Focus On: Sky Organics grows with purpose
Officials at Sky Organics are showing the self-care industry that beauty products and the well-being of the planet can go hand in hand.
In just six short years, the Miami Beach, Fla.-based beauty brand has gone from selling single-ingredient solutions on Amazon.com to distributing curly hair care and multi-benefit skin care regimens at mass retail locations across the country. And now, with new funding from Los Angeles-based Nexus Capital Management, which also has investments in such operations as Toms, FTD and Natural Balance, company officials are confident that they can take Sky Organics to the next level.
At the same time, the company said it wants to help its retail partners offer their shoppers a varied assortment of merchandise that will satisfy their changing demands and needs — as well as build sales and profit for the merchants.
The company has its roots in a deep interest in healthy living and nature. Co-founders and brothers, Steven Neiger, CEO, and Dean Neiger, chief strategy officer, opened what they said was Florida’s first completely green dry cleaners where they learned about soaps, cleaners and the benefits of clean living in 2000. This outlook was only accelerated when Steven had children and concerns over processed baby foods led his wife, Sarah Jade, to make their own.
“Before we knew it, our kitchen wasn’t just for cooking anymore,” Steven Neiger said, adding that from using sugar, vinegar and oils to create their own personal cleaners to adding botanicals like rosehips and chamomile, the family concluded that what they were doing had to be shared.
In 2015, they founded Sky Organics, launching with just a handful of products: Organic Castor Oil, Organic Sweet Almond Oil, Organic Shea Butter and Cocoa Butter. Since then, it has quickly evolved into a complete beauty care company with about 80 SKUs and products in the natural face, body, hair, personal care and aromatherapy categories.
“At Sky Organics, we believe that everyone should have access to healthy and affordable good-for-you products,” said Tal Shemesh, COO. “We make it clear to our retail partners that the belief that natural products cannot be efficacious is simply not true. We also make them affordable. It’s what the consumer is clamoring for.”
The company’s top officials said that they are focusing on meeting the needs of a diverse consumer group that includes younger consumers, especially millennials, who are more sensitive to organic products since becoming parents, as well as Gen Z who looks for brands that share their values. Retailers who understand this are reaping the benefits.
“Organic products are the future; more consumers are looking for these items and more retailers are starting to carry them,” Dean said. “A big part of our job is also education. There are so many green aspirers who want to do what is best for themselves, their families and the planet, and we are here to help make that journey easier.”
They stressed that most Sky Organics products are USDA Certified Organic, which guarantees that they are formulated under the specific standards set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “We are taking the guesswork out of the purchase decision,” Dean said. “And research shows that consumers trust the organic certification.”
They are also excited about their new partnership with Nexus and the help of retailers who are building a narrative to educate consumers about wellness and self-care — Sky Organics has an expectation that the sky’s the limit. “Tom’s is a mission-driven brand,” said Dean Neiger. “What we liked about Nexus is that they understand brands with purpose and how to build them.”