Innovation

Jennifer Freitas, the founder of The Truth Beauty Company, wants people to know that this company was created with the intent to make clean beauty and better beauty more accessible to women, not only for our own health, but for the health of the environment. Although The Truth Beauty Company does not create their own line of products, their business is unique in that it retails a variety of eco-beauty products that are both safe and effective. Most of the brands the store carries are Canadian made, and some have even been created right here in Guelph, Ontario. When The Truth Beauty Company first opened its doors, natural beauty was not a trend like it is today. There were very minimal options for consumers to purchase organic beauty products because big retailers such as MAC Cosmetics or Sephora did not sell such items. The innovation comes from identifying a gap in the market and creating a solution to close this gap. The Truth Beauty Company is a one-stop shop for the finest selection of natural and organic skincare, hair care, and cosmetic brands.

The sense of meaning behind The Truth Beauty Company is that we need to be smart in our purchasing decisions, especially when it comes to the well-being of our bodies. This company was built on the idea of providing high-quality, organic beauty without the use of harmful chemicals such as parabens, synthetic colors, or phthalates that are typically found in mainstream cosmetics. Jennifer made the point of saying that women use approximately 10-15 products just before leaving the house and that the long-term effects of these chemicals being absorbed by our bodies is problematic. Another mission of this company is to reduce the toxin overload occurring in our environment. There are antibacterial agents found in nearly everything, and as a result triclosan is being rinsed away into lakes and rivers, causing harm to the environment. This specific chemical is found in many everyday consumer products such as liquid soaps, hand sanitizers, cosmetics, laundry soap, and pesticides. Having triclosan in wastewater can interfere with the growth and reproduction of plants and animals in our lakes and streams. A cause Jennifer is passionate about is ensuring that there will be clean water for her children and for generations to come. Clean beauty is a step in the right direction for achieving this goal.

Inspiration

The Truth Beauty Company was created out of necessity when founder Jennifer Freitas was 21 and became a vegetarian. She began eating cleaner and avoiding food that contained toxins and antibiotics. After doing some investigating, she came to realize that most products in her home, including her makeup, were extremely toxic. In 2010, when her twins were one year old, she decided she wanted to start paying attention to herself again and went to purchase hair and makeup products. There were no products on the shelves that were natural based, which is how The Truth Beauty Company emerged.

Jennifer Freitas has always been fairly conscious of living better. She explained, "My mother's side of the family had health issues and struggled with obesity, which [was] attributed to the processed foods they were eating." Her grandmother was prescribed new heart medication, but later died as a result. She believes society is concerned with taking the cheapest or fastest courses of action while ignoring the side effects that are associated with them. Jennifer said, "This inspired me to create a solution that would allow change for people to live more healthily on the planet." She wants to disrupt what Unilever and Procter & Gamble are doing in hopes of creating a movement that is in the best interest of the planet.

Overall impact

The short-term impact on the business was initially the lack of demand for these natural products. When opening up in 2010, the demand for natural beauty products was not there: “People value quality of makeup and the natural beauty industry just was not there yet.” The initial impact of the business innovation was “unprofitable and was not making money for the first 5 years.” The long-term effects that this innovation is starting to see are increasing knowledge about the importance of chemical-free products on your skin and in the environment; this, in turn, is creating a demand for natural beauty products based on consumers wanting to live a healthier lifestyle.

The Truth Beauty Company strives to make a difference within the community as well as the environment. As mentioned previously, the products that are sold in this company use chemical-free ingredients and work to sustain the environment for future generations. The Truth Beauty Company is not only making a difference by restoring our environment, it is also nurturing young local companies within the community.

The Truth Beauty Company has had a positive impact on surrounding companies and has created an environment “where young female entrepreneurs can prosper.” Jennifer mentioned in the interview that most brands she sells are female owned and gave us concrete evidence to show that the company had been making an impact within the society. Cocoon, a brand sold within Truth Beauty, had grown from making products in a basement to expanding to a huge production facility and shipping internationally. Truth Beauty had been a part of this small company’s journey from the beginning and had assisted in generating the brand awareness they needed to gain this huge platform. This is one of many amazing stories shared with us about how The Truth Beauty Company has impacted society, and the company continues to strive to “support local companies and female entrepreneurs by working with companies on a micro level.”

Not only has The Truth Beauty company had a positive impact on society, it has also contributed to Jennifer’s life and the way she values being able to support her children and be an inspiration to them as a female business owner. She wants to instill this vision not only into her children, but also to all female entrepreneurs out there and encouraged us that “possibilities are limitless." As Truth Beauty continues to grow, Jennifer has future aspirations for the company. She wants to continue to disrupt the beauty industry and drive the innovation of natural beauty products for a sustainable future, and she wants to change the way we see beauty by making these products more accessible globally.

Business benefit

A peak moment for The Truth Beauty Company was in 2017. The 2017 year brought exciting new expansions to the company, including a new storefront located in downtown Guelph, which led to an increase in sales revenue and more brand recognition. The new storefront was said to be the "catalyst" that brought on a new PR firm and also allowed team members to make contributions to the company's business development. The Truth Beauty Company was solidifying its space in the green beauty industry. "Becoming as respected as the big-brand companies in the green beauty industry tells us that people know who we are and admire what we are doing." The company was able to increase brand exposure by making its way into print; it was asked to be in the Toronto Star and created a company ad for All Beauty Magazine. People really started to believe what The Truth Beauty Company stood for and trusted in the brand. The passion for the Truth Beauty Company products is a driving force that continues to grow.

Social and environmental benefit

The Truth Beauty company aims to provide all-natural makeup that is healthy for your body and also good for the environment. A lot of chemicals in conventional products do not degrade. Plastic microbeads used to be a prime example of the harmful effects certain compounds can have until it recently was banned. The Truth Beauty company realizes this and seeks to provide alternative options that are locally accessible for consumers. They are also conscious of the environment through paper packaging and providing discounts for returning used product bottles. Jennifer Freitas is also conscientious about where she orders her products and the ecological footprint of delivery.

From a micro-level standpoint, The Truth Beauty Company has had a positive influence on society. It has allowed people to access small, local brands and develop local connections. It is also a catalyst for micro-brands to reach the bigger markets; Herbivore, for instance, has grown and is very common, and Graydon is selling their products within North America.

Interview

Jennifer Freitas, Owner

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