Winnipeg-based natural skin-care company Just the Goods provides customers with handcrafted vegan, plant, and mineral-based products, including “just the goods” and nothing else. Just the Goods founder Milena first started making natural skin care items for herself and her friends in 2007. Almost two decades later, Just the Goods continues to demonstrate that it is both possible to produce affordable skincare without the use of petrochemicals, parabens, sulphates, phthalates, artificial fragrances, dyes, and flavours. We spoke with Milena to learn more.
What is your business called and what does it do?
Just the Goods offers handmade plant-based products for skin, body, and hair
What made you want to do this work?
While studying for my previous career, I never could have guessed I’d find myself doing what I do now. Yes, I’ve always loved bath and cosmetic products (I’m talking all the way back to an obsession with Mr. Bubble as a toddler, and my 6th-grade science fair project about soap, ha ha). Throughout university (in the late 90s/early 2000s), I’d look to home spa products as a way to de-stress and unwind, but while I enjoyed whatever I could afford at the time, unfortunately, my skin did not. The plant-based products I wished I could buy from health food stores were simply too expensive, so I tried making my own. I seemed to have a knack for it and, at the suggestion of friends, I started selling my creations online. I was amazed by how quickly I gained orders across Canada and around the world. From 2009 until 2014, I operated Just the Goods on a part-time basis while continuing to work as a writer and curator of contemporary art. In 2015 decided to make Just the Goods my full-time occupation.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
I wanted to make plant-based skin and body care products more affordable, so I established what I call “public wholesale pricing,” which aims to be as accessible as possible by maintaining the lowest overhead possible. I also make a point of pricing fairly by not increasing rates that create the illusion of free shipping, thereby ensuring everyone gets the very best value possible. For those who prefer more luxurious products, I’ve created a premium organic range called “petal, leaf, root. by Just the Goods.” In this way, I’m able to offer something for everyone, and always very transparently.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
I strive to offer handmade, natural and affordable skin care for everyone, truly. Most of my clients over the past 16 years are people who have been unsatisfied with the impact of petrochemical-based products on their bodies and on the environment. This includes people with allergies, among other specific needs, sometimes as a result of health concerns (i.e. autoimmune disorders or the side effects of needed medications). Other clients have told me they simply like using products made by someone who isn’t replicating “beauty industry” conventions, such as promoting unattainable standards to create insecurity.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
I create skin, body, and hair care formulas. Next, I list them online so people can choose what they like and place an order. Once I receive the orders, I make them and send them out into the world. Over the years, my website has grown to include products by makers offering items in categories I don’t produce myself, such as bar soap from Ground Soap in Ontario, shampoo and conditioner bars from Jack59 in Alberta, Candles by Mother Earth Essentials also in Alberta, and Urban Earth Teas in British Columbia. Since so many people asked me for my recommendations, it made sense to make them available in the same online space.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
I have a wonderful, longstanding relationship with Organic Planet in Wolseley (877 Westminster Ave) — they both retail a selection of Just the Goods products, and they serve as the pick-up location for any order placed online at justthegoods.net. This gives people both the convenience of grab and go for a range of basics and the chance to explore the much larger range of public wholesale options available on my website. A number of refillable products can also be found at Refill Market (previously on Notre Dame, now moving to a delivery service accessible via refillmarket.ca)
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
The best question someone could ask is, I think, one they can ask themselves: what do they really want and need, versus what do they feel pressured to buy? Skincare has become quite a big “thing” over the past few years… 10-step skin care routines are promoted widely across the internet [I think I once stumbled on an article very seriously promoting a 23-step routine!]. If someone has the time and resources to pursue this, then by all means, enjoy! But not everyone does, nor should they feel obligated. I programmed a quiz on my website that helps people determine products and techniques that may help them achieve what they’re seeking, but the underlying message is always: explore slowly, experiment with samples, and decide for yourself what you really want and need.
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is meeting clients online and, in some cases, developing friendships with people across Canada, the United States, and beyond. It’s an honour to know how they’ve found my products to be helpful … from those managing the unpleasant side effects of various medical conditions, to those simply exhausted by skin care marketing rhetoric, it’s been very rewarding to know what I do can be useful and enjoyable.
The worst part has been navigating ever-changing trade conditions that affect the supply of ingredients and packaging I need, and my ability to export. It seems like there is constantly a new challenge, but one upside to doing this for as long as I have is that at least I know change is something to anticipate 😉
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
Believe it or not, this is the toughest of all these questions! Ha ha! I don’t know if I’ve ever encountered anything notably humorous about handmaking skin care products. Maybe it’s funny that so many people assume skin care needs to be expensive to be effective or satisfying? I’m happy to say that’s not necessarily true 🙂
Where can we follow you?
My newsletter, which I send out a few times a year, is the best way to keep in touch. I don’t post on social media as much as I used to, but if anyone would like to follow, check my Instagram and Facebook.
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
