The Beauty Diary: Melbourne tanning brand Bali Body earns $55k-a-day

A Melbourne carpenter who feared COVID-19 would be “disastrous” for business after quitting his job is now earning $55k a day.

A tradie who gave up his career as a carpenter to go into business with his wife and create a tanning product for sensitive skin is now earning $55,000 a day despite the pandemic.

David Oosterloo and his wife Laura had no experience in the beauty industry when they took a giant leap of faith back in 2014 and quit their jobs to launch Bali Body.

The pair had been taking a career break on the Indonesian island when the idea for a suncare and tanning brand that catered for sensitive skin struck them.

“My wife Laura has suffered from eczema throughout her life and the demand for a natural sun-care range became obvious as her skin continued to flare each time she used sunscreen and tanning oils,” the 32-year-old told news.com.au.

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David Oosterloo and wife Laura are earning $55k-a-day despite being in a global pandemic. Picture: Instagram

Despite experiencing huge success after launching, which Dave puts down to a clever social media strategy of “seeding influencers” and “ensuring our products are as natural as possible”, the Melbourne couple feared their growing business was going to take a huge hit in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We initially thought the coronavirus pandemic would be a disastrous time for the brand, but we actually saw a huge increase in demand and uplift of sales,” Dave said.

“People were stuck at home, experiencing something none of us ever imagined happening and our self-tan range provided the beauty pick-me-up they needed to make them feel good during a time of great uncertainty.”

The business, which has always been e-commerce based, also just landed a multimillion-dollar deal with Chemist Warehouse to be stocked in its 446 stores nationally.

So far from being among the many businesses who have suffered in Australia’s struggling economy, Bali Body netted a total $20 million in sales in the past 12 months, equating to $55,000 a day.

The pair thought the brand would take a hit during the pandemic but instead saw it grow. Picture: Instagram/Bali Body

Now Dave and Laura – who are also parents to two young kids – are focusing on getting the most out of their products being stocked on Australian shelves for the first time.

“We have been working with retailers in the US and Europe for a few years now, but somehow it feels more real and more of an achievement to have finally found the right partner in our home country,” Dave said, adding the partnership would help the brand “reach a new group of customers” that might not have tried or heard of the products before.

Its products are now also being sold in Chemist Warehouse, a partnership that launched two weeks ago. Picture: Instagram/Bali Body

He also said they had come a long way since they first launched with little knowledge or experience about running a business.

“So much has changed over the years, we have become business minded, the brand and team have evolved and matured.

“I guess you could definitely say we have grown with the brand, but not changed in terms of who we are as people.”

Bali Body now has 34 products in its skincare and tanning ranges, with a few items proving to be firm favourites among the brand’s regular shoppers.

“Our Self Tanning Mousse is our bestseller worldwide and definitely what we are known for these days,” Dave said.

“We have a strong customer base for our natural tanning oils in Europe and the US.

“Our BB Cream SPF15 is also one of our best selling products globally and I know our team in particular love and use this product religiously.”

Last year, the launch of the brand’s Face Tan Water caused a frenzy, with a bottle sold every 30 seconds on the day of its launch.

Partnerships with influencers have seen the brand’s Instagram page earn 1.4 million followers and sees Bali Body tagged every 10 minutes.

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