A Perthshire entrepreneur who started her soap business at the age of seven has scooped a new retail deal.
Young entrepreneur Amelia Milton from Bridge of Cally is now selling her homemade soaps at Dundee Science Centre.
11-year-old Amelia hopes that by selling her soaps in the gift shop, her love of science will inspire others.
She launched her business Smelleez four years ago.
Since then, Amelia has created a range of handmade, cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly soaps, including solid shampoo bars for dogs.
Science and maths involved in soap-making
The past four years, Amelia has been selling her soaps at markets and shops across Scotland.
By tapping into Dundee Science Centre she hopes to influence people to buy less plastic and make good environmental choices.
She says: “I love visiting museums and attractions, especially when they’re interactive, making 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.
As well as running her business, Amelia is home schooled.
Rather than keeping her education and business separate, the young entrepreneur enjoys learning through making her soaps.
Amelia says: “I use science and maths for soap-making, but there’s also English, art, design and manufacturing involved.
“I’ve had to use skills such as computing and marketing for digital platforms 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.”
Dundee Science Centre showcase Smelleez
The arrival of Amelia’s products within the Dundee Science Centre shop coincides with its recent Green Tourism award.
Attraction and commercial development advisor Sarah Cartmill is excited to have Amelia involved to promote sustainability.
She says: “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.”
Smelleez soaps are handmade in small batches using sustainable palm oil from Papua New Guinea.
Amelia is currently researching essential oils, botanical clays and other natural resources to expand her product range in the future.