INVENT 2025 Finalist: Percy & Pop

Founders name: Sarah McKegney

What was the “aha” moment that sparked your idea?

As a busy mum of three young children, Sarah was frustrated by the amount of waste generated through her family’s daily routine, particularly at bath-time. This was in the form of many plastic bottles and the sheer amount of shampoo that ended up down the drain.

Determined to find a better option, Sarah searched the market for eco-friendly, plastic-free alternatives for the kids. Finding nothing suitable for very young or sensitive, allergy-prone skin, Sarah decided to create her own.

What is your background?

Sarah is a mum of three young children (an expert in executing bath and bedtime routines) and a qualified Chartered Accountant. She holds over 15 years' corporate experience in developing and leading organisational strategy, business transformation and large-scale project management. Sarah also has previous international experience from working in roles in London, Washington, D.C. and Sydney.

Tell us a bit about your solution

Percy & Pop solid shampoo and conditioner bars are specifically formulated for babies and children. Formulated using two coconut-derived surfactants and packed with gentle, natural ingredients, they can be used from birth, leaving skin and hair clean and soft (and of course they are eye-friendly too!). The bars are vegan and sulphate-free making them safe for sensitive skin and even eczema. The unfragranced and strawberry bars are entirely allergen-free. The waterless formulation also means that each 70g bar lasts at least as long as 2 x 350ml plastic bottles and they are great for travel as they can't leak and can be packed in airline hand luggage. They come in a range of scents and colours kids love and the bars are also shaped for little hands to encourage body independence and reduce bath-time battles! The full range is available to shop online at www.percyandpop.com

What first impression do you want users to have when they experience/use your product?

When we carried out our initial research, one of the most important things parents talked about was making sure the bars were effective and lathered well. We've taken this really seriously and included two surfactants in our formulation which make our bars great for gentle cleansing but also really bubbly! We want parents and children alike to be delighted to use our products - that's why we have invested in beautiful packaging and mailing boxes, so the anticipation for bath-time starts as soon as the parcel arrives with scents that you notice as soon as you open the box. We love hearing from customers that they can't believe how easy our bars are to use, how well they foam and how amazing they smell (because what parent doesn't love to be able to sniff a little clean head at bedtime!)

Where do you hope to be in five years?

In 5 years, we want Percy & Pop to be a recognised and trusted name among UK and Irish families, both for our great products but also for leading the way in sustainability within the kids' haircare market. We want to grow our product range, build an engaged online community and appear on many retail shelves!

What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve received so far?

Percy & Pop has just been awarded Silver for Best Kids' Toiletries Collection in the Junior Design Awards, a UK-wide awards celebrating excellence in children's design and lifestyle products. As a new business, it's amazing to have our products recognised against household names and established brands and most importantly to be the only plastic-free option! Judges commented "One of the best performing shampoo bars we've tried" and praised our lather, scents and packaging - to be recognised for all the things we set out to achieve is just brilliant. We also recently received lovely feedback from a customer - a mum who bought one of our shampoo bars for her young son. Her son suffers with severe allergies and has never been able to have a scented bath product before. For the first time he has been able to enjoy a strawberry-fragranced shampoo and he was so excited to have his hair washed! We love hearing that our products are already having such a fun and positive impact on families, all while being so much better for the planet!