January Katherine Girls of the Month: Meet Isabel and Caroline

Happy new year beauties! We’re dreaming big for 2018 and we know you are too. That’s why we are kicking the year off with a major dose of inspiration from two of our all-time favorite #Katherinegirls: Da Bomb Bath Fizzers co-founders Isabel and Caroline Bercaw. We’re so excited to introduce you all to these smart and driven sisters, and to tell you how they took a DIY home project and built it into a multimillion dollar business in just a few short years.   

Congratulations to Isabel and Caroline! 

If you’ve been following us on social media, you know we recently hosted these dynamic teen entrepreneurs for a few days of beauty and brainstorming at our Katherine Cosmetics headquarters in San Diego. (Make sure to check our video HERE to see all the fun we had!) We’re collaborating to come up with something pretty special for you all in 2018. Stayed tuned for all the details!  

Want to learn more about how to become a #Katherinegirl? Click here.  

Meet Isabel and Caroline 

Katherine Girls of the Month: Isabel and Caroline Bercaw 

Ages: 16 and 15 

Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota 

School: Edina High School 

Grade: 10th and 11th grade 

Instagram:  @dabombfizzers 

Website: www.dabombfizzers.com

Isabel and Caroline weren’t planning to launch a beauty product empire when they whipped up their first batch of bath bombs in their home basement in 2013. These sisters, then 10 and 11 years old, just wanted to make a better bath product.   

“We started using bath bombs all the time but we were always a little disappointed in how they turned out,” said Isabel.  “They either stained our tub or they left us feeling dirtier than when we got in the tub. So we wanted to make our own formula.” 

And that’s just what they did!  After lots of trail and error, the girls came up with a recipe that uses just a few simple, gluten-free, cruelty-free ingredients to create bright and sparkly (and nice smelling!) fizzing bath bombs. And the best part? Each one contains a surprise gift like a charm, keychain or inspirational message.  

The fun and creative combination was an instant hit. Isabel and Caroline sold their first batch of 150 homemade Da Bomb Fizzers at the Uptown Art Fair in Minneapolis in the summer of 2013. And they have never looked back. Today, the girls produce 500,000 Da Bomb Bath Fizzers a month at their newly-purchased 45,000 square-foot building, and they sell their creations at 7,000 stores nationwide including Target and Ulta Beauty. Annual sales this year are set to top $10 million. And oh yeah, and did we mention that Isabel and Caroline also employee 150 people including both of their parents?! 

How Isabel and Caroline are Running a Business and Attending High School 

Despite their company’s quick growth, the girls said their success did not come without a lot of hard work. “Business isn’t easy,” said Isabel. “We were so young when we started. Which helped us because we were fearless in a way. We were a little bit oblivious to the fact that this could fail. We just went all in and that really helped us not get discouraged or give up when a failure happened.” 

When they aren’t running a business empire, these wunderkinds are busy being regular high school students. They attend classes every day until 1:45 p.m. and run track for their school team in the spring.

“We just do regular teen things,” said Caroline. “We hang out with our friends. Or go to school dances, and football games. We try to do everything that we can.” 

How are they able to both attend high school and run a business? Isabel and Caroline give a lot of the credit to their parents and younger brother, Harry, for helping them turn their dreams into reality. (Harry is the creative mind behind the Ninja Bomb.)  

“We have a lot of people helping us everyday,” said Isabel. “I love working with my family. Sometimes it’s a bit awkward but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. We all have each other’s backs and no one is trying to sneak around behind you.” 

Isabel and Caroline said this spirit of camaraderie is what also drew them to Katherine Cosmetics. “We’re really grateful to be part of the this [the Katherine Cosmetics family],” Isabel said.  “It’s really nice that people are coming together.  I find that so often people will try and put you down. I feel like in this community of people, they would rather build you up.” 

Caroline said she agrees. “We just love to try and inspire others,” she said.

“Just get the message out there that no matter how old you are, if you are passionate about something, just go for it.” 

Another value the girls share with their fellow #Katherinegirls? A commitment to giving back. Every time someone purchases a Da Bomb Fizzers Earth Bomb, a portion of the sale goes to saving the world’s oceans. “We always ask how this is going to contribute and where is our money going to make a difference,” said Caroline. 

As for the future, it’s clear these teens are just getting started! This year, they are launching new products and hope to start selling their brand internationally. The girls also said they were looking forward to someday attending college. “Whatever happens we’ll both be able to go forward with the experience we have from owning this business and we’ll be able to apply it to whatever we want to do,” said Isabel. 

One thing they said they’ve learned is that it’s best to stay open to life’s possibilities. “Shoot above your goals,” said Isabel. “You don’t know what’s going to happen!” 

Insider Info on Isabel and Caroline 

Fun Fact:  

The girls have a book coming out in August. It’s tentatively titled “Fizz Boom Bath” and will feature stories of Isabel and Caroline, as well as recipes for DIY bath bombs and sugar scrubs. 

Favorite #Katherinemoments:  

Isabel said one of her favorite #Katherinemoments came recently while volunteering with her grandmother.  She said she met an elderly man who let her know he didn’t think women are as capable as men. “First he asked if I had a boyfriend,” she said. “A little while later, he comes up and asks what does your daddy do? I told him that he works for me and 150 other guys do too.  I own my own business.”   

One of Caroline’s favorite #Katherinemoments was when she joined our #Katherinefamily. “It’s been such a great experience to see what other young girls and boys are doing,” said Caroline. “I think it’s amazing when people speak up about their passion.  Because that’s really what it’s all about.  Feeling comfortable and confident with who you are and what you want to do in life.”

Favorite Katherine Products: 

During their recent visit to our flagship store in Del Mar, Isabel and Caroline had the chance to test drive the whole line of Katherine Cosmetic’s products. As owners of their own beauty business, we know how picky they are about what they use on their skin.  We’re thrilled that they love (and feel good about!) wearing our cruelty-free, gluten-free makeup!  Here are some of their favorites.   

Sienna Highlighter:

Both Isabel and Caroline are big fans of the Sienna Highlighter. “It’s the best highlighter we’ve ever used,” said Caroline. 

Makeup Brush Set:

“The brushes are insane,” said Isabel. “You just want to keep touching them.”  

Brow Solution:

“I love the brow pencil,” said Caroline. “I think that brows help define your look.  Having a good eyebrow pencil is essential.”