We chat to Gosia, the founder of Bunch Skincare.

We had the pleasure to chat to Gosia, the founder of Bunch Skincare. Gosia decided to combine all of her interests to create a sustainable, fun and carefully formulated skin and hair care brand for everyone. With her experience in pharmacy and her love of skincare, Gosia was able to create high-quality products that care for the environment and our skin.

Keep scrolling to read the full article and check out Bunch Skincare’s Instagram and website here:

Tell us a little about your brand, what was the inspiration behind it?

I’m on a mission to bring back quality, simple, uncomplicated, fun and eco-conscious skin and hair products for people over 35.

I founded Bunch Skincare in 2020 because I noticed that quality natural skincare and haircare products became increasingly complicated in terms of formulas, packaging and having names that don’t mean anything. I thought it’s time to bring back colours, go back to basics and stop calling everything an ‘elixir’ or ‘treatment ritual’ because there’s nothing wrong with a face oil or a shampoo😊 

High-quality natural formulas can be fun, have sustainable packaging and contain only essential ingredients to look after skin and hair in a natural, easy to understand and simple way, as in the words of Leonardo da Vinci ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.’ 

I’m a trained skincare and haircare formulator, qualified pharmacist and I love nature and the outdoors. My interest in beauty evolved from my love of biology, chemistry, and science. I got my first microscope when I was about 8 and since then biology and chemistry became my passion.

As a teenager, I spent most of my pocket money and lots of time studying the beauty pages of glossy magazines and trying all skincare and make-up products I could get hold of and indulging in buying the fragrance. Subsequently, I enrolled on an MSc pharmacy course. I enjoyed studying the theory and making various potions, creams, solutions, tablets and many other products. Something was fascinating in being able to combine ingredients and formulate products that until now I could only see on the shelves of a pharmacy or beauty shop! And here I was, making it all myself! How cool was that?!

After graduating I worked anywhere from a small community pharmacy to big pharma corporations. I’m a dreamer and always dreamt of running my own business and be independent, especially during lengthy corporate ‘Gilbert style’ meetings...It all came together when I realised that the idea of starting a beauty brand will combine perfectly my background, professional experience and my love of skincare products. 

Is there a story behind the name "Bunch Skincare"?

 I wanted my brand’s name to be fun and represent the ingredients I use in production, which is a bunch of beautiful botanical oils, extracts, flowers and herbs! I love flowers and this is how Bunch came to my mind!  I also encourage people to grow their own bunch (of flowers that is), while enjoying Bunch skin and hair products, by sending my customers wildflower seeds with each order! 

As an experienced pharmacist and someone who has a passion for skincare, could you tell us more about what we should and shouldn't put on our skin?

 Thanks to the current regulation in the EU/UK, the majority of cosmetic products on the market are very safe as they have to undergo rigorous safety assessment. Skincare and haircare are very personal and what works for one person may not work for another. But what is important is to take time and allow products to work their magic, instead of following the next big trend and expecting miracles after just one use. But there is one product I’d advise everyone to use, it’s sunscreen, UV rays are the number one culprits when it comes to skin ageing.

I’d advise against undiluted essential oils which are very potent and can cause skin irritation or using traditional soap bars on the face or hair. The very high pH of these products can irritate the skin and damage the hair. Also, I pledge to everyone to stop using cleansing wipes!  They are very bad for the environment, like any single-use item, packed in non-recyclable plastics and they are not good for the skin either! Since they are water-based products, they are packed with preservatives to keep them fresh, and other potentially irritating ingredients, like artificial fragrances. It’s been proven time and time again that they don’t really clean the skin.

What is the most popular product at the moment?

There are currently two bestsellers, going head to head! 

First is the Balance Organic Face Oil, our bestselling face product! We had a lot of great feedback from customers about it! 

Revitalise Fragrance-Free Dry Shampoo: this is a propellant-free and baking soda free powder dry shampoo in compostable packaging, enriched with panthenol and nettle powder. There is not much choice in terms of fragrance-free dry shampoos, that is why we’ve developed one and it’s proving to be very popular. 

You have recently launched a solid shampoo bar which some people have apprehensions about; what are the benefits of using it?

It can be difficult to switch from traditional liquid shampoo to a solid shampoo bar and a lot of people are worried that their hair will not be cleaned, but there’s nothing to worry about. 

There are endless benefits of using shampoo bars, but to name just a few: they are concentrated so there’s no need to use as much as traditional shampoo and they’ll last for longer. Shampoo bars are zero-waste products; therefore are very eco-friendly and travel-friendly! Whizz through the airport security and take your favourite shampoo on holiday with you! 

What’s also worth mentioning is shampoo bars are gentle for the scalp and hair, because they are formulated with mild cleaning agents and infused with beneficial botanicals. They are guaranteed to make hair softer and shinier and will not irritate the scalp. A healthy scalp equals healthy hair! 

Bunch solid shampoos are colourant-free and we also offer a fragrance-free version. Our super-foamy shampoos are packaged in fully recyclable round boxes, that are also great for upcycling! 

Are there any exciting projects coming up that you can talk about?

I’m currently developing a hair oil and a hair conditioner bar to add to Bunch eco-friendly hair care range! Also, preparing to get Leaping Bunny certified. Although testing of cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients has been banned in the EU since 2004 and 2009 respectively, customers are looking for reassurance that the product they use is cruelty-free: being certified provides this assurance.

What have been the most rewarding moments so far?

Making the first sale and receiving great feedback about products! There’s nothing more rewarding and exciting than learning about the positive experience people have using Bunch products! Ah, can I mention another one? Winning not one, but two Beauty Shortlist Editor’s Choice Awards, just 6 months after launch! 

And the most challenging?

Running Instagram account! I’m still trying to crack the algorithm, the struggle is real!

As a business owner yourself, what are your top tips to run a business successfully? 

Enjoy the roller coaster ride! There’ll be days of excitement and days when you’ll feel like quitting and calling your ex-boss to give you your old job back, but stick to it, be yourself and have fun with it!