Behind The Brand: Meet the founder of Niba Nailcare
By Chloe Randall | 31 March 2021 | Brands, Feature
In late 2019, Ashleigh Reid gained several allergies to nail products, which fuelled her drive for safe products in the nail industry. She always knew she wanted to create her own brand, but it wasn’t until she gained her allergies that she realised how many unregulated products were being made and sold in the industry.
“At this point I began researching and learning about cosmetic ingredients, regulations and safe product formulations with an aim to provide a positive contribution to the industry I love”, revealed Ashleigh.
Launched in late February 2021, the brand has three sections; retail, trade and NIBA X.
- Retail- Available to everyone and the products within this section consist of Nail and Cuticle Oils, Nail & Cuticle Balms, and Hand and Body Creams.
- Trade- Allows professionals to purchase the products at trade prices, allowing them to retail in their salons or retail shops.
- NIBA X- A collaboration programme where Niba Nailcare provides white label products for professionals that want their own branded products.
“NIBA X is a service I have felt is missing in the industry and I wanted to provide nail technicians and beauty professionals the opportunity to provide their own products that are both safe and legally compliant, without the huge price tag!” commented Ashleigh.
Launching a brand from scratch during a pandemic has not come without its challenges. “The pandemic has resulted in us pushing my schedule back several times, but it has also provided me with the opportunity to really throw myself into the production of NIBA Nail Care and ensure everything was in place for the perfect launch. Away from NIBA, I work full time as a nail technician, so all my spare time was put into formulating and creating products which resulted in plenty of late nights” commented Ashleigh.
“Although the financial instability of multiple lockdowns has not been ideal to create a new brand, it has given me time to really throw myself into the many logistical struggles that resulted from the pandemic prior to the launch. Despite everything that has happened over the past year with the pandemic, it has given me the resilience to push my business and myself during these extreme circumstances.”
The brand has been developed to be safe, research informed and inclusive. Creating safe products has always been Ashleigh’s number one goal, but to be inclusive, she has also endeavored to make her products accessible to everyone, from someone wanting to treat themselves, to the professional wanting to create their own branded products.
“I’ve always had a mind for business. Seeing people use my products is the best feeling in the world, and knowing that these are products I’ve formulated, that are unique to the market, blows my mind.”
“I have so many ideas up my sleeve, my brain is just bursting. The first thing I want to do next is to expand the product range and you may be seeing NIBA Skin sometime soon” smiled Ashleigh.