- Words by Lauren Kramer Photography by Nina Dombowsky
琉璃神社 entrepreneur Michelle Webber loves animals, particularly her two rescue dogs, Crash and Ebby. In 2019, she became curious about the use of animals for testing products she routinely stocked in her home.
鈥淚 learned that dogs are often used for testing, and I thought, how can I love my own dogs so much but use a product that is tested on other dogs?鈥� she recalls.
Determined to switch to products made by companies that don鈥檛 test on animals, she started researching, and came up empty-handed in her quest for deodorant.
鈥淚 used to buy the best-smelling deodorant on the grocery store shelf, but I couldn鈥檛 find a deodorant that was aluminum-free and did not test on animals,鈥� she noted.
鈥淪adly, even if the label says, 鈥榗ruelty free鈥� or 鈥榥ot tested on animals,鈥� it鈥檚 not necessarily true and there are no repercussions for lying. Companies might say they don鈥檛 test on animals because that testing doesn鈥檛 happen in Canada鈥攂ut that doesn鈥檛 mean it鈥檚 not happening elsewhere. You really have to check who the parent company is鈥攁nd more often than not, in the case of a major deodorant brand, the parent company is a terrible perpetrator of animal testing. I resolved that I don鈥檛 want a single penny of mine to go towards animal testing,鈥� the 41-year-old declared.
She quickly observed a significant gap in the marketplace.
鈥淵ou have pharmacy brands that have been there all our lives, and they鈥檙e cheap but full of chemicals. Then you have the 100 per cent natural deodorants that are expensive and don鈥檛 necessarily work as well. I wanted something that was clean and healthy, but it also had to work.鈥�
Determined to create a clean, healthy deodorant that would be made in Canada or the US, Michelle intensified her research鈥攁mid her career at Joie & Luxe, the wedding planning company she owned, and her mobile oyster bar, Shucked Oyster Co.
She familiarized herself with deodorant ingredients and partnered with a Canadian manufacturer who helped her come up with a winning formula that was free of aluminum, parabens and phthalates, all ingredients of concern. Then she raised $75,000 from investors to finance the first production of a healthy deodorant that would outlast the heat without using harsh chemicals or causing a rash. And there was no animal testing involved.
In November 2022, she and her husband Kris launched , a deodorant in three fragrances: coconut jasmine, pineapple bergamot, and sandalwood, vanilla and lime. Available in retail locations across BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan, SONDR deodorants can also be purchased directly online at sondrfresh.com.
SONDR鈥檚 mantra is to 鈥渕ake clean mainstream鈥� and 98 per cent of the brand鈥檚 ingredients are naturally derived.
鈥淓verything in there is healthy, safe and clean for children using deodorant for the first time, pregnant women and anyone else. What鈥檚 more, it lasts all day long,鈥� she said.
Affordability was another key concern. A full-size SONDR deodorant, which lasts up to three months, costs $19, while travel-size deodorants retail for $11.
The term 鈥渟onder鈥� is defined as the 鈥減rofound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passing in the street, has a life as complex as one鈥檚 own, which they are constantly living despite one鈥檚 personal lack of awareness of it.鈥�
鈥淚 thought that was a great name for a brand that was trying to make things better for people, for animals and for the environment,鈥� she said.
SONDR is off to a great start, available in boutiques, some Pharmasave locations as well as spin and fitness studios. Michelle鈥檚 goal is to grow the company in terms of its reach and product offerings.
鈥淏y growing, we can make an impact in the industry and force other companies to change their strategies and be cruelty-free and healthy,鈥� she said.
She dreams of making sun protection products, shower gels and moisturizers, and even a line of healthy cleaning products for the home. For now, though, deodorant is SONDR鈥檚 key product.
Michelle鈥檚 mother recently challenged her in a conversation, asking, 鈥淚f you were offered a massive amount of money for your company, are you telling me you would never sell?鈥�
Always thinking ahead, Michelle went straight to her lawyer and added a clause in her company contract.
鈥淭he new contract says we will never legally be allowed to sell to another company that doesn鈥檛 uphold the same ethical standards we do,鈥� she affirmed. 鈥淲e will never sell out for money!鈥�
Customers have embraced the SONDR brand, and Michelle is thrilled. She鈥檚 also aware that animal testing continues, a cruel practice she鈥檚 determined to avoid.
鈥淚 encourage people to learn about the products they鈥檙e buying, for their own health, for animal-cruelty practices and for the environment,鈥� she says. 鈥淪ONDR is my legacy company, so when you see our logo, our promise to be ethical, healthy and effective is 100 per cent what we鈥檙e doing.鈥�
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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