Innocent inspired by nature

A Matamata College student has launched her very own small business, which is inspired by nature.

Emily Nowell and younger sister Caitlin, have launched their business, Innocent.

The sisters sell beautifully scented and brightly coloured soaps, bath bombs and body scrubs. The soaps use an olive or coconut oil base and the additional ingredients are all natural too.

They will be selling their products at the November and December Matamata Market and Craft Fairs and are especially looking forward to exhibiting their business at the Twilight Fair this month.

The fledgling business was born from Emily’s Matamata College business studies class. Students were encouraged to get into groups and come up with a small business to take to market.

Emily says after the school project was over, she decided to continue running the business. She wanted to supply people with nature-inspired soaps, and over the past few months has been scouring the internet for recipes.

She asked Caitlin to become involved and the two of them make all the products themselves. The bath bombs are created in an hour. The body scrubs are even faster to produce but the soaps are made in bulk and take six weeks to cure.

Emily says the packaging is the most time consuming.

Mum Debbie Nowell says she is proud of both her daughters for how they have managed the challenges of running a small business and how they are balancing school and business obligations.

‘‘They have worked hard on coming up with a great product and presentation. The ingredients are all really good quality and people think great.

‘‘They are taking after the rest of the family, who are all in business, but school must come first.’’

Debbie is particularly fond of the coffee body scrub, which she says leaves your the skin really smooth and it smells delicious.

The girls are preparing for Christmas, putting hampers together, marketing themselves on-line and selling their product through their mum’s Arawa Street store Forget Me Not.

The Twilight Fair is Sunday, November 27.

See the video on the Chronicle’s Facebook page. the products are