This year, our little business turns 15. FIFTEEN. Which feels equal parts how did that happen? and wow, what a wild ride!
So, in true birthday-month fashion, we thought we’d do something a little nostalgic and take a stroll down Woohoo Lane. A reminder that the brightest business ideas really can start in a very small kitchen 🙂
Grab a cuppa. Let’s rewind.
2010–2012: The Home-Grown Days (aka Happy Skincare)
Before Woohoo Body was… well, Woohoo Body, there was Happy Skincare.
It all started in 2010, when Aaron mixed up an all-natural stretch mark cream for Phoebe during her first pregnancy. That small, thoughtful act sparked a much bigger idea: could we build a home-based e-commerce business making natural skincare that actually worked?
We didn’t have business backgrounds and we definitely didn’t have it all figured out – but we were curious, determined, and willing to learn fast. Early days were spent researching, surveying potential customers, building a website, and testing ideas between work, nappies, and late-night cups of tea.
Eventually, we began small-batch making at home. It was hands-on, a bit chaotic, very DIY… and honestly? Kind of magical.
2012–2016: Getting Out There (Markets, Pop-ups & Real Conversations)
Alongside growing online, we made a big effort to get out into the community and meet people face-to-face.
Our very first market was in Maitland in 2012 – stuck in a dark, dingy corner where we didn’t sell a single thing. But wow, did we learn a lot.
From there, we:
- held stalls at Hunter Breast Cancer Foundation events
- packed up the car and drove to Brisbane for an event in 2013, meeting inspiring small business folk putting themselves out there
- set up pop-up stores inside our local organic grocer, Goodness Me Organics, who still stocks Woohoo today
- travelled to Melbourne for World Vegan Day in 2016 (our biggest event yet!)
- spent 2017–2018 at vegan markets on the Central Coast, meeting many customers who are still with us today
Those market days taught us everything – what people loved, what they didn’t, what their skin struggled with, and how powerful real, human conversations can be.
These days, we don’t do many markets because our little Adamstown shop keeps us beautifully busy – but we still love every in-person chat that comes through the door.
2015: The Natural Deodorant That Changed Everything
After several years of learning (and plenty of struggle), we spotted a growing gap in the market for natural deodorant that actually worked.
In 2015, we launched Woohoo Body as a second, separate brand, designed specifically for deodorant and for retail shelves. And… WHOA.
You loved it. You told your friends. They told theirs. Within months, Woohoo Body was picked up by a national distributor, and in 2017 it won Best Natural Deodorant.
This wasn’t an overnight success – it was built on four years of hard lessons – but it was the moment we realised: okay… we might really be onto something here.
2016–2019: Warehouses, Growth & a Real Team
As orders grew, our house filled with boxes (literally to the ceiling), and with a second little human on the scene, something had to give.
In 2016, we leased our first warehouse. Not glamorous – but a huge step. It let us bring packing and fulfilment in-house, improve quality, and hire our very first team member.
Over the next few years, the team grew organically – manufacturing help, customer care, casual packers, and an office manager – all local legends who became the backbone of what we do.
By 2019, we’d outgrown the space again and purchased our own warehouse in Adamstown. More room, more care, more Woohoo magic – and still made by real humans, by hand, right here in Newcastle.
2020–2022: Simplifying & Becoming Woohoo Body
COVID changed a lot for us. International plans stalled and running multiple brands began to feel heavy and complicated (by then we didn’t just have Happy Skincare and Woohoo Body – we also had Happy You Hair and HESO Men’s Grooming!).
So we made a big, heart-led decision: simplify.
In August 2022, we consolidated everything into one brand – Woohoo Body. It felt lighter, more authentic, and much more us. Less about beauty ideals, more about feel-good products that get real results.
Deodorant stayed (and always will be) our hero. And Woohoo Body became the home for everything we love making.
Today: 15 Years In (and Just Getting Started)
Here we are. Fifteen years of learning, pivoting, experimenting, failing, improving, growing – and doing it alongside the most incredible community.
Through every formula tweak, every launch, every small stumble and big win, you’ve been right there with us. And we’re so grateful.
It’s been one colourful, joy-filled adventure – and we’re only warming up.
From our little family to yours, here’s to the next chapter of BO-free pits, happy skin, healthy hair, and plenty of fun 🌈
