Today we’d like to introduce you to Ali Perry-hatch, Mph
Hi Ali, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up on St. Simons Island, Georgia, I developed a deep love for nature, the ocean, and island life. As a child, I was often found creating natural beauty concoctions, like marsh mud masks and sea salt sprays.
My career as a humanitarian engineer focused on global environmental health and toxicology. I traveled the world researching the daily toxins we encounter and how synthetic chemicals negatively impact our health, emphasizing the use of beneficial natural alternatives.
While in grad school, my husband and I lived in an off-the-grid treehouse, embracing a mindful lifestyle. After a near-fatal car accident, I faced a long and painful recovery and discovered I was pregnant with my miracle baby. This combination of experiences pushed me to critically evaluate what I put in and on my body, as well as its effects on the environment.
One of my biggest struggles was finding a comprehensive range of premium natural beauty products that met my strict standards for effectiveness, ethics, and sustainability. This inspired me to start making my own in our tiny treehouse kitchen—leading to the birth of Earth Harbor Naturals!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s definitely been a journey with its share of ups and downs. We started at small farmers’ markets, which allowed us to connect deeply with our customers and gather invaluable feedback. However, that initial phase was just the beginning. Soon after, we were fortunate to be picked up by Whole Foods, as well as large subscription boxes like Ipsy.
This rapid growth brought a steep learning curve. We had to scale our operations significantly to meet the demands of a larger audience, which posed challenges in ramping up our in-house production. Each step required us to rethink our processes and adapt quickly.
Through it all, we’ve remained true to our mission and roots. We continue to focus on creating small-batch products made with our beyond clean ingredients. This commitment has been vital as we navigate the complexities of working with larger retailers while ensuring that our products remain effective, ethical, and pure.
Overall, while the journey has been challenging, it has also been incredibly rewarding. We’ve learned to be agile, listen closely to our customers, and refine our offerings based on their needs and feedback. This experience has not only shaped our business but has also reinforced my passion for creating high-quality self-care products that truly make a difference.”
We’ve been impressed with Earth Harbor, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Earth Harbor takes conscious beauty seriously. Perry-Hatch, a former environmental social enterprise co-founder, herbalist and toxicologist with a master’s degree in public health who once lived off the grid with Hatch, came up with the original plant-based Earth Harbor products after using them on herself as she recovered from a near-fatal car accident.
“We are the first plant-based skincare brand to have been founded by a toxicologist, but it’s not just plant-based, it’s going beyond clean because we are ethical, sustainable and rooted in science,” says Perry-Hatch. “All of our products have an actual clinically proven botanical active in them.”
What helped seal the deal, too, is Earth Harbor’s conscious positioning and pricing that’s not exorbitant. On average, an Earth Harbor product is about $23. Perry-Hatch says, “This year and the year before was all about sustainability, and I don’t think that’s ever going away, but, along with all of the expectations stacked on indie brands now for having as high ethical standards as possible and being as sustainable and transparent as possible, with the looming recession, accessible pricing is important.”
The brand has accumulated a long list of certifications to verify its products are clean, cruelty-free and eco-friendly. For example, it has certifications from PETA, Leaping Bunny, Climate Neutral, Sustainable Forestry Initiative, Think Dirty and Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. In addition, it has an internal sustainability transparency program.
Earth Harbor handles manufacturing and sourcing itself, and always looks for ingredients from fair trade-certified and Ecocert suppliers. Suppliers without those certifications have to sign an Earth Harbor document corroborating that their ingredients are cultivated without harming the earth or workers. The brand has a supply chain expert and cosmetic chemist in-house to safeguard that it lives up to its standards.
Perry-Hatch explains the brand brought its “manufacturing, R&D, sourcing and fulfilling, except for our sunscreen, in-house so that we can control our supply chain without having to rely on contract manufacturers, iterate on trends more quickly, and most importantly, control sustainable practices and ethical operations plus sourcing as well as ensure that efficacious amounts of active ingredients are administered into each product.”
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My husband, Shane Hatch, is our Co-Founder and COO. He had a background in web development and paid ads that helped us grow initially. He runs our studio and manufacturing.
Also many mentors, wonderful employees and family has helped us along the way.
Pricing:
- average product price $23
Contact Info:
- Website: https://earthharbor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthharbor
Image Credits
Whitney Finuf
