Indy Clinton’s Bouf Haircare Has Launched In NZ. Co-Founder Rachael Wilde On What To Expect From The Range

The beauty boss shares her excitement with beauty editor Ashleigh Cometti over her selection of cherry-red hair growth products launching in Aotearoa New Zealand.

She’s the atomic blonde behind TBH Skincare, one of Australia’s most viral skincare brands.

Now, Rachael Wilde is turning her attention to haircare with Bouf, which launched into Farmers department stores earlier this week.

Highlighting a patented technology that halts hair loss protein FGF5 in its tracks, Bouf is the third innovative brand welcomed into the fold at York St Brands, alongside Boost Lab and TBH Skincare, which Rachael co-founded in 2020.

Rachael enlisted Australian content creator and mum-of-three Indy Clinton as Bouf’s ambassador. Rachael says Indy perfectly embodies the tongue-in-cheek nature of the hair growth brand.

The category-disrupting beauty boss was just 23 when she made her start in the industry, after studying marketing at university and landing a role at a medical device distributor.

While TBH’s origin story was a serendipitous case of “right place, right time”, Rachael’s business savvy and grit is what earned her a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30.

She credits much of her success to being customer-focused, with the people her products are intended for continuing to be her North Star.

By staying the course and keeping customers close, Rachael has built more than just beauty brands - she’s built communities, too.

ASHLEIGH COMETTI: It was quite the career pivot from medical device distribution to skincare. When did the inspiration for TBH first strike?

RACHAEL WILDE: My first role out of uni was in medical devices; I pivoted when I saw an opportunity in that industry - a patented technology for infection prevention used in hospitals, like surgical washouts after you get joint replacements. They discovered it actually could do the same thing when it came to skincare in relation to acne. They’d done a lot of clinical work to test it against key market leaders, like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, and found it to be really effective. I convinced my co-founder (my mum) to go into business with me and we pitched for the licensing rights to this product with information on what we wanted to do with the tech. We were very lucky to win - it was definitely a case of right time, right place.

AC: The skincare market is a notoriously difficult one to crack. Did you have any reservations about entering a cluttered market when you were first starting?

RW: I knew that it was going to be difficult to break in, but we weren’t trying to be all things to all people. We knew there were acne sufferers that had lost trust in their traditional treatment pathways, like their GP and dermatologists . My excitement overtook my nerves. I was very green - I’d never done anything in beauty before. But that can be a superpower, because you’ve got no idea what you’re coming up against. It’s that, coupled with a willingness to learn and a lot of grit, which got me through the challenge of launching into a very saturated category.

AC: One of the things I love most about TBH is how it lifts the stigma around acne. Why did you feel it was important to create a brand that was not only efficacious when it came to treating acne, but that supported people along their skincare journey without shame or embarrassment?

RW: I’d lived it firsthand, so I knew as a customer that going through acne is something that can be traumatic. When you have to show up every day with this skin condition, it can really eat away at your confidence. When we were bringing TBH to market, I knew that whilst this product was really efficacious, it’s not an overnight fix. I wanted to give customers the space to feel like they’re seen, heard, and not alone. In my experience, I found that acne wasn’t spoken about with the level of emotional intelligence that it needed to be. We wanted to make sure that we were doing our part in normalising it, rather than pushing the narrative that it was something that you needed to fix. I always say you can’t hate your skin into healing. So the challenge was to remind people that 85% of people suffer with acne at some stage, so what they’re going through is completely normal.

RW: We live in a generation that wants instantaneous results. Pimple patches have that immediate effect where you put it on a blemish before you go to bed and when you wake up in the morning, they’ve removed all the gunk and flattened the pimple. But pimple patches aren’t doing the long-term treatment part, which is where other TBH products come in. Gen Z are so clued in to what is going on in skincare - they want the newest ingredients, newest formats, and they’re so educated. The old school approach of “treat, treat, treat” until the problem is gone can be harsh on the skin, meaning there’s a whole group of people who have very damaged skin barriers. TBH is a modern acne care brand that taps into the trends and formats customers want to see, all while being suitable for breakout-prone skin.

AC: Your experience in building brands spans both skincare and haircare with the launch of Bouf. What would you say is the secret sauce to building brands that reach and resonate with their desired audience?

RW: Honestly, it’s knowing the customer. It’s about matching the science and innovation with where customers are currently at, where they’re shopping and what’s going on in the economy - all of these things inform whether or not a customer chooses to purchase and fall in love with your products. And I think that’s really been the key for TBH and now Bouf. The key is not to be all things to all people - know who you’re servicing, and be the absolute best that they’ll ever find.

AC: Had you previously met Indy Clinton before you decided to bring her on as a Bouf ambassador?

RW: We came into each other’s orbits with our TBH Jelly Cleanser launch, when she leaked it early online. I’d never worked with her, but I understood the power of her community and the level of trust she had with her audience. I love the way she shows up online, and so when it came to Bouf, we had already done the work in terms of how we wanted to position the brand, which was bold, chaotic, and modern. Indy was the embodiment of all of them. I remember she took a call with us and it was like I was watching her TikTok - her kids were in the background of this chaotic car meeting. She’s someone who’s genetically always had really thin hair, so we were keen to take her on a healthy hair journey. We gave her the products and got her to document her whole process. She got to three months in and had the most incredible results. She fell in love with the broader team in the office, and wanted to be a part of what we were building in a meaningful way.

AC: The hair growth category is booming. What makes Bouf different to other hair growth ranges available today?

RW: Bouf’s story is similar to TBH in that there was a medical research development company that spent years creating this tech and clinically trialling it. But this time it was them that approached us, rather than the other way around. The company wanted to get this product to market, so they came in and showed us the clinical trials. The technology is about the role of FGF5, a protein that’s found in your scalp that signals to hair when it’s time to fall out or shed. A group of hair microbiologists studied the role of FGF5 in hair loss, which led them to blend different molecules to pause FGF5 so hair had a better opportunity to grow longer and thicker. They came up with this botanical blend, trialled it, and patented it. We call it the “snooze button” on the timer of your hair growth cycle, so it bounces back into its growth phase. What you end up with is longer, denser hair, that grows more full to the ends.

AC: The launch of Bouf was not without its challenges, with a handful of social media comments questioning why Bouf used wigs in the campaign video. Did you anticipate people reacting in this way?

RW: We didn’t anticipate that level of backlash at all. On my personal TikTok, I’ve shared the behind-the-scenes of how we’ve built the brand, and walked people through how we came up with this creative concept. The launch campaign was meant to introduce Bouf with an identifiable tone of voice and visual identity. We decided to lean into this retro-style commercial, where it was an OTT take with big hair, because it was an interpretation of how Bouf made Indy feel. We wanted to also juxtapose the fact that she was looking glam but there was chaos going on behind her still. The majority of people got it and loved it. And then there was a small percentage of people that focused on the wigs. The campaign video wasn’t to demonstrate the efficacy of the product, it was to introduce the brand into market. Indy’s organic videos, which is where she connects with her audience directly, showcase her results. I think if you’re just taking it literally, I can understand why people ask about the wigs. But what people don’t realise is that skincare brands use makeup and haircare brands use extensions. Our intention was not to deceive. It got to a point where I realised that I had been as transparent as I could have, but no matter what I said, their opinion wouldn’t change. I think you’ve got to accept at the end of the day that not everyone will love the way that you launched a marketing campaign. That’s the point of marketing, though. If you did something that didn’t spark any conversation, no one would know about it.

AC: The above situation wasn’t the first time you’ve responded to harsh criticisms on the internet - Andrew Tate reposted one of your TikTok videos on his X account, making you the target of global abuse. How did you manage to keep a level head? What advice would you give to other budding brand founders who might be facing the same level of criticism?

RW: I feel like the whole “Gen Z boss and a mini” saga was like a training process for what I just went through with Bouf. I think certain pockets of the internet can feel very loud and all-consuming. These people are often faceless, what people say behind a screen on an anonymous account says a lot more about them than it does about you. The best thing you can do is stop reading the comments. I got to a certain point recently where I completely zoned out, and when I did that, I realised that the pocket wasn’t as loud or as big as what I felt like it was when I was in the thick of it. People should be held responsible for their actions online.

AC: You’ve built successful businesses in TBH, Boost Lab and Bouf - I can’t imagine you sitting still for long. What’s next for Rachael Wilde?

RW: I don’t even know. Things are completely different to how they were this time last year, and I probably wouldn’t have anticipated half of it. I don’t like to sit still, that’s for sure. I think this year we’re really focused on conquering more international markets. TBH coming to New Zealand was like our first cab off the rank, and Bouf launched this week. Next, we’re looking at really big international markets. Besides that, product innovation keeps us on this little wheel that’s never ending. So much of my time right now is looking at what else can we be bringing out for the customers. Making sure that we’re servicing them in every way possible.

QUICKFIRE QUESTIONS

My number one beauty hack is... The TBH Milky Toner morning and night. I mix it in with my foundation. I just drown myself in it.

My desert island beauty product is... SPF, you can’t get burnt. I go between Boost Lab’s Goody Goody Sun Drops in winter and TBH Skin Shady in summer because it’s a matte finish.

A beauty treatment I’d love to try is... A Japanese head spa. There’s one actually near our office in Sydney, and it looks incredible.

My last beauty purchase was... Kosas Wet Sticks! So hydrating and so pigmented. It’s the perfect combo of a gloss, a lipstick and an SPF.

The most unexpected item in my beauty routine is... Boost Lab Essential Collagen Boosters’ range. It’s a 100% freeze-dried collagen pearl which you pop in your hand and you dissolve it into a serum and apply it like a mask. The reason why it’s freeze-dried is because it has a high percentage concentration of collagen that you cannot get in a stable formula. I pop those into my routine every so often, especially before an event.

TBH Skincare is available exclusively from Chemist Warehouse NZ or Chemistwarehouse.co.nz; Bouf is available exclusively from Farmers or Farmers.co.nz.

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