I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who doesn’t know who Emma Bunton is and feels a warmth for the beloved Baby of the Spice Girls. Not only is she an inspirational multi-tasking mama but she is also a businesswoman to boot. Having just launched her new baby – a range of nappies and affordable luxury skincare, Kit & Kin, I was delighted to catch up with her and get the low down on why this range is already winning awards left, right and centre!

I can’t think of a better person to star in my Inspire Me series for July!

Emma, you have just launched your eco-friendly brand Kit & Kin – where did the initial idea come from and how important was the impact on the environment to you and your co-founder from the get-go?

My son has struggled with eczema and I was frustrated that there wasn’t a trusted go-to brand that wasn’t full of chemicals. This seeded the initial idea in my head, and inspired by my work with Unicef I wanted to do something about it. This friend also knew that Chris, my co-founder wanted to develop an eco-friendly family brand. With his experience in the industry and entrepreneurial background, coupled with my passion– it was and is the perfect match! The environmental impact was very important, I knew the brand I wanted to develop was one that I could not only feel really passionate about and also importantly, one that was committed to its customers and responsible in its offering. When I learned how many nappies we throw away a year, around 8 million, I was shocked and knew I wanted to do something about it.

The nappy market is huge and the well-known brands tend to dominate – why should we choose Kit & Kin?

Our nappies are not only amazing because they will keep baby snug, comfortable and dry but also because we developed them using significantly fewer chemicals and many more sustainable materials which means the majority of our nappies will biodegrade within 3-6 years! This is incredible compared to the usual 500 years other nappies take. I know, I was surprised too!

Being a responsible brand is so important to us and giving back will play a large role in our Kit & Kin’s story, be it supporting local children’s charities in addition to protecting the environment through our relationship with the World Land Trust. This is a wonderful, non-profit organisation supported by Sir David Attenborough that aims to protect some of the worlds most threatened habitats and wildlife.

We’re proud to say that for every 10 nappy subscriptions we sell, Kit & Kin will purchase and protect one acre of the rainforest through the World Land Trust’s conservation program.

Have you been very hands-on in the creative process of getting these products to market?

I’ve been involved every step of the way. My fantastic co-founder Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in bringing these kind of products to market. I’ve brought my experiences as a parent to the process and worked with Chris in the development of each offering, which has been a really interesting and rewarding experience for me. On the other side of that, I’ve really enjoyed helping to design the brand’s key features and characteristics as well as guiding other elements like our e-commerce shop, the production, and shooting our promotional videos. I like to think I also bring a different perspective to the business as a mother, complimenting Chris’ experiences as a father which has helped shape some of our product and design decisions.

What kind of mum do you envisage loving Kit & Kin?

As mums we’re all so busy, and Kit & Kin is really designed for mums on the go. The products are all completely natural so you don’t have to worry about putting anything at all harmful on your little ones, and the products are really multi-purpose so great when you’re in a hurry. I use the magic salve on the boys’ eczema as well as on my hands and lips when they’re dry, and I love the hair and body wash for the whole family too because it’s so gentle and smells really fresh and delicious. That was so important for me in creating Kit & Kin, I’m a busy mum and I know how important it is for everything to be easy!

For mums who already struggle to cope with the extensive demands of motherhood, what would you say is your best time saving hack?

Staying organised! In our household, we’re all go, go, go during the week so I like to take an hour or so out on a Sunday evening to look to the week ahead and plan our dinners and which one of us is going to be taxi-ing the kids around each day! I’m much less stressed and pushed for time when I have more of a schedule in place.

How do you regulate internet time with your boys? What are their fave things to watch?

We try to keep our boys busy with lots of after-school activities away from screens when we can. Beau absolutely loves sports and Tate goes to a theatre group where he does lots of singing and dancing, so we’re always busy running around with that, and when we do get home our routine is usually finishing up homework, dinner and then bedtime. But the one thing we do love to do, normally on the weekend, is watch a film. That way the time we do spend in front of screens is really valuable and allows us to all be together.

What’s playing on your car stereo at the moment? 

Like everyone else I’m loving Ed Sheeran at the moment, as well as Bruno Mars – my kids absolutely love him so we’re allowed to listen to him in the car! We love music in our house so there’s always something on!

Of all the jobs you’ve done since the Spice Girls, which has been your biggest challenge and why?

When I was in the Spice Girls the biggest challenge for me was being away from home when we were touring, and I think that’s still a big challenge for me when I’m working. I’m such a London girl and I love being around my family so being away for long periods is always difficult. I’m lucky now that my work means I still get to spend lots of time at home and with my kids.

Kit & Kin is available exclusively from the website.