How it all began for Special Little People


It seems like only a couple of years ago that my now fourteen year old was nervously hanging back from the rest of the kids going into the classroom. He was adamant he should not be left in that classroom full of strangers and despite the smiling teacher's best encouragement, I could really understand his anxiety. As soon as we had walked into the school I was filled with memories, brought on predominantly by that same musty smell, I remembered in a very different school in a different country. I think it must be a universal school smell!


The very next day I took Sam back to the pre-school clutching a little cotton hanky upon which I had sprinkled a carefully blended mix of essential oils, we had worked on a formula that night, I had picked the most relaxing, grounding and soothing oils and we had sniffed and blended until we had a lovely scent. This time I explained that whenever he felt a little wobbly or unhappy he should quietly have a little sniff of his hanky. It worked a treat. We lost numerous hankies and moved on to daubing his sleeves until eventually he didn't even ask for his 'what if' oils anymore and the transition was seamless.


Now he often asks to take a sprinkle of 'Focus' with him. This is the blend I developed for the entire family when we felt too tired to think, lacking in concentration and a need for clarity when all seemed a bit fuzzy. But 'What If?' has always remained a staple as Sam asked for some when he took a flight alone just last month.


And so that was how Special Little People came into being. I seemed forever handing out small bottles of 'What If?' to friends and friends of friends. Then I prepared a blend to soothe tantrums and that became 'Stomp'. 'Tears' evolved from my second little boy being particularly distraught when his grandad passed away - 'Snuffles' came about because whilst there are so many wonderful natural products on the market for head colds they all seemed to be quite harsh and actually reminded me of being ill and feeling flu-like as soon as I took the first inhalation. So Snuffles was designed to clear the sinuses whilst dishing out a good-feel factor - using peppermint, rosewood and black pepper makes it at once refreshing, uplifting and warming - hard to explain but it is a combination that just works.

Finally 'Stars' to help sleep. I was getting request after request for something to help little ones fall asleep so I developed this rather luxurious blend which contains jasmine and turns even the most boring bedroom into a safe haven for sweet, comforting dreams.

Setting up SLP took my husband and I a good couple of years -  I was doing my 'daytime job' (PR and Marketing) as well as looking after my three children. And whilst the PR certainly paid the bills my real passion was working with the oils. As a trained aromatherapist I had worked for a number of years in this sector but I discovered that my real enjoyment of aromatherapy was working with the oils, blending new formulas, trying out new, unusual mixtures and really pushing the boundaries. Our children were and still are my test bed - if they don't like it we don't use it. They love their roles as my 'noses' and have become brilliant at describing how certain oils, certain smells can make them feel. At times we get some of their friends along and have informal 'workshops' to tease out new ideas.

About three years ago I was approached by the NPD buyer for Boots. She had fallen on the product per chance and had bought some for her little child. She wanted to know whether we would be interested in being stocked in Boots. This of course was amazing and the route to get into Boots has certainly been a long one, but extremely interesting if at times challenging. I would like to say at this point that many people suggested we were wrong to sell SLP via Boots and people felt that we would be chewed up and spat out. Our relationship with Boots has been extraordinary. They have bent over backwards, been very very helpful, given us support all the way along and been very patient with us when we have felt some of the hurdles might be too challenging. By taking things one step at a time and working through each and every requirement, we have succeeded and we are now in 120 Boots nationwide. Whilst we have been very proud I have been particularly touched at the number of people who have stepped out of the woodwork to congratulate us and acknowledge it is quite an achievement for such a small - beautifully scented - company!

For further information on how the effect of smell can affect your little one's well-being click here

The story of how the company Special Little People started.