Bonajour is a natural skin care line created by female entrepreneur, Dahae Kim. It was a pleasure speaking with Dahae and getting to know her brand, Bonajour. Like many of the women entrepreneurs we speak to, Bonajour was created out of necessity. In today’s post we uncover the story of this Korean-based natural skincare line!
Dahae Kim was only 19 when she founded Bonajour. Growing up, Dahae dealt with acne and sensitive skin, however, she could not find a product that suited her needs.
At only 19 years old and with zero experience, Dahae took matters into her own hands. The young entrepreneur took time off from school and started making her own natural skin cosmetics. Differing from traditional skin care brands, Bonajour uses ingredients such as eggplant and green tea to renew the skin naturally. This is particularly helpful for sensitive skin.
Although Korea is very competitive in the beauty market, Dahae continued to build her brand over the course of 10 years. She built the brand around Bonajour’s core values: natural, cruelty-free ingredients that bring your skin to life. Fast forward to today, Dahae is a successful 28 year old female business owner who saw a problem in the market and created her own solution.
When asked about early challenges with her business, Dahae exclaimed “Everything!” Having had no business background or marketing experience, early challenges were common in those areas. Another challenge Dahae faced? Gender stereotypes. As a young woman in Korea, it was difficult as a business woman to be taken seriously by some male investors.
Thankfully, Dahae has overcome some early hurdles, but like any business, new challenges arise. Currently, Bonajour faces several issues:
Since being on the market, Bonajour has seen many companies “borrowing” her idea and branding it on the market as an identical product with identical packaging.
When shopping for beauty products in Korea, you will most likely see high end, more established beauty brands in the retail stores. This means a higher price point and a more established demographic— older women. For this reason, Dahae primarily sells directly to consumers in their 20s-30s. Focusing on the U.S. market, Bonajour can expand its audience to women ages 20+ thanks to stores like Ulta and Sephora which feature newer brands. This challenge is why Bonajour is looking to break into the U.S. market.
Dahae currently sells her products on Amazon with much success. She also runs her own factory where her products are designed and manufactured. At 28, Dahae is looking to expand her business specifically in the U.S. market!
Curious about Bonajour Skincare? Check them out, here!