HANNAH SAUNDERS

How did your brand come about?
I’ve always been adventurous and loved to travel. I was in the RAF for 9 years and was introduced to so many outdoor sports: hill walking, skiing, mountain biking and climbing. I was always out doing something! I became a mum, and I wanted to bring my son on my adventures with me, but I found there weren’t the products out there to protect his sensitive skin. I started making my own. We’ve worked for 2 years through research and development with Glyndwr University, commercial labs and have completed consumer tests. Making our products the best they can be!

What is the biggest challenge you have faced as a brand?
Minimum order quantities! Skin care is hard to do as a start up when manufacturers require huge orders. It’s dominated by the big guys and really set up for them.

What are you most proud of as a brand?
We really try and do everything as ethically as we reasonably can; from our compostable packaging to our HR policies. ‘Doing good’ is just at the heart of what we do.

What sets you apart from other brands in your category?

We know where EVERY ingredient has come from. We know there are no skeletons in our supply chain closet. No slavery, low wages, appalling treatment of workers. Absolutely NO animal testing.

What is your best beauty hack?
Sleep! I don’t get enough as I have a 2 year old, but it’s better than a face full of makeup!

Toddle is all about natural skincare for the entire family using sustainable packaging. Could you pick one small change for everyone to make to live more sustainably?
Try and find a coral reef safe sunscreen when shopping around. I didn’t realise the impact that some of the chemicals in popular sun creams have on this fragile ecosystem.

If you could have a business meeting with one celebrity who would you choose and why?
Joe Wicks- his journey really inspires me. He had no-one at his sessions initially but kept turning up…sheer hard work and perseverance. He always seems to never stop learning too.

Have you read anything or watched anything on tv lately that you think everyone needs to know about?
Grit: the power of passion and perseverance’. It’s a book packed full of science and case studies that basically proves you can do (almost) anything if you just work hard. I found it really inspiring for my business and it has helped me parent better, too. There’s no such thing as a kid who ‘can’t do maths’ for example. There’s a case study in there about a kid who ‘couldn’t do maths’ (which I’m sure many of us can relate to). He just practiced and practiced and has just got his maths PhD.

Tell us your favourite quote, mantra or best piece of advice
‘Eat the toad for breakfast’. If you have something tough to do that day, make sure it’s the very first thing you do! The rest of the day will seem easy in comparison and then it’s not looming over you.

What do you wish you had invented?
Zoom!

What is your LITTLE FIND?

The Emma Hardie Morning Cleansing Balm - I adore it!

Now, let’s have a little fun and FIND out about you...

Discover Toddle at THE FIND.