Family places organic lotion they created on the market

WINDFALL, Ind. (AP) - When Kent and Kim McCorkle set out to make their own baby lotion, they wanted to provide their children with the safest product on the market.

After marrying in 2009, and adopting their niece, Isabel, they were hoping to have another child or two.

"And actually, it turned out that we weren't able to have kids," said Kent.

They went through testing, drugs and procedures, but were told by doctors they were out of luck. A month later, Kim was pregnant with their first biological child.

"Connor was our first miracle baby," Kent said. They had another, Chloe, last year.

That experience gave them a unique perspective - they wanted to provide their children with the healthiest organic skin products they could.

Kent, raised in Windfall, is a professor in Chemistry at a college in Southern California.

"My background in chemistry kind of made me question the ingredients," Kent said. "I would read the ingredients, I was like 'wait a minute, why is this in here? Is this safe for babies?'"

So, he started doing research. That led them to the Skin Deep Database, a resource made possible by the Environmental Working Group.

"We went on that site, and we put in the lotions we were using, and I was just blown away by how bad some of the stuff in those lotions were."

The database ranks individual ingredients of a skincare product on a scale of one to 10 in how hazardous it is, before giving the product an overall ranking.

Some of the lotions and shampoos they were using on their children had ingredients ranking as high as seven or eight.

Kent said some ingredients could be as hazardous as being a carcinogen, while others could cause irritation of the eyes and skin or a rash.

Kim said she also needs to be particular about what she uses, because she was diagnosed with Graves' disease.

"And so, what I apply to my body, it gets absorbed into my bloodstream, and causes my thyroid to be hyperactive," said Kim.

They were always conscious about what they ate, but having children made them conscious about skin products.

"Things you put on your skin are just as important (as food), because they also get absorbed into your bloodstream the same way as food does," said Kent.

With that realization in mind, they began to wonder if it would be possible to make a baby lotion that was as safe as possible.

"Where absolutely every ingredient was a one," said Kent.

They started looking for manufacturers they could partner with on their business venture. They contacted dozens throughout the U.S. and Canada, before they settled on one in Los Angeles.

Not only did they require every ingredient to be a one on the Skin Deep Database, they required them all to be on Whole Foods' premium body care list, and be gluten and added fragrance free. Kent called those things "junk food for your skin" - it might be nice, but not necessary and potentially harmful.

The manufacturer created a formulation - basically a recipe for the lotion - and sent it to the McCorkles. They pointed out ingredients they didn't want in the lotion and sent it back. They went through that process 27 times.

Finally, they settled on a formulation they liked. The manufacturer sent them a prototype. They weren't satisfied with it, so they sent it back. They went through that process 14 times.

"Some of the things we received were way too runny, or they were way too thick," said Kent. "By the end, the manufacturer was so frustrated because we were just so particular."

But they were determined to provide their children with the best product they could.

The motto for their company, BareBaby Organics, is "Trusted for our babies and yours." They had to trust the lotion for their children, before they would let others use it.

After six months, they were satisfied with the product. They received the first order in early April, and launched it on Amazon later that month.

The overall reaction to the lotion has been positive, with an average 5-star rating from 128 reviews on Amazon, as of Aug. 11.

Kent and Kim said the personal responses have been positive as well. They were surprised to find the number of adults who were using the product, when they were marketing it towards babies.

They also heard from cancer patients who have to be careful about the products they use, who were grateful for the care taken to make the lotion safe.

"It's very rewarding, I think, to get those kinds of emails from people," said Kent.

They're now in the process of creating a shampoo and a body wash following the same strict criteria. They hope they will be released this fall, with more products in the future.

Kent's job as a professor allows his family to take a month-long vacation to his hometown of Windfall every summer. The family currently lives in Oceanside, California, in the San Diego Area.

Kent went through college in Indiana, getting his Ph.D in Auburn. He moved to Sacramento, California for a job as a professor, and met Kim in 2008. They married in 2009.

"When I do come back, I just really notice how much of a small town it is. Growing up, it just seemed normal," said Kent.

Kim moved to California from South Korea, where her family of seven shared a one-room, dirt-floored house with no running water. Her aunt sponsored the family, and managed to get them to California.

"It was really hard, trying to learn the language and get familiar with the culture," said Kim. "My parents showed us how to work hard."

Kim has a background in business, and Kent said that helped provide the couple with an "entrepreneurial bug," which went a long way in starting BareBaby Organics.

"I think the family connection makes people relate to us," said Kent. "Because we're not some big company.we're just a husband and wife trying to make something for their babies."

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Source: Kokomo Tribune, http://bit.ly/2bEGiJh

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Information from: Kokomo Tribune, http://www.ktonline.com