AN 11-year-old Ocean Grove resident has launched a skincare business, and she has big plans for the future.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Her product range has quickly expanded to include four different oil and sugar-based body scrubs \u2013 her favourite is the ‘watermelon waves’ scent \u2013 and a recently released range of organic lip balms made from coconut oil and beeswax.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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”.<\/p>\n
“I’ve probably watched five million videos about how to do these things,” she said.<\/p>\n
“So now I have some good sources about what the right amounts, the right formulas [are].<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Her products are available both online and at the weekly Bellarine Farmgate market on Murradoc Road in Drysdale.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
And the best part? She gets to make all the decisions.<\/p>\n
“You learn so much,” Riley said.<\/p>\n
“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\u2026it hydrates.<\/p>\n
“You’re learning a bit about the chemistry about why these ingredients do different things, about why they mix well\u2026and I just have in the back of my mind [the] top ingredients, natural ingredients, that are great for your skin.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“We’re both really proud of her and all the effort she puts in \u2013 the concentration and the focus,” Riley’s mother Sabrina said.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“They can come work for me and I can be their boss for once,” she said.<\/p>\n
Orders can be made via direct message on Sweet Skin Self Care’s Facebook and Instagram pages.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n