MooGoo Skin Care: How an Aussie business turned a simple idea into a global sensation

We’ve all heard stories about clever people who chanced upon a compelling idea and managed to turn it into a business. But Craig Jones’ MooGoo Skin Care is a success story of a different kind.

MooGoo, rather than being a business sparked by an idea, was sparked by a need: not only as a way for Jones to help his mother with her Psoriasis, but a desire to produce skin care products that are completely natural. 

What began 12 years ago in a suburban kitchen is now a global sensation featuring 40 popular products. It was the classic case of ‘if you can’t find the perfect product, you might need to create it yourself’.

“I was searching for a natural cream to help my mother with her psoriasis.  The only cream that had really worked in the past was a balm used in dairy farms to help keep the cow's udders healthy and supple,” Jones said.

“So I created something similar in my mother’s kitchen and that’s how it all started, out of a very real need to find a solution.”

This became MooGoo’s first product, the 'Udder Cream' which helped his mother’s skin and triggered the whole MooGoo craze.

"Suddenly the cream was in demand, I couldn’t make enough of it. It was great to be the founder of a business that used natural products and could actually make a difference," Jones said.

"Approaching stores was difficult at first as most of them weren’t keen.  But when I made brochures and explained to the staff why MooGoo was different, they changed their minds."

Most of MooGoo's creams are made on the Gold Coast, while hair products are made in Sydney and other products, such as lip balms, are made in Perth where it all started. The MooGoo range has been so successful that spin offs have now hit the market, including Dusty Girls makeup, A Bit Hippy vegan skin care and Dr Zoo – a range of natural products specifically for pets with a pH perfect for their skin.

Jones’ now has 40 local staff members as well as a team in the United Kingdom - many of them are the same people who were with MooGoo from the very beginning. And while MooGoo uses plenty of cow-based puns, Jones points out that the products are not actually made from cow’s milk.

“The name MooGoo was because of our first cream, the Udder Cream. There definitely is no milk in there! Mixing milk into skin care would make it almost impossible to keep fresh and bacteria free.”

MooGoo products range includes natural deodorant, dental care, cleansers, shampoo and conditioner, conditioner, oils and serums, eczema and Psoriasis cream, sunscreen and more.