Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alberto López Iglesias, CEO of Herbolario Bio, located in Silleda, Pontevedra, Spain.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Herbolario Bio is a Spanish sustainable cosmetics brand. Our unisex cosmetics are handcrafted for all people (whatever type of skin they have). Our cosmetics are natural, vegan, organic, toxic-free, and not tested on animals. For customers who care about using cosmetics with ingredients 100% from nature and taking care of the environment.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Alberto. I am CEO of Herbolario Bio. I started this sustainable project because I couldn't find cosmetics formulated with real natural ingredients. From Galicia (specifically in Silleda, in the countryside), we make cosmetics as natural as the skin itself. From the beginning, I knew that Herbolario Bio had to be something more than a natural cosmetics brand; for this reason, we collaborate with associations that reforest forests, care for animals, and reintegrate people for a better future. All this, as a whole, is Bio Herbalist: nature, culture, solidarity, sustainability, and real commitment.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The greatest achievement we have had is to manufacture cosmetics that have been tested on all skin types. Offering not only unisex cosmetics but also suitable for sensitive skin, oily skin, dry skin, combination skin, and normal skin. That is, cover the needs of the skin with a single product. We have obtained important prizes for the best products and also as a brand in the Organics Clean Awards. Translating the Galician language and culture into each product makes us feel proud of our project. Each of our cosmetics has a name in the Galician language and unique meanings and stories.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

The hardest part is getting to other countries. It is not just about looking for a distributor, but it is very difficult to find one with our demands: it must have an environmental and social commitment, it must know and share our wisdom in natural matters, and, of course, offer our sustainable cosmetics in specialized stores and not in any place. For this reason, it is very difficult to open a market in other countries. Of course, launching a product is also very expensive, and that means that we cannot launch as many products on the market as we would like. But step by step, we are growing and, most importantly, enjoying our project.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. The first and most important: you have to like what you do or are going to do. Do not look at the economy if it is not something that you are passionate about.
  2. The second: if you are passionate about something, find a way to make it happen without being held back by negative opinions.
    Launching your project is not easy, but if you don't do it out of fear, someone will end up doing it for you, and then it will be too late.
  3. Third: always appreciate the good things and learn from the bad. We all go through better and worse times; it is important to learn from them and not let them stop you.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.herbolariobio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herbolariobio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herbolariobio/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/herbolariobio
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/herbolariobio/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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