Lovekins acquired by Chinese brand management company

Baby and women’s skincare brand Lovekins has been acquired by Chinese brand management company Access, with Lovekins founder Amanda Essery confirming that she has exited the business.

Essery spoke with SmartCompany this week about Lovekins blossoming from a $100,000 investment into a multi-million-dollar success.

The investment was made possible through personal savings and funds borrowed from Essery’s family to kickstart Lovekins’ first commercial production.

Over its 10-year history, Lovekins has sold more than 20 million units.

Essery told SmartCompany that she was feeling relieved and elated, but emotional at the same time.

“Access Corporate Group had been a long-time partner with Lovekins from being our early export distributor to then minority and eventual majority to excel growth in the business in terms of building a team to support marketing, sales, NPD, and manufacturing,” she said.

“I felt that Access grew to learn about the brand well enough to take on the reigns and felt that I had reached the peak of where I could take the business to but more importantly to take a step down to further different interests at my stage in my career as well as supporting my family when they needed me the most.”

Some of the consumer favourites in the Lovekins range are SOS rescue cream, Premium Australian Cotton Nappies and Australia’s First Non-Adhesive Core Pads.

Essery said the Lovekins journey started as a clean, non-toxic potion to help her son’s eczema.

“Coming from Darwin I lived in a free-spirited and close-knit community; my dad, a self-taught chef, owned a restaurant with my grandparents, using the best local produce and natural ingredients in cooking which influenced and shaped the course of my future and focus on skincare,” she said.

“My personal interest in natural remedies drove me to learn how to make my own skincare from a French teacher in Bondi; I was 38 weeks pregnant with my first child Ethan and making my own baby skincare products ready to be used when he was born.”

Essery said two years later her second child Heidi was born with eczema and the steroid creams prescribed by the doctors were on the surface masking the problem but not solving the root cause.

“I endeavoured to help my daughter’s skin condition and, not satisfied with what was available in the market for her delicate skin, I created my own,” she said.

“Incorporating native Indigenous bush medicine Kakadu Plum and Blue Cypress grown in my hometown of Darwin, the baby skincare preparations were alleviating Heidi’s dry, itchy skin. I thought if I could help one child, it would be selfish for me to not share and help other babies and families around the world.

“With personal savings and funds borrowed from family to help start my first commercial production, we created six essential products that families would only need to care for their baby.

“When babies are born, they are no longer protected by the waxy layer on their skin.

“Environmental and lifestyle factors can play havoc on their delicate skin which is three times more permeable than adult skin.

“This is the same for women, we go through many stages in our lives whether it be pregnancy, post-birth or hormonal factors that make us more vulnerable. Therefore, using a mild, gentle, and natural formulation that does not interrupt the skin’s pH levels is key.”

Essery said social media was in its infancy stage so trade shows at the time were the most effective way to connect with B2C and B2B customers.

“Investing in local and international trade shows fast-tracked our way to new markets, but our introduction to an even larger customer base being Chinese buyers came from mutual connections via WeChat networking groups,” she said.

“Staying true to our brand ethos and focusing on native home-grown Indigenous ingredients in our formulation played a huge part in our success which eventually attracted us to our eventual partnership with Access.

“Together we were able to expand our team to support the growth into various categories like nappies, period care and home care which were complementary to the core skincare range. Establishing our corporate social responsibility efforts over the years in giving back to communities and partnering with NGOs were fundamental to the brand’s mission.”

When asked whether she would stay in the skincare space, Essery said she was focusing on assisting business owners with their own journeys.

“At the moment I am enjoying the challenge of helping other brand owners and founders in various categories that are transferrable knowledge from skin and personal care,” she said.

“My children Ethan and Heidi are not babies anymore, they are growing up too fast and I am navigating through with them the next stage in their lives.

“Never say never! I personally love this industry and who knows where it could take me.”