When Giorgia Granata moved from Italy to the UK, she found herself missing something that many Europeans consider essential: the bidet. But what started as a simple personal preference quickly turned into a business idea that would challenge industry norms. Giorgia noticed a growing demand for better personal hygiene solutions—yet the most common alternative, wet wipes, were wreaking havoc on the environment.

Determined to create a more sustainable, effective, and inclusive solution, she co-founded Wype, a revolutionary gel-based product designed to enhance cleanliness without waste.

In this interview, Giorgia shares how Wype is changing the conversation around bottom care, tackling outdated taboos, and redefining intimate hygiene for a modern world.

Nicolle: What inspired you to create Wype after moving from Italy to the UK and missing the bidet?

Giorgia: I moved to the UK for my MBA and couldn’t help but notice something that, at first, seemed pretty minor: the huge difference in how different cultures approach bottom care. In Italy, intimate hygiene products take up huge sections of supermarket shelves, with options for literally every need you can think of - and interestingly, without all the gendered marketing you see in other places.

While I was deep in my business studies, I noticed this fascinating market trend: adults were increasingly turning to wet wipes, showing a clear appetite for an updated approach to intimate care. But here's the thing - these products were absolutely wreaking havoc on the environment and causing serious problems in sewage systems. It became obvious there were several gaps to bridge: we needed something that could deliver what people wanted without destroying the planet, something that could acknowledge that yes, we all have bottoms, and no, it shouldn't be awkward to talk about caring for them properly.

The focus on bottom care wasn't random - I wanted to create something universal, something that wouldn't be boxed into gender categories or age groups. What began as a personal observation about missing my bidet turned into this larger mission to shake up a category that affects everyone but that nobody seemed comfortable discussing. And that's precisely what made it fascinating - sometimes the most overlooked everyday problems are where you can make the biggest difference.

Nicolle: How did your awareness of wet wipes' environmental impact influence Wype's development?

Giorgia: The environmental impact of wet wipes was actually at the heart of the first iteration of the product. We could see people wanted something better than dry toilet paper, but they were stuck using these disposable wipes that wreck sewers and harm the environment. It wasn't just the environmental problems - wet wipes are kind of rubbish in other ways too.

They dry out if you leave the pack open, come in these awful crackly packages, and half the time you pull out three when you only wanted one. Plus, when you look at how they work, it's mostly just the friction doing the cleaning - the benefit you can get from the ingredients in wipes is so minimal, they are mostly just soaked in water with a few ‘marketing’ ingredients thrown in - typically synthetic ingredients that are terrible for your skin. So we thought, why not solve all of these problems at once?

Create something that's not only sustainable but actually works better all around. That's why we put so much work into our gel formula - we wanted something that would genuinely benefit your skin while cleaning, not just push stuff around.

Nicolle: Can you share how you and Eli met during your studies and decided to collaborate on Wype?

Giorgia: Eli and I met during our MBA, and after graduating we went different ways career-wise. He went to Amazon, where he built up this amazing e-commerce expertise leading various projects. We were a couple and since then we ended up getting married - but at the time we were just in each other's lives and he knew what I was working on with Wype.

After the first year of working on Wype mostly solo, things started getting interesting. The product was doing well commercially, and then I found out I was going to be on Dragons' Den. It was becoming a lot to handle by myself, and Eli naturally started getting more involved, just informally at first. Eventually, it made perfect sense to ask him to join full-time - he was as excited about the product as I was and saw the potential of what I was building. Our backgrounds couldn't be more different but they complement each other brilliantly - I honestly couldn't do what I do now without his talent and support.

Nicolle. What challenges did you face in creating an eco-friendly alternative to wet wipes that mimics the cleanliness of a bidet?

Giorgia: Our biggest challenges haven't been with the product itself. From day one, we've had customers who got what we were trying to do and loved it. Our 4.8 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot from over 5,000 reviews shows that pretty clearly.

Of course, we're constantly tweaking and improving everything from the formula to the packaging, that's just part of building something new. The real challenges? They've been more about pushing against this very risk-averse business environment. When you're trying to do something completely different, especially in a category that makes people uncomfortable, you run into a lot of scepticism. Retailers and investors often want 'sure things,' and here we are with this quirky, innovative product that's challenging how people think about bottom care.

Sometimes it feels like they're almost waiting for you to fail. But you know what? That resistance has actually made us better. Every improvement we've made, every iteration of the product, has come from really listening to our 200,000+ customers who were willing to try something new. And they're the ones who've proven that there's a real demand for a better solution.

Nicolle: How does Wype aim to change conversations about below-the-waist wellness and address outdated taboos?

Giorgia: From day one, we knew that talking about bottom care meant addressing deep-rooted taboos, so humour was always going to be part of our toolkit because it's the best way to break down barriers and get difficult messages across. At the start, we leaned more into light toilet humour, but what began as playful messaging has grown into something more nuanced: educational content that stays engaging while delivering real value. The need for this development became clear through our customers' experiences.

They showed us just how many people struggle with anal and perianal health issues, yet feel unable to discuss them openly or seek help. Bottom care remains one of the most overlooked areas of personal health, particularly surprising given it affects everyone, every day of their lives. This makes it exactly the space where a fresh, modern approach can make the biggest difference.

Our work with our medical experts, including our colorectal surgeon and pelvic floor specialist, has shown us just how common these issues are. Yet there's still widespread reluctance to seek help, simply because people feel embarrassed. We still keep things light and fun in our communication because that's who we are as a brand, but our goal now is to be a trusted voice in bottom care, combining this approachability with genuine expertise and education. After all, if we can help make these conversations feel natural through a bit of humour while delivering real, validated information, then we're doing our job right

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Nicolle: In what ways does Wype ensure its products are gentle on the body and beneficial for the planet?

Giorgia: Our formula holds the COSMOS organic certification from the Soil Association, which is strict - it tracks our ingredients up the supply chain, ensuring that the ingredients are sustainably sourced, traceable, and of-course organic with no nasty, controversial ingredients - it's about the highest bar you can attain in personal care. The formula is water-based and gentle, making it safe to flush and fine for septic tanks.

Of course, we're vegan and cruelty-free, but we've gone further with extensive patch testing to make sure it's hypoallergenic and suitable for sensitive skin. Our formula is so gentle that it's even certified safe for babies and newborns, and our externally validated lab trials show it's naturally antimicrobial. For packaging, we've come up with something pretty unique.

Our bottles are made from infinitely recyclable aluminium - so you can recycle them in the same way as a can of beer or soft drink. We designed the product around a reusable applicator in the starter kit, so after that, you just need the aluminium refills. This means we can keep costs down for customers while staying completely free of single-use plastic.

Nicolle: How do you educate consumers about the environmental issues associated with traditional wet wipes and promote Wype as a solution?

Giorgia: The environmental impact of wet wipes is staggering - 93% of sewer blockages in the UK are caused by wet wipes, with over 11 billion used annually. Yet we've learned that simply highlighting environmental problems isn't effective, as people have grown increasingly desensitized to sustainability messaging, or rather, they expect modern, challenger brands to be addressing sustainability.

Our approach is different. Instead of leading with guilt-inducing statistics or environmental lectures, we focus on creating a product that people love to use. The fact that it's sustainable? That's a bonus. We've found that when you make a genuinely better product that happens to be eco-friendly, people naturally gravitate toward it. Our customers choose Wype because it works better, feels better, and offers a more sophisticated solution to their daily needs.

The environmental benefits become part of a larger story of improvement - better for you, better for your home's plumbing, and yes, better for the planet. Our customers become advocates not because we've convinced them about environmental impact, but because they've found a solution that improves their daily routine, and that’s the key to creating a product that solves a problem. Solve the customer’s problem first.

Nicolle: What are the key ingredients in Wype's natural gel, and how do they contribute to its effectiveness and eco-friendliness?

Giorgia: Our formula has been thoughtfully developed to be both effective and gentle. We use ingredients that you might recognize from skincare because ultimately this is skincare - it's just for a different area! The base includes aloe vera and chamomile, which are fantastic for sensitive skin because they're naturally soothing and help reduce any irritation. We've added glycerin, which is brilliant at keeping skin hydrated, and coconut extract which helps condition the skin.

There's also vitamin E in there, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps keep skin healthy, and bamboo extract which adds to that antioxidant power while giving a lovely fresh feeling. For the actual cleansing part, we use mild plant-based cleansers - specifically decyl glucoside, a coconut sugar derivative which is completely biodegradable and gentle. It's the kind of ingredient you might find in premium baby products because it cleanses effectively without causing any irritation.

What makes this formula special is how these ingredients work together. It's hydrating and soothing while still giving you that proper clean feeling. And because the formula is natural and organic - we hold the COSMOS certification from the Soil Association - you know it's safe for daily use, and kind to the environment.

Nicolle: How has Wype been received by consumers since its launch, and what feedback has been most impactful?

Giorgia: Our customers have been at the heart of what we do from day one, which was especially crucial because Wype was introducing something completely new. They've guided everything - from how we designed the applicator to refining our formula, even how we communicate as a brand. Our community has shaped who we are. The response has been remarkable. I remember once tearing up in front of a room of investors while sharing some of the feedback we've received - probably not the most professional moment, but it shows how meaningful these messages can be!

Bottom care is often dismissed as awkward or weird, it can be challenging to be taken seriously. But when you have over 200,000 customers and a 4.8 rating on Trustpilot from more than 5,000 reviews, it's hard to ignore that we're addressing a real need. What's particularly touching is hearing from people who've struggled with various issues for years and finally found a solution that works for them. These stories remind us why we started this journey in the first place, and why it's so important to keep pushing forward despite the occasional raised eyebrow.

Nicolle: What are your plans for Wype in terms of product development and expanding your mission of promoting eco-friendly personal hygiene

Giorgia: This is a really exciting time for us in terms of product development. We're doing some really interesting research and as always challenging the status quo. The bottom care landscape is much more diverse than most people realize - from basic cleansing needs to specific comfort concerns, there's so much opportunity to innovate.

What's particularly interesting is how we're seeing increasing demand for solutions that address different life stages and specific comfort needs. We're continuing to challenge conventions while staying true to our original mission of putting a smile between people's cheeks and allowing them to feel clean, comfortable and healthy every day. The retail landscape is evolving too.

Our products can sit comfortably in both pharmacy and grocery environments, which opens up interesting possibilities for reaching more people. I can't share specifics just yet, but what I can say is that we're staying focused on what we do best - taking care of people’s bottoms in ways that have never been done before.

Through innovation, sustainability, and a refreshingly open approach, Giorgia Granata and the Wype team are proving that personal hygiene doesn’t have to be wasteful—or awkward. By prioritising environmental responsibility while creating a product that people genuinely love, Wype is reshaping an overlooked industry and making bottom care a topic worth talking about. As Giorgia and her team continue to push boundaries, one thing is clear: the future of personal hygiene is cleaner, greener, and far more inclusive than ever before.

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Nicolle Knapova is a little bit of everything. She is a freelance translator and content creator. She loves indie music and is always browsing through Spotify to find the next amazing artist to obsess over. Her love for storytelling means she’s always writing something and she’s not afraid of any genre. Her biggest dream is to be a published author. If she’s not writing her fan fiction, she’s writing her poetry and sharing it on her Instagram @elisecaverly.

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