Pregnancy and childbirth is undoubtedly a magical journey for many, but with it also comes stress and anxiety.
For instance, though breastfeeding is said to be extremely important, many new mothers might be unable to produce enough milk for their infants.
Inspired by her own mother, Gooberr founder Chin Rui Shan sought to make post-pregnancy easier and more enjoyable through her line of lactation products, skincare and baby apparel.
A Brand Inspired By Mothers’ Love
Even though Gooberr’s products are targeted mostly at new mothers, the 30 year-old founder herself is not a mother.
However, she was inspired by the resilience and unconditional love of mothers, and wanted to make their lives “a little bit easier one product at a time”.
I count it some of my greatest successes when mothers drop me a message to tell me how much my products have helped them and their babies. It really helps to keep me going even when times are tough.
Chin Rui Shan, Founder of Gooberr
The founder graduated from New York University (NYU) with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and a Masters Degree in Accounting, and initially started a career in finance.
After some years as a portfolio manager, she decided to start Gooberr in 2019 with her own savings, as she wanted to do more for mothers.
Importance Of Food For Mothers’ And Babies’ Health
Rui Shan shared in an interview with Vulcan Post that her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer six years ago, and was unfortunately re-diagnosed with Stage 4 Adenocarcinoma last year.
After talking to many specialists, she realised how important food was in the fight against cancer.
This knowledge got her thinking about how she could take care of the health of mothers, and make a difference in that aspect.
When mums pour everything they have into nurturing their babies, they sometimes forget to take care of themselves. Gooberr really is a brand inspired by the love mothers give and a way to give back.
Chin Rui Shan, Founder of Gooberr
The NYU graduate also believes in “value-added products for mothers”, and thus she curates products that are also aimed at solving maternity problems and making “mums feel better”.
No Artificial Flavourings, All-Natural Ingredients
Gooberr launched with two flavours of Boobkies (lactation cookies) and Boob Juice Teas (lactation teas).
Lactation cookies promote healthy lactation within eight hours of consumption.
This is made possible as the Boobkies are enriched with galactagogues (ingredients that stimulate breast milk) derived from natural foods such as Brewer’s Yeast, oats and flaxseed.
According to Rui Shan, many lactation cookies are being heavily marketed to new mums even though they contain additives. What sets her Boobkies apart is the elimination of chemicals.
“When we say no unnecessary additives, we mean it,” said Rui Shan.
She shared that many bakes on the market contain vanilla extract, which may seem harmless. On the contrary, the extracts are made by soaking ingredients in chemicals, with of the chemicals being propylene glycol, which is also used as car antifreeze.
Gooberr makes it a point to ship in quality ingredients from the United States. Its Bookies are also baked in an SFA Grade A and FSSC Certified Facility in Singapore, which means they meet professional hygiene standards.
Rui Shan clarified that even though the Boobkies are known as lactation cookies, they can actually be thought of as superfood cookies suitable for everyone — people who are not meant to produce milk will not suddenly start doing so.
Broke Even Within A Year
Since its inception, Goober has expanded to carry more flavours and have diversified into creating skincare products as well.
Like the consumables, Gooberr’s skincare products are also free of chemicals like steroids, parabens, artificial colours, and fragrances.
Gooberr is currently stocked at DearCollective at Harbourfront, Naiise, Teapasar, Kindred Teas, and Doctor Anywhere.
However, Rui Shan’s business journey has not been without challenges.
Due to Covid-19, retailers have had to close their shops and throw out inventory at consignment stores, and Rui Shan had to deal with a huge loss of sales from those avenues.
She also faced many issues with suppliers and was unable to get key ingredients and packaging due to international logistical issues, resulting in a further fall in sales.
Despite these challenges, the company managed to break even after about a year of operations — the founder had initially invested S$30,000 of her own savings into the business.
Rui Shan is currently working on two new cookie flavours that will have the Boobkies coloured in shocking blue and pink, with natural colourings from superfoods like blue spirulina and pink pitaya.
“I never wanted to typecast Gooberr as a purely lactation cookies brand and I hope to be able to continue curating value-added products to mothers,” said Rui Shan.
Featured Image Credit: Gooberr
