The beauty industry has evolved because people are more aware of what they put on their skin. Level Naturals is a growing all-natural bath and beauty company that cares about the products you use on your body. But it will not sacrifice performance to maintain purity. Jonathan Dubuque is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Level Naturals. He spoke with us about the humble beginnings of the company, the challenges that come along with expanding a business, and its bright future.
Tell us the story of Level’s birth.
We started the business in my garage with my best friend, Sabrina Roberson, about four and a half years ago. We have a pineapple farm in Hawaii, which is off-grid and solar-powered. This was where we developed the idea. We moved to Los Angeles from Hawaii. The Level was created in Sabrina’s garage. We started by learning natural chemistry and set up our shop. Because I was so busy with Level, I haven’t had the chance to go back [to Hawaii] in two years. It’s a good thing. I do have moments when I think, “What am I doing? I could be in Hawaii now!” We’re having an absolute blast.
What does your tagline “Changing the World One Shower at a Time” mean to you personally?
Our products are free of gluten. Our products are gluten-free. We wanted to make something safer for everyone: vegan, cruelty-free, and effective. It isn’t easy to find a product that is all-natural but also provides a great bathing experience.
I didn’t know that gluten could be linked to autism.
Everything is connected. People with Crohn’s or Celiac think they’re doing enough by cutting gluten from their diet, but your stomach absorbs only 30% of what you put in it. Your stomach acid breaks down everything, and your body eliminates the rest. The skin, on the other hand, absorbs 70-80%. It is believed that the products are absorbed through the skin into the nervous and cardiovascular systems. People may still experience gluten sensitivity, even after cutting out gluten. They don’t realize that their issues could be related to the products they use.
You are very passionate about this issue.
Sabrina is a health professional who has been in the industry for many years. I was a vegan raw for a long time. A lot of friends and family members have also been affected by autism or have children who were born autistic. In the U.S., I’ve been very sensitive to gluten. Because food is processed differently in the U.S., I didn’t experience the same problems when I was growing up in Portugal. When I went gluten-free, I never felt healthier. We wanted to find the best, most beneficial, and most effective body care products. Eliminating gluten was an obvious choice. We don’t use any animal products, like beeswax, honey, or anything else. We are vegans when it comes down to the skin.
You are now doing a subscription box service. How does it work?
The Level Goodbox! There are three: the Good, the better, and the best. You don’t have to worry about bath products anymore. You get the best price, and there is no need to guess. You will receive a new fragrance every month unless otherwise requested. We also give you a surprise product that is either new or has not yet been launched.
What is your favorite product right now?
The Frankincense and Myrrh smell amazing. This one smells really musky and masculine. I don’t like a lot of fragrances because I am around them so much. The Active soap is always at the top of my list. It cleanses and doesn’t leave your skin feeling tight. A black bar of soap is also very sexy.
What’s Next for You Guys?
These bath salts are called Soaks Don’t Suck. Sabrina swears that the Cramps Suck bath salts are great for cramps. We also have Muscles Suck and Insomnia Sucks. We’ve just gotten into Whole Foods Manhattan. It’s amazing. We’re feeling overwhelmed right now. In the beginning, we were just two people in a garage of 200 square feet. We’ve now expanded to 3,000 sq. ft. with a roll-up door and are already outgrowing it. We want to keep the current employees, eight, in place. We have more than 400 offices in five countries.
Do you want to keep your business small?
It’s grown up. It’s fine; we still have our adoptive family around us. Avo has been working with us for the past four years. He was in the adjacent art gallery when I asked him to help me mix some products. Beth is the production manager. She’s amazing–and a fantastic drummer. It has been an interesting group. Along the way, we’ve had to learn a lot.
Do you have any stories to share with us?
Consider what incentives your state provides for small businesses. Some states offer more support than others, particularly if your business is green. We are keeping the company here, but we want to open a second location in Detroit. People there need jobs. It would help if you also kept as much in-house as possible. When you run a small company and are doing a great job, everyone will try to steal as much as they can. This was a great lesson. It was a little scary at first because people were making lots of promises. It’s important to stay true to yourself and to what you feel is right.
Leave a Reply