11-Year-Old Perthshire Girl in a Lather over Business Venture
An 11-year-old Perthshire girl is selling her homemade soaps within Dundee Science Centre, hoping her love of science will inspire others.
Amelia Milton from Blairgowrie first started making soap at the age of seven, launching her own business Smelleez three years ago. Since then, she has created a range of handmade, cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly soaps for all tastes and ages including solid shampoo bars for dogs!
All made in small batches in rural Perthshire, the soaps have a high glycerin content for extra moisturising, featuring incredible fragrances and skin-softening ingredients such as olive oil.
Dundee Science Centre is currently selling a range of Amelia’s glycerin soap bars within the gift shop, with fragrances ranging from pear drops and sherbet lemon to unicorn poo, as well as a selection of gift bags packed with gorgeous goodies.
The arrival of Amelia’s products within the shop coincides with the Centre’s recent Green Tourism award, which highlights the attraction’s green credentials.
Sarah Cartmill, Attraction and Commercial Development Advisor said, “We approached Amelia after spotting her social media posts and were immediately intrigued by her quirky brand and all-natural ingredients. It’s amazing that she’s created a business and a brand at such a young age and we are so impressed by her ideas and products, all of which are underpinned by science of course. As an organisation looking to champion young talent and lead by example when it comes to Green Tourism, Amelia really is the perfect partner for us to showcase in our retail space!”
Sarah Cartmill with Amelia, whose soaps are now on sale within Dundee Science Centre.
Amelia added, “I use lots of science and maths for soap-making but there’s also English, art, design and manufacturing involved in labelling and display as well as other skills such as computing and marketing for the digital platforms which I’ve had to use a lot more over the last year. It doesn’t feel like studying because usually I’m trying to find an answer to a specific problem.
“I love visiting different museums and attractions especially when they’re interactive which makes for a fun and exciting learning process, but I’m often disappointed that the gift shops are so full of plastic because I know how bad it is for the environment. I was delighted when Dundee Science Centre approached me and I’m so excited to have my soaps in their fantastic new retail space.
“I’ve also been looking into other things such as facial cleansing bars, shaving soap and shampoo and conditioner bars. I’ve been researching the benefits of essential oils, botanical clays and other natural ingredients so that I can offer more products which help to reduce single-use plastic.”
The soap bases contain 100% RSPO certified sustainable Palm and Palm Kernel Oil derived from sustainable farms in Papua New Guinea, developed without destruction and deforestation of the rainforest. The scrub bars use only natural exfoliants such as pink Himalayan sea salt, peppercorns and coffee grounds.
For more information about Amelia’s business, visit https://www.smelleezsoap.com
For more information about Dundee Science Centre, and to book, visit http://www.dundeesciencecentre.org.uk/
ENDS