above: Katie Sturino, Founder of Megababe, Author of Body Talk, and Body Acceptance Advocate
Fresh of the heels of her appearance on Oprah, entrepreneur Katie Sturino of Megababe fame launches Megaman.
Samatha Yanks: Tell us about the original concept behind Megababe?
Katie Sturino: I founded Megababe out of necessity! I had experienced chafing for as long as I could remember and couldn’t find an existing anti-chafe solution on the market that really worked, so I decided to create one: Thigh Rescue. I went to my sister and best friend and told them that I wanted to create a brand that addresses some of the “taboo” body discomfort issues many women face that had been ignored by the beauty industry. Eight years later, here we are! One Thigh Rescue actually sells every thirty seconds.
SY: I vividly remember how pleasingly disruptive the products were in the market when you first launched, was that the goal?
KS: Wow, that’s so great to hear! Our goal was to create cute, clean, and effective products to provide real solutions to these everyday issues we all have. We initially launched (in my parent’s’ garage!) with Thigh Rescue, our award-winning anti-friction stick, and Bust Dust, our anti-boob sweat powder. We weren’t sure if these products would resonate, but sure enough, we sold out within three weeks of launching. It felt amazing to know that there were people out there who I could help that were dealing with the same things I did. From then on, we hit the ground running and have expanded into numerous categories of body care.
SY: How many products are in the Megababe lineup now?
KS: Since launching in 2017, we now offer more than 30 SKUs in over 6 categories. This includes our growing line of 10 clean deodorants and we have a few exciting launches coming this summer, so keep an eye out!
SY: Which are the newest?
We launched Bidet Bar in January 2024, this product was my personal passion project. The Bidet Bar is a pH-balanced daily cleansing bar that won’t disrupt vaginal bacteria. Unlike other feminine cleansers on the market, this is plastic free and free of fragrance, parabens, sulfates and phthalates.
SY: Which are the core bestsellers?
KS: Thigh Rescue, Smoothie Deo, and Space Bar are some of our core best-selling products. More than 1 Thigh Rescue stick is sold every 30 seconds! We have also worked really hard on expanding our deodorant offerings. Not only do we have 10 deodorant formulas to choose from, but also detoxifying products for your armpits to help make the switch to clean deodorant a bit easier. Our Space Bar is a charcoal underarm bar soap that helps detoxify pits in the shower.
We recently launched in Walmart this year which has been huge for us. You can also find Megababe at Ulta, Target, and on Amazon. We’re getting one step closer to my goal of anyone being only five minutes away from Thigh Rescue!
SY: If you could only have one of your products which one would it be??
KS: That’s a tough question! I think my answer would have to be Thigh Rescue. It’s what made me start this business, after all, and it’s truly a lifesaver. I cannot imagine having to spend even one summer without my Thigh Rescue in hand!
Bottom row: The best-selling Rosy Pits Deo and the antioxidant-rich Green Deo
SY: You were just on Oprah! How was that? I used to work for her so I know what a major moment that is for an entrepreneur!
KS: Truly an unbelievable experience! Oprah is everything I could have imagined and more. It’s so important for us to be a part of this conversation and I am so honored to be given this platform. It was a huge career milestone for me, I still feel like it’s all a dream!
SY: Tell us about the newer MegaMan lineup?
KS: We are always listening to customer feedback. Some products, like our Megaman line, have been conceptualized from this feedback. We kept hearing from our customers that their husbands and boyfriends were stealing their Thigh Rescue and Body Dust, so we decided to create Friction Fighter and Dry Guy for all of our Megamen out there. We just recently expanded this category with a new men’s deodorant, The Pro Deo, and ball deodorant, The Ball Deo, and have been getting rave reviews!
SY: What’s next for you product wise?
KS: I can’t share too much, but we have a lot of exciting new launches to come this year. We’re launching two new in-shower bar products that will be a game changer this summer. This fall, we’ll be expanding to a brand new category that I am very passionate about, so stay tuned for newness to come!
Megababe and Megamen an be found at:
Ulta
365 Post Rd E, Westport, CT
and megababebeauty.com