Ocean Grove’s youngest business mogul

AN 11-year-old Ocean Grove resident has launched a skincare business, and she has big plans for the future.

Inspired by the entrepreneurial efforts of a friend, and eager to gather funds to take her mother on a cruise, Riley Lunn launched Sweet Skin Self Care earlier this year in March.

Her product range has quickly expanded to include four different oil and sugar-based body scrubs – her favourite is the ‘watermelon waves’ scent – and a recently released range of organic lip balms made from coconut oil and beeswax.

“I want to be able to be one of those people that younger versions of myself can look at and be like, ‘That’s what I want to do’ and because other people have done it, it’s not like I have to back down,” she said.

Riley researches widely before deciding on the formulas for her products, constantly refining both her ingredients and method, which she describes as a “whirlwind of events”.

“I’ve probably watched five million videos about how to do these things,” she said.

“So now I have some good sources about what the right amounts, the right formulas [are].

“A lot of the stuff I make is just something you can do at home, but I take it to the next level by adding things you don’t normally have at home.”

Her products are available both online and at the weekly Bellarine Farmgate market on Murradoc Road in Drysdale.

Between her school, sport and musical theatre commitments, Riley maintains a busy lifestyle, but says there’s still plenty of time in the week to spend making her products.

And the best part? She gets to make all the decisions.

“You learn so much,” Riley said.

“It’s not just ‘Oh, this ingredient is good because it mixes in’, it’s like coconut oil is really good because it adds protection layers…it hydrates.

“You’re learning a bit about the chemistry about why these ingredients do different things, about why they mix well…and I just have in the back of my mind [the] top ingredients, natural ingredients, that are great for your skin.”

Aware she had “success in mind”, Riley’s parents encouraged her to develop a business plan before beginning the business and helped her work out how to navigate the financial side of the operation.

“We’re both really proud of her and all the effort she puts in – the concentration and the focus,” Riley’s mother Sabrina said.

“She’s always been that kind of kid. If she wants to do something, [there’s] no standing in her way. She’ll figure it out and we try to give both our kids that space to be able to do those things.”

Riley is already thinking well into the future, with ideas for new products and developing a website right through to selling enough product to have her own warehouse and even, finding enough success so her parents can quit their jobs.

“They can come work for me and I can be their boss for once,” she said.

Orders can be made via direct message on Sweet Skin Self Care’s Facebook and Instagram pages.