo bars for horses.
I wanted to replace the plastic containers and bottles and try to make something a bit more sustainable.
I then started learning how to make the shampoo bars and also different soaps.
After some time, I began to realise that personal care products would be a lot bigger than products for the equestrian world, so I started making shampoo bars for humans too.
Can you tell me a bit about your products?
I do quite a wide range of products considering how young the company is. Most of my products are shampoo and conditioner bars, which would be similar to a luxury shampoo, just without the water.
Being handmade, the finished products may vary a little in weight and colour from bar to bar and no bar will be exactly the same. Each bar is then packaged in fully biodegradable wrapping.
The shampoo and conditioner bars are also quite long lasting, as it lathers easily when mixed with water. I also do soaps, some of them are for bodywash and others are hand soap.
Most of my hand soaps are inspired by different things in nature and elements of Irish culture. An example of this would be my 'Oat Silk Conditioner' in the shape of a four-leaf clover.
A big part of my business is sourcing as many ingredients as I can locally. I have a seaweed soap with Irish seaweed moss in it, then a manuka honey soap where the manuka is sourced from a local beekeeper.
All of my products are palm oil-free and have never been tested on animals. The bars are also free from parabens, silicones and SLS.
What is your best seller?
At the moment, my shampoo bars have been selling out, I can’t keep them on the shelf! The ‘Dagda’ shampoo bar would probably be the most popular.
This bar is made with baobab oil, which is a powerful oil packed with omega 3 fatty acids as well as vitamins A, D and E.
It seeps down into the hair follicle to trigger hair growth and leaves hair moisturised, but not greasy. It also has lemongrass and eucalyptus, which gives a fresh scent.
My 'Heather Honey' lip balm has also been really popular throughout the year, but especially in winter. My 'Rose Soap' is also really popular due to the lovely scent it gives off.
What has been your biggest achievement so far?
It's hard to pick one thing, as even the small things have been great achievements for me.
I’m delighted with the support I’ve gotten from Irish wholesalers. I was in Brown Thomas in a popup shop and Kilkenny shop last year.
Galway-based pharmacy Evergreen also stocks my products all year. I have also stocked my products in small shops in New York, The Netherlands and Spain.
Janni's products can be purchased through her website jannibars.com.
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