“I was working for a large pharmaceutical company, and it was all about profit margins and driving more and more for the shareholders” – Mandy Powell
The Goodwash Company is the brainchild of two Welsh international sports people, Mandy Powell and Kelly Davies. Mandy, a graduate of Cardiff Metropolitan University and St Luke’s College, Exeter University, is a former Welsh Women’s hockey and touch rugby player. On leaving university, she taught Physical Education in a Welsh state school from 2001–2006 before joining the international pharmaceutical and biotechnology company, Pfizer, where, in 2012, she was appointed as its UK Business Marketing Manager. On meeting Kelly in 2017, she took redundancy from Pfizer to set up The Goodwash Company in 2018. Kelly is a former Welsh International football player. She graduated in 2007 with a degree in Sports Science and Business Management from Loughborough University and an MBA in Football Industries from the University of Liverpool in 2008. She is an Ashoka Fellow and, since 2022, has been its Global Co-Lead for Sport for Changemaking.
Changing our corner of the world #onewashatatime
The couple met by chance at a dinner for international sportspeople, and they talked about what they both did. Kelly had set up a social business that used football skills to engage disengaged young people, and Mandy realised that business should not be just about profits but doing good. As she says, “I actually thought, ‘What if I could take everything I have learned in business and marketing and come home to Wales and create a Welsh brand that was really, really high-end, and share the best of our land and sea’.” Despite being told it would never work, Mandy and Kelly launched The Goodwash Company in Barry, South Wales, in September 2018, 5 months after Mandy had given up her high-flying, well-paid job with Pfizer.
The company sells quality eco-friendly skin and hair products for both people and pets. All are made ethically in Wales from quality Welsh land and sea natural ingredients, according to traditional remedies. They are not tested on animals and are free of sulphates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and parabens. Many are certified as being vegan-friendly. Since the purpose of the company is “to help those in need and help people in their communities and animals in their environment to improve their lives for the better,” their products are a mechanism for generating income to facilitate this. Accordingly, 100 percent of the company’s profits go to The Goodwash Foundation to support charities, groups, and/or individuals to deliver projects that help, for example, the homeless, the poor, animal welfare, provide accessible healthcare for all, give access to clean water and sanitation, and protect life on land and under water.
Apart from selling directly to the public, they also sell to third parties, including Michelin Star restaurants, Harrods, and John Lewis. Commenting on the whirlwind growth of the company in 2021, Kelly said, “I am so proud of what we have accomplished, and we couldn’t have done it without our team. What is even more inspiring is the impact we have made on individuals, communities, and charities in the last three and a half years. Our aim was also to inspire mindset and behavioural change amongst the public, encouraging them to think carefully about every purchase they make and the positive difference it could make in the world”. Clearly, as Mandy adds, their customers “understand the social impact a business that focuses on profit for purpose can make…”.
In addition to its own skincare products, the company partners with businesses that share their values, like the Kent-based Elvis and Kresse. This B-certified corporation recycles waste materials and turns them into quality products, such as its luxury washbag. It is made out of decommissioned London Fire Brigade fire hoses and is lined with parachute silk. The Goodwash Company retails it for £65, and Elvis and Kresse donate half of the profits from each sale to the Firefighters Charity.
The Goodwash Company is a profit making business that harmonises profit, planet, and people. It directly addresses SDGs 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), while through its donations to The Goodwash Foundation it contributes to SDGs 1 (No Poverty), 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), 13 (Climate Action), and 14 (Life Below Water).
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