Competition in the natural skincare market has grown exponentially in recent years with a slew of start-ups vying for sales in an already saturated segment. This might have deterred some would-be skincare entrepreneurs from joining the fray but not the founders of Atlantik Body Care, Limerick duo Kevin Moore and Eoin Breen.
They launched their business three months ago and believe that their USP – targeting athletes who want to optimise their skin health – will ensure they stand out from the crowd.
Kevin Moore is a PE teacher, the founder of LCGeography (an online revision platform for Leaving Cert students) and a senior intercounty footballer. Eoin Breen is a manufacturing engineer with a particular interest in holistic health and previous start-up experience, having set up healthy snack company Box of Bites in 2020.
As an athlete, Moore says he has had various skin problems over the years but found little by way of effective natural solutions to deal with blisters, rashes and irritation from sweat and tight clothing. Inspired by this gap in the market, he put two years into finding a solution and teamed up with Breen and natural cosmetics chemist Dr Neil Maher, to develop the formulations for Atlantik Body Care’s products.
Two products have been launched so far: Body Armour, a body wash; and Trojan healing serum, which is designed to moisturise and soothe inflamed or sensitive skin. A moisturiser and face wash will be added to the line-up shortly while the founders are hoping to cash in on festive sales with a Christmas gift set.
“Our products are specifically formulated to protect, nourish and repair skin that is regularly exposed to the harsh conditions of intense physical activity through sports such as GAA, rugby, cycling, running, MMA and weightlifting,” says Moore. “Our focus is entirely on skin health, avoiding superficial features such fragrances and offering products that are pure, safe, 100 per cent natural and incredibly potent.
“The products also ensure that five key natural skin processes – hydration, protection, regeneration, repair and barrier function – can happen efficiently.”
We tackle the problem of compromised skin barriers, which are often weakened by regular workouts and lead to issues such as dryness, irritation and the growth of bacteria
The products are made in Listowel, Co Kerry, and the ingredients include west of Ireland seaweed and premium botanical extracts. Atlantik has taken a novel approach to the manufacture of its range, opting for a cold-pressed method to preserve the potency of the ingredients.
“Heat destroys nutrients but cold-pressing preserves them and, as a result, our body wash contains far higher concentrations of key nutrients compared to other products on the market with significantly more antioxidants, emollients and essential fatty acids,” says Moore.
“We tackle the problem of compromised skin barriers, which are often weakened by regular workouts and lead to issues such as dryness, irritation and the growth of bacteria.
“Third-party testing with Shannon ABC, one of Ireland’s leading biotech research companies, has shown our flagship products to be highly effective in addressing these issues, with Body Armour proven to inhibit the growth of the common bacteria and fungi associated with persistent skin conditions.”
The bootstrapped start-up was launched with personal investment of about €20,000 and an Enterprise Ireland Innovation voucher worth €5,000 was used for the research with Shannon ABC. So far, Atlantik is fully online, with the products only available in Ireland but other markets will follow in due course, says Moore.
“While our products are tailored to meet the needs of athletes and active individuals, they are equally beneficial for anyone looking to take really good care of their skin or to address issues such as sensitivity,” says Moore. “Many brands may claim to be ‘natural,’ but in reality they still incorporate a range of synthetic compounds. Our products contain no synthetics whatsoever.
“We aim to educate consumers about the difference and in so doing help them make more informed choices about what they’re applying to their skin.”
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