California Baby Celebrates 20-Year Anniversary, Raising the Bar on Standards in the Natural Care Product Industry
What Began as One New Mom's Quest for Natural Baby Shampoo Has Grown into an Award-Winning Collection of More than 80 Pediatrician and Dermatologist, Hospital Recommended Hair, and Skin Care Products for Babies, Kids and Sensitive Adults
LOS ANGELES, CA, November 19, 2015 (Newswire.com) - California Baby, the nation’s leader in premium natural and organic skincare for babies, kids and sensitive adults, celebrates its 20-year anniversary as a pioneer in the natural and organic industry.
The Company, started by Founder and President, Jessica Iclisoy, was created when Jessica, just becoming a new mother, was looking for a natural and safe baby wash for her newborn son. Jessica’s kitchen experiments turned into a thriving business that created a niche for baby products in the natural market. She pioneered gentle biodegradable cleansers and aromatherapy for baby and kids, thoroughly researched and tested her first product for three years before releasing it to the public to make sure it was best in class. In November 1995, California Baby was born, introducing the company’s flagship product, Calming Shampoo & Bodywash, which is still a top seller in the natural baby skincare category today.
"I couldn't be more proud of what California Baby has accomplished in just 20 years I've been in this business since before natural products were a 'trend' and I'm proud to say that California Baby was the first company to say no to sodium lauryl sulfate and took it upon myself to find an alternative. Now, even people who aren't into organic are starting to understand that sulfates are very drying and damaging to the skin. We've come a long way in 20 years. We look forward to a bright future ahead, creating more natural products for the whole family."
Jessica Iclisoy, President and Founder
“I couldn’t be more proud of what California Baby has accomplished in just 20 years,” said Iclisoy. “I’ve been in this business since before natural products were a ‘trend’ and I’m proud to say that California Baby was the first company to say no to sodium lauryl sulfate and took it upon myself to find an alternative. Now, even people who aren’t into organic are starting to understand that sulfates are very drying and damaging to the skin. We’ve come a long way in 20 years. We look forward to a bright future ahead, creating more natural products for the whole family.”
In the 20 years of the Company’s existence they have reached many milestones. See below for a timeline of major highlights:
· 1995 - California Baby launched their first product after research and testing for three years. This product was the Calming Shampoo and Bodywash and it is now the company’s flagship item.
· 1995 - California Baby pioneered the use of aromatherapy quality essential oils in baby care products as well as the use of Decyl Polyglucose, a naturally based, non-invasive cleanser to replace sodium lauryl sulfate, which Jessica refused to include in her formulas because it could contain carcinogenic contaminants.
· 1996- Recognizing a major need for natural care products for babies at a retail level, Jessica was instrumental in creating the baby section in the natural skincare aisle launching at Whole Foods Markets (then Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Food Markets).
· 2000- California Baby introduces first mineral sunscreen for babies and kids utilizing titanium dioxide instead of chemical invasive sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone. California Baby sunscreens would go on to win many awards and recognition as one of the best sunscreens available.
· 2003- California Baby was among the first to recognize food allergens as potentially harmful for babies due to early exposure and removed gluten, soy, dairy and tree nuts (with the exception of coconut) from their formulas. California Baby also found and reformulated with a new preservative system to remove parabens from all products.
· 2006 - California Baby became the first natural line to successfully make the jump to the mass market; California Baby launched into 1500 Target stores, and is a nationally recognized brand that is still sold in Whole Foods as well as big retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond.
· 2007- California Baby opens their best in class, FDA registered, certified organic, solar powered and sustainable manufacturing facility in a Los Angeles enterprise zone. The City of Los Angeles sought businesses to revitalize these enterprise zones that were neighborhoods at risk. Since the opening of their facility, other businesses have been encouraged to move to the area and a thriving commercial area has been established providing a substantial tax base to serve the community.
· 2008- California Baby establishes a state-of-the-art Research & Development and Quality Control laboratory dedicated to pioneering new functional green and sustainable ingredients not seen in the market.
· 2010- California Baby launched their Eco showroom that serves as a learning laboratory to the public, teaching parents and others how to embrace the earth-first, all-natural lifestyle cultivated for over 20 years by founder, Jessica Iclisoy—encouraging others to learn from her experience.
· 2011 - California Baby purchased farmland and converted it into organic land to grow their own Calendula for California Baby products. The farm, Flower & Vine, is located in Los Alamos, California in Santa Barbara county
· 2013 – NAWBO (National Association of Women Business Owners) awards Jessica received the leadership award with the year’s theme of “Thinking Outside The Box.”
· 2014 - California Baby became a certified Woman Owned Business.
· 2015 - Recognized by Senator Dianne Feinstein as a leader in the natural products industry. California Baby exceeds industry standards and is a model company that’s in full favor of the Personal Care Products Safety Act.
· 2015- California Baby creates a position for a Brand Integrity Manager. Her primary focus is to ensure that quality standards of ingredients and processes are maintained while continuing to find greener and more sustainable options. She also acts as a gatekeeper to the industry as California Baby feels that as one of the founding companies of the natural and organic industry that it is their responsibility to oversee its overall integrity.
Jessica Iclisoy has dedicated her personal and professional life to contributing to the development and evolution of the natural products industry. California Baby is an original and the reason for growth in the natural baby skincare category we see today.
About California Baby:
California Baby is the highest quality and best in class brand of personal care products for the whole family. What began as one new mom's quest for a safe baby shampoo has grown into a beloved collection of more than 80 pediatrician and dermatologist-recommended hair and skin care products for babies, kids and sensitive adults. Join us and our loyal fans on our mission to only create the safest naturally derived products to soothe, nourish and smooth out life’s rough patches the natural way: one baby, one kid, one family at a time. Learn more at www.californiababy.com and on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.
About Jessica Iclisoy:
Jessica Iclisoy is the President & Founder of California Baby®. Iclisoy embarked on her entrepreneurial journey after the birth of her first son. Her efforts to protect future generations extend beyond the Los Angeles facility. An active member of the Organic Trade Association, Jessica serves on a task force committee to recommend organic and safe cosmetics standards in the cosmetics industry. She also collaborates with leading groups and companies to initiate congressional action that will establish federal legislation demanding safe cosmetics and has participated in lobbying activities to help shape TSCA reform. California Baby is a certified Woman Owned Business. Jessica believes that her mission extends far beyond creating products that are safe for children and healthy for the environment. She strives to educate and enlighten parents to the simple principles of natural living, adhering always to her founding philosophy: what’s good for the environment is good for families.
Media Inquiries:
Nicole Rodrigues
publicrelations@californiababy.com
(650) 815-5069
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