Roberta Perry stumbled into the body scrub business the way most people stumble into their next big opportunity—by accident.

As a working mom of three, Roberta didn’t have much time for herself. Her skin became chapped and dry, leading her to search for a body scrub that would help. What she soon discovered was that sugar was better in a body scrub than salt—who knew?

After whipping up her own batch of body scrubs for her and her friends, who went crazy for them, Roberta realized she was on to something.

Now, Roberta owns her own retail space and online shop selling skincare products that soothe dry, chapped skin. What started in her kitchen (and later her garage) has grown into a thriving business she never expected.

Allow me to introduce Founder, Roberta Perry…

—

So, who are you and what’s your business?

Hi, I’m Roberta Perry of ScrubzBody Skin Care, and my business offers people the chance to care for their skin, pamper themselves, and spend a little quality me-time. It just happens to come in jars and bottles.

We have a retail store in Farmingdale, NY, and an online business at scrubzbody.com.

We also help other small business owners through our private label/white label business.

What is your backstory and what inspired you to come up with / pursue this idea?

So my story is similar to many working moms. I was running around caring for three kids and a needy hubby, working full time (from home at least), and trying to keep it all together. I never took the time to care for my skin, so it started to become very dry and chapped.

I was in a business meeting, and a scratch led to a bleeding elbow after taking a piece of skin away. Ouch.

I headed for the first skincare store and bought a lotion and my first scrub. I used and enjoyed that scrub on all the body parts that didn’t have a cut, so when I hit my elbow, which did, I winced in pain.

I loved the experience of the scrubbing but vowed no more salt scrubs. So, then I was on a quest for something better. And sugar it was!

Take us through the process of designing, prototyping, and manufacturing your first product or service- what was that like?

I purchased scrubs everywhere I went, so at the time I had about 18 jars. They were all good, but none were great. I decided it was time to make my own.

I still had no idea I was starting a business. It was just going to be for me, my late sister, Michelle, and a few friends.

I took all I loved about the other brands and kept it, and then switched what I didn’t like. Finally, after many test batches, a winner was found. I had a huge storage container for me, and I handed the rest out in small jars.

My sister and friends went crazy for the scrub, giving me super helpful feedback.

Michelle, my late sister, joined me, and together, we started making the rounds of craft fairs and holiday boutiques.

Describe launching the company… Where did you start?

I started mixing and whipping things in my kitchen and moved labeling and shipping to the dining room table.

I then built out a section of my garage to work out of. It was about 80 square feet, and we stayed there for five years. We moved to a small space in the next town, more for production, but it quickly became a retail shop.

Then we grew to a larger space in the same town. Our Make Your Own Scrubz party business flourished there, so when it came time to move to a new space, in a thriving town, we jumped at the chance. I was able to build the space out exactly to our needs.

We absolutely love it here.

What has worked to attract & retain customers so far?

Customer service.

I have tried other forms of marketing, and I send weekly emails to share company and product information and generally stay in touch, but top-notch, loving, caring customer service is the #1 way we retain loyal, incredible customers.

And the best part is that these existing customers bring us new ones. They share their “skin softening finds” with family and friends as well as gift our products for birthdays, special occasions, and holidays. And we have grown organically because of it.

What books, podcasts, or people have been the most influential on your journey?

My favorite business author is Ash Ambirge of Meat & Hair Creative Writing, The Middle Finger Project book, and various other sites. Her writing is just the brain food I enjoy, and she has taught me how to be a better writer for my site and emails, etc.

I am a huge fan of Joe Rogan and all the crazy smart guests that he hosts on his podcast. I love learning from people who are smarter than me, and the Joe Rogan Experience is a place to do so.

I love the Indie Business Network (IBN), Donna Maria Johnson is the lead. It is filled with entrepreneurs and other independent business owners who share ideas and strategies. It is a place to laugh and cry and learn.

My Chignon 7 Mastermind group is an offshoot of the IBN, and I could not imagine life or business without these ladies. They know who they are! 🙂

How are things going today and what does the future look like?

It is a sunny and glorious day here in Farmingdale. Customers are walking around town, coming in for new jars or refills of their older ones. It’s one of those perfect small-town, Main Street kind of days.

I am working on the basic business day-to-day, as well as a new project that will be launching at the end of April.

The future is much of the same, with more and more customers enjoying the experience they get with ScrubzBody.

Any advice for others who are just starting out?

Have a business plan but have it in “pencil” so it can be tweaked and changed as you learn and grow.

Treat customers with love and respect. They have choices as to where they spend their money, so make them feel good about spending it with you or your products.

Don’t be afraid to pivot and change what needs changing.

Show up.

Repeat.

What’s the best way for people to connect and follow you? Website, Social Profiles, Etc…

Our website is scrubzbody.com.

All our social info and more can be found here:
https://scrubzbody.com/social-information/