With a million different options for beauty products available on the shelf, you would think that the market is fully saturated and that every possible idea has already been explored. However, you’d be wrong because two best mates with a passion for business have carved out a niche for themselves in a highly competitive industry. Aidan Drentin and Michael Ballato are the co-founders of Brunae Body, an Australian suncare brand offering highly natural and cruelty-free accelerating Tanning Oils and Lotions.
Brunae is made with natural, high-quality ingredients; including avocado oil, mango seed butter, and cupuacu. But what really sets them apart is the inclusion of an active complex derived from natural ingredients, which assists with melanin production. This inclusion of this magical complex helps users tan faster and darker with less sun time.
The two school friends banded together in 2020 to create a fun yet challenging side hustle during COVID. Soon enough, they found themselves trying to manage exploding demand from fans of Brunae Body as the hype made waves across social media. The partners embraced the buzz and leaned further into paid social media strategies, as well as connecting and working with social media influencers to expand their audience further. “I think it’s important to understand the science behind sales and marketing – it is no different in a digital setting. We live in a day and age where attention is everything and the ability to be able to monetise that attention, especially on social media, is crucial for any business” said co-founder Aidan.
The pair understood just how important it was to provide a product that was different from everything else available. “When we created Brunae Body, our mission was to bring to market a range of differentiated products that firstly did what they said on the box, but were also built on self-love and being as comfortable as possible in your own skin. We feel that everyone deserves to feel beautiful and confident, and our products reflect that” said Aidan.
Aidan and Michael understand how a sun-kissed glow is coveted by Australian women, but also knew that there was a number of poor quality tanning products on the market. They didn’t want to fall into the trap of just being another mainstream brand. “As well as being focused on tanning, we still place great importance on skin care. The sun can dry out and dehydrate your skin so we designed the Brunae Body range to hydrate and nourish the skin as well as help boost the body’s tanning ability,” mentioned Michael.
Despite being initially surprised by how quickly Brunae Body was blowing up, founders Aidan and Michael had a significant belief that their range of products would be successful. Countless hours of research, trials, and revising were poured into the brand.
The product range was tested extensively to ensure not only that it worked, but that the user experience was premium. “I remember a time pre-launch, back when we initially thought we were ready to bring Brunae to market but our testing group gave us some feedback regarding minor annoyances with the consistency of the oil,” Aidan recalled. “We spent the next several months refining the production process with our manufacturer to make sure our target audience was completely satisfied with their experience.”
This commitment to bringing an effective product and positive experience to young Australian women looking to enjoy summer with their amazing products and feel beautiful doing it is what has cemented Brunae Body as a leading women’s beauty brand in Australia, despite being owned and run by two men. “The reviews speak for themselves. Anyone can build a business and succeed in a tough market if you’re passionate about your idea and dedicated enough to keep pushing for it,” noted Michael.
You can connect with the Brunae Body team through their website, and check out their Instagram and TikTok pages to learn more about the natural tanning products making waves on social media.
