Introducing Red Buffalo Skincare, and how the brand started.
Corlie, founder of the company, and her family lived in the city of Kunming in Southwest China for 13 years and the extremely dry climate left her and her family suffering with itchy, flaky and sore skin. She decided she wanted to create a product that would provide long-lasting moisture for the skin.
Frustrated by the quantity of store-bought moisturiser they were using, as well as the wasteful plastic containers, Corlie decided she wanted to create a lotion bar. The moisturising bar would not only nourish and hydrate the skin it would also contain zero plastic packaging.
Word spread and Corlie soon started making the lotion bars for friends and the range quickly grew. Today, Red Buffalo Skincare consists of 8 hydrating products made with a combination of waxes, oils and butters. The range comprises of lip balms, natural deodorants, mosquito repellents, solid moisturising bars and cacao lotion sticks, heel scrubs and balms and Himalayan bath salts.
“The name Red Buffalo was inspired by our time on honeymoon in Northern Thailand. Water buffalo worked in the rice paddies and walked in large herds on the roads. Some carried small children on their backs while the mothers lead the buffalo in the fields.
“One day on our travels, I spotted a rare, albino water buffalo whose skin was a striking reddish pink in colour. I knew that would be the name of my company – Red Buffalo. The image of the buffalo is a pictograph taken from the Naxi tribe of Yunnan province. The tribe don’t have a written language and it is one of the last remaining cultures that use a pictographic script.
“The Naxi script for buffalo makes up the top part of the logo and the symbol underneath is the script for water. The logo is an ongoing reminder of our extraordinary honeymoon with the man that would be my partner for life.”
Red Buffalo Skincare products are made using natural ingredients and do not contain any chemical additives, preservatives or stabilisers. To counterbalance the consistency of the products that can become harder in cold weather, Corlie varies her recipes for stability depending on the season.
Corlie’s commitment to sustainability means all of the products are packaged in either biodegradable paper push-up tubes, or reusable and refillable glass or aluminium tins. The paper tubes break down naturally and don’t leave behind toxic residue or microplastics in the environment. Her aim is to discontinue the aluminium containers by the end of 2025, only using glass and paper for the products.
Red Buffalo Skincare products are made in small batches of 20 to 40 items at a time meaning Corlie has full control of the production process. This ensures the quality and effectiveness in her skincare formulations and products reach customers days after their creation. The ingredients used in the products are purchased from suppliers and retailers holding the same ethos and beliefs as Corlie, such as Essentially Natural, Refined Naturals and Holistic Emporium.
“By opting to purchase my eco-friendly products, not only will you support a small business committed to reducing the impact of commerce on the environment, but you’ll also be joining the ranks of a fast-growing group of mindful consumers. We all should embrace sustainable shopping as a conscious lifestyle choice, knowing that our seemingly small decisions today will have a big impact on the world of tomorrow.”
Red Buffalo Skincare’s corporate goal
“I want to mainstream paper push up tubes in South Africa. I want to see so many small businesses switch from plastic or tins to the cutest paper tubes for their lip balms and bigger tubes for their deodorants, sunscreens and whichever other product they make; that we capture the attention of BIG brands.
“I want to start a snowball effect that will eventually remove all plastic skincare product containers off the shelves of not only South Africa but the world. The paper products which include Kraft paper push up tubes as well as Kraft paper pots will soon be available for purchase on my other website https://www.redbuffalotradingpost.com
I have been buying my products’ paper tubes from one supplier in Wuhan, China, since 2021. I have a great relationship with them, and having lived in China for so many years not only can I speak and type Mandarin, but I also have a deep understanding of Chinese culture and how personal relationships impact business relationships.
“To this effect I have started utilising this personal connection with my supplier in China by importing plain unlabelled tubes in bulk to resell to small businesses in South Africa to try out, without these businesses having to commit to large MOQ’s. Because I am a long term customer and have a special relationship – known in Chinese as guanxi – with my supplier, I am able to get these paper tubes for a much lower price than others would get should they try ordering directly off Alibaba.
“I have also started a service where I assist some of these same small businesses to order their own custom branded tubes after they found out how amazing paper push up tubes are.”
Connect with me on Instagram to really get to know me, what I believe in and what I make.
https://www.instagram.com/red_buffalo_skincare
