UK rapper and broadcaster Casyo 'Krept' Johnson and influencer Sasha Ellese Gilbert welcomed their daughter Nala into the world back in 2020. When Sasha was pregnant, she was concerned about the potential harm skincare could cause her and her baby, starting the pair on their journey to launch baby skincare range - Nala's Baby.
The success of Nala's Baby since its launch has been remarkable, selling over 750,000 products and winning the Gold award for best skincare product at the Mother & Baby Awards two years in a row. Now the brand is growing, expanding into new retailers nationwide and online. Co-founder, Sasha Ellesse Gilbert commented, saying: "Launching in Tesco, Morrisons and Ocado is a testament to our vision for accessible, natural skincare for families. This expansion not only demonstrates Nala's Baby exceptional business growth but also our continued commitment to providing families nationwide the best for their little ones."
Nala's Baby, as well as now being stocked in major retailers including Tesco, Ocado and Morrisons, as well as on Amazon, has also increased the number of Boots stores it is in too, from 800 to over 1500. To add to this exciting expansion, Nala's Baby have also announced an impressive list of new investors who are excited to be part of the brand. These include, Jourdan Dunn, Dion Sincere Lizzy, Anthony Joshua and Yung Filly. Of being a part of Nala's Baby, Anthony Joshua said, "It's important that we are careful about what we put on our body. Nala's Baby is the best out there, so I wanted to get involved and help take this product to the masses."
If like Krept and Sasha were, you're shocked to discover how many potentially harmful ingredients are included in products, you'll love how Nala's Baby features 99 per cent naturally derived ingredients such as oats, coconut, aloe, lavender and more. Investors Jourdan Dunn and Dion Sincere Lizzy, agree, saying: "We think it’s important to take things back to the roots and make products as natural as possible, especially the products used to nurture our future generation."
Designed to be inclusive for all skin types, all products are proudly dermatologist-approved, paediatrician-approved, cruelty-free, vegan, eczema-friendly, tear-free, fully recyclable and made in Britain.
We had the chance to catch up with Krept and Sasha to find out what makes Nala's Baby so unique and get to the bottom of how they envision Nala's Baby being useful for parents, and to find out how they feel about its success and future.
What was the inspiration behind Nala’s Baby?
Sasha: "During my pregnancy, I was very cautious about absolutely everything, down to what I was eating and putting on my own skin. We began to receive hampers from friends with baby products, and we had so many different choices to go by, then someone recommended the ‘Think Dirty’ app, which rates products from zero to 10 on how clean or dirty they are - zero being the cleanest and 10 being full of chemicals. We started to scan all these products and those that were in our local retailers, and we realised all the products we were getting weren’t as baby-friendly as they should be, even though some bottles said they were natural. Having read what was in the ingredients, we didn’t feel comfortable using them and felt there was a space for us to create a natural product, and did exactly what it said on the bottle - one that parents could trust and was within a good price range too. There are so many products out there that are great and have a ‘zero rating’, but the price point isn’t achievable for everyone. So it was just us being cautious parents."
What’s your favourite product from the range?
Sasha: "Mine is the body butter. I’m just in love with it: the texture of it, it’s thick and creamy, and I love thick and creamy textures. The smell is also incredible, and when we went to the factory to see them getting made and they were all in the pots getting mixed and it just smelled incredible. It also works well on Nala’s skin. She has eczema, and when we use the body butter, I notice a big difference in her skin."
Krept: "My favourite for Nala is the body butter for what it’s done for her skin. When you watch your child scratch and itching and then to be able to give her a product, and now I haven’t seen her do that in the last couple of weeks, it was like this is incredible. My personal favourite is weird because it’s not one it’s two. I mix the oil and lotion or oil and butter together - I make my own concoction, and that is my little combination."
SHOP: Baby skincare range, Nala's Baby
Prices start from £5.50, Nala’s Baby is now available in Boots, Tesco, Morrisons and Ocado stores nationwide and available to purchase online at www.nalasbaby.com and Amazon. As part of the expansion, Nala's Baby has launched a new product, Vanilla Cloud Body Butter, which is exclusive to Tesco, and Krept, co-founder, says: "We’re particularly excited to announce the new launch of our Vanilla Cloud Body Butter, bringing a well-loved scent to one of our best-selling products, now available at Tesco." He continues: "It's a combination of our bests selling products, our best selling range is our vanilla range and our best selling product is the body butter. It's the perfect combination." Sasha agrees: "It's my favourite product to launch yet."
Check out our favourite items from the collection below and keep reading to find out more about Nala's Baby from Krept and Sasha.
www.boots.com
Although this is suitable for newborns, Nala's Baby Body Lotion is the essential product you'll need when they're around four to six weeks old. At the first sign of dryness, build using this into your little one's daily routine. This lotion is packed with natural goodness making it excellent for sensitive skin and suitable for skin prone to eczema. Plus, we love that it's dermatologist-approved and paediatrician-approved.
One parent reviewer said, "My daughter recommended this product for my 18 year old son who has severe eczema on his hands. I was a bit sceptical as its a baby lotion. But within a week if using this three times a day his hands are almost clear. This stuff is amazing! I cannot recommend it enough and will definitely be buying in bulk!"
If your tiny human has really sensitive skin or doesn't like fragranced products, then there's the option to choose the Nala's Baby Body Lotion Fragrance Free instead.
www.boots.com
When you're getting your mini me ready for bed, use this oil to get them ready for dreamtime. As well as featuring relaxing ingredients such as lavender it also nourish your baby's skin.
One parent reviewer said, "As a mum with a with a child with sensory needs, my son Oscar finds textures some what of a challenge. This nighttime oil doesn’t only help with Oscars bedtime routine, the consistency is perfect! It helps calm and settle Oscar."
www.boots.com
Bath time will never be the same again thanks to Nala's Baby. Why? Well, this bubble bath won't damage your child's skin because of its caring nutrients such as vitamin e, oat mil and camomile.
One parent reviewer said, "Smells so good and does not dry out the skin. Will definitely buy the whole range, I understand why it has such a big hype."
www.boots.com
Suitable for newborns upwards: this body wash and shampoo product is the perfect bathtime product. As well as being super moisturising, it's ideal for little ones with sensitive skin or skin prone to eczema. But the benefits don't stop there - it also has a tear-free formula for your baby's maximum comfort.
One parent reviewer said, "Little one has curly long hair, this makes her hair so soft and moisturised, and leaves her scalp feeling soothed and clean - pair together with the condition too and amazing results. Leaves her feeling soft and shiny - love it!"
www.boots.com
The Black-owned brand is the first skincare range to include educational augmented reality functionality. Scannable via a QR code, this tool is designed to educate parents and distract children when get are having lotion applied or nappies changed.
So while using this conditioner, the interactive world takes children on a journey through the jungle, meeting Nala’s friends Oscar the Night Owl, Sheddy the Snake, Lenny the Lizard, Mimi the Monkey, Harper the Hippo and Eliza the Elephant, who explain the benefits of natural ingredients on the skin.
One parent reviewer said, "This conditioner left my baby's hair feeling super soft and it smells amazing. Highly recommend especially as its a natural product at a affordable price!"
nalasbaby.com
We're not surprised that Sasha's favourite item from the baby skincare range has already sold out on Boots. Make sure to add this item to your basket from Nala's Baby website.
One reviewer, Jennifer, said: "I ordered 7 because this is the only body butter I use, I love it. It’s not only for the grand children, well saying that I’ve personally purchased them for myself."
nalasbaby.com
Nala's baby® Vanilla Cloud Body Butter is packed with skin-caring natural ingredients that give your little one's skin some TLC. With a calming blend of shea butter, cocoa butter and camomile, it will leave your little cub feeling moisturised and nourished from head to toe.
nalasbaby.com
This body wash and shampoo is just like the original but has an allergen-free sweet vanilla fragrance. It is clinically proven to be gentle and mild on even delicate newborn baby skin. With its trusted tear-free formula and natural ingredients including oat, coconut, shea butter and hibiscus, your little cub will leave bath-time with their skin and hair feeling fresh, clean and nourished.
One reviewer said: "Bought this a few days ago along with the lotion and normally my babies skin is so sensitive but he absolutely loved it!! caused no reactions and smells amazing too he smelt so good all day will defo be my go to going forward."
www.boots.com
Nala’s Baby® 99% natural body lotion is clinically proven to moisturise delicate baby skin. It has a lovely vanilla scent, with an allergen free fragrance. Plus it is a nutrient rick lotion using soothing oat and nourishing coconut oil to protect your baby's delicate skin leaving it feeling soft, smooth and moisturised.
One reviewer, Elle, said: "Just beautiful and smells great and works lovely on the skin."
www.boots.com
Lock in moisture with Nala’s baby® 99% natural nighttime body oil. Formulated with apricot oil and blended with vitamin E and C, castor oil and lavender oil with its antibacterial properties, plus a lovely warm allergen-free vanilla scent, it'll leave your little cub smelling like a sweet treat.
One reviewer said: "I only have the nighttime oil in original and vanilla cloud. It’s the best oil I’ve ever used on my skin. I’ve recently started to use it on my face and I’m super impressed. I love that the smell isn’t strong, it’s subtle and exactly what I need, as I hate overpowering/strong smells."
What makes Nala’s Baby unique from other baby skincare brands currently available?
Krept: "The zero-rating is one of our major ones. It’s always good getting an independent third party that has no ties to you that verifies millions of products, to then go and do their due diligence on yours and give their actual true rating into a product. We also wanted to push the natural percentage as well, and each product is made from 99 per cent naturally derived ingredients, which no one else has got. Then there were little things like to make your product foam, you need a foaming agent, but the majority of those aren’t natural. But we found a plant called a quillaja plant, which is a natural foaming agent, and we added that in. We needed to tick all of the boxes; we needed to be dermatology-approved, paediatrician-approved, tear-free, vegan, alcohol-free, suitable for sensitive skin, suitable for eczema, be free from parabens, sulphates, and all harmful toxins. We completely changed the products’ designs so that the packaging is completely recyclable because initially, only the bottom part of the bottles was. Then we wanted to be as ethical as we could as well, so everything’s made in Britain. Pricewise, we wanted it to be accessible because everything good for you is expensive. The icing on the cake though was adding the augmented reality on the bottles, so you scan the QR code, and this whole cartoon comes up of Nala, and she educates you on all the ingredients in the products."
How do you envision Nala’s Baby being useful for parents?
Krept: "As a parent, it’s always hard to find a brand that you can actually trust because we found out that you only need two per cent naturally derived ingredients in a product to say the word ‘natural’, so there are brands out there that have minor natural ingredients and then they’ll run around saying ‘natural, natural’ because they can. Whereas we wanted to make everything transparent, that’s why we have the percentages on there, and we’re shouting about every single ingredient. We put our ingredients out there individually on an application so that you can see how clean and how dirty each ingredient is. For us to take that step and do that, I feel like we’re letting parents know that we’re not hiding anything from you. We want you to be able to trust and fully be able to rely on a brand that isn’t going to harm you or your kid from now and in the future. We want to be that brand that parents can go to where they trust everything that comes from this brand, and creating that thing for parents is a great feeling."
Can parents use Nala's Baby too?
Absolutely! In fact Krept says he loves combining products, especially the oil, to use on his own skin. New investor, Yung Filly, is impressed and said: "Best believe I'm going to start using this crème. I thought it was just for babies but Krept showed me, that this is what he uses on a daily."
How do you feel about the expansion of Nala's Baby?
Krept: "We are really excited for this year and what is to come. Growing the brand. Growing the range. Listening to the customers and what they feel they need. So much time and effort went into it between me and Sasha and to see that paying off because people are loving the brand and trusting the brand and we're converting so many people over to what we're doing and to see that from testimonials and reviews is crazy. We felt like we were growing so fast and there was such high demand from customers and what they want. Increasing the online presence and in store presence has been a big milestone. Tesco is my actual local so to see it in my local Tesco will be crazy."
What future vision do you have for Nala's Baby?
Sasha: "We have had a lot of conversations. When we we first started the vision we had for it long term included skincare, cosmetics, education and the app. So many different things are important. Throughout a child's life they need different things. How can we create a brand which follows a child through every single stage of their life? That is the bigger goal. It might be many moons away. But how can we make a difference in a good way throughout the life span of a child?"
Laura Healy is a Commercial Content Writer for Mother&Baby. She is a mum-of-two girls and loves writing about all things parenting, she is particularly interested in the toddler years and eco-friendly baby products, as well as children’s literature. She has a PhD in Creative Writing and has published short stories in the UK and Ireland, as well as previously writing freelance for her local paper.