Oceanside CA— What would you expect from a guy with a Ph.D. whose specialization is in inorganic/organometallic chemistry?
Dr. Kent McCorkle, a chemistry instructor at MiraCosta College, has launched a new line of organic baby skin care products in partnership with his wife, Kim, after months of experimenting with more than two dozen formulations and 14 prototypes over several months. The result: BareBaby Organics, a lotion with no artificial fragrances or dyes, and without any sulfates, phthalates or parabens.
The reviews have been positive.
“I’m so glad we tried this lotion out and will definitely continue to use it in our household, especially because it doesn’t have to be just for baby!” wrote A. Guerrero, who gave the lotion a top ranking of five stars on an Amazon.com review.
“Love this lotion! I bought this after a friend recommended it and now I use it more on myself than my baby,” wrote another customer.
“I have a confession,” wrote a third. “I bought this for myself and I’m not a baby. I’ve had problems with dry skin for about 40 years, and I’m not a big fan of lotion, but I really like this product.”
The McCorkles embarked on their endeavor after the birth of their first baby, Connor, two years ago.
“It started out with us looking for lotions that were advertised as healthy and organic,” McCorkle said. “But when you start reading the ingredients, you soon realize these products are not as natural as one might think. So we began asking ourselves if there was a way for us to make a lotion as safe and as organic and as least toxic as possible.”
The couple have been selling BareBaby Organics Premium Moisturizing Lotion since April 26 through their website, BareBabyOrganics.com, and Amazon.com. They’ve sold hundreds of bottles so far at $11.95 per bottle.
Kent McCorkle said the couple is looking into adding more products, including an organic baby shampoo and body wash.
“Of course we want financial success and growth for our company, but it’s also deeply satisfying to know that something my wife and I initially created to help our babies is now helping so many others.”
This isn’t McCorkle’s first successful venture outside of the classroom, he’s also the creator of an online resource for chemistry students called GetChemistryHelp.com that he began working on more than three years ago. To date, he’s had nearly 600,000 views on YouTube via youtube.com/GetChemistryHelp.
McCorkle came to MiraCosta College in the fall of 2014 after teaching chemistry at Fresno City College for three years. Prior to that, he served as an adjunct instructor at Cosumnes River College and California State University, Sacramento, both in Northern California. He earned his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, the top-ranked undergraduate engineering college in the country, and his Ph.D. in chemistry from Auburn University.