Who says 10-year-olds don't care about skincare?

Meet Minnie, a fifth-grader at Shields Elementary. She loves going to the beach, playing sports, hip-hop dancing and being outside. But her skin wasn’t always happy with her active lifestyle.

During the pandemic, Minnie started researching solutions and selling sample scrubs on the curb outside her home. With the help of her family, Minnie launched Sugar & Scrubs by Minnie during spring 2020. Now, her hobby is a small business with a growing product line and scores of new customers.

Minnie mixes each base scrub using coconut oil, sugar and Epsom salt, then adds additional essential and scented oils to blend a wide variety of scrubs.

“I make scrubs to match my different moods,” said Minnie. “Sometimes I want to rev up with Minty; and sometimes I need to chill out with Just Vanilla.”

One of Minnie’s newest products is a four-pack called Sweet Tooth Flight featuring Brownie Batter, Butterscotch, Salted Caramel and Birthday Cake. “My favorite part is mixing the scents and getting the right ratio. Oh, and naming the scrubs, that’s a fun thing to do with my family,” said Minnie.

In late summer 2021, Minnie grabbed a bag of Swell Joe coffee from the kitchen and brewed up a batch of coffee-infused scrubs, then reached out to Swell Joe’s Karen Johnson with a sample to try.

“We love thinking outside the mug and are always on the lookout for local collaborations that pair well with our coffee,” said Johnson. “It’s been fun to join hands with Minnie on this project. She has great ideas and an enviable amount of energy.”

Just a few days after their initial meeting, Minnie produced her first official batch of Coffee Mojo Surf Scrub, which features Stoked, Swell Joe’s dark Colombian roast.

“Many people already know the benefits of coffee grounds as a natural way to exfoliate dead skin cells, but there are also compounds in coffee, including caffeine, that have anti-inflammatory properties as well,” said Johnson. “For the beach-goers and surfers in our circle, they just love the ease of a deep clean at the end of a long and sweaty beach day.”

Minnie also joined up with Sharon Vitella from Surf Bagel to introduce a custom scrub that captures the essence of the iconic bagel shop’s vibe. A tropical-inspired exfoliating sugar scrub, Coco Mango combines coconut and mango. “It will keep your beach mind-set flowing all year long, every time you open the jar,” said Vitella.

As for partnering with a fifth-grader on a business venture, Vitella said, “Minnie is a natural entrepreneur. She’s smart, eager to learn, and ready to roll. We talked about an idea in the morning, and by that same afternoon, she’s whipped up another sample batch. Did I mention Minnie is just 10 years old?”

Kelly Loeser, owner of Quiet Storm in Rehoboth Beach, and Christine Chura, owner of the Brush Factory in Lewes, are now carrying Coffee Mojo and Coco Mango Surf Scrubs. They have a shared desire to support young business entrepreneurs.

“There’s a wonderful ripple effect to buying locally made products.” said Chura, “And when you find a great local product that’s crafted by someone so young and determined, it’s fun to see their excitement.”

Loeser said, “We’ve seen a lot of our regular shoppers who know Minnie; they get so excited when they spot her surf scrubs on the counter. We’re thrilled to be part of Minnie’s journey.”

Swell Joe’s Coffee Mojo scrubs and Surf Bagel’s Coco Mango scrubs are available at Surf Bagel, the Brush Factory and Quiet Storm Rehoboth. For more information, go to sugarscrubsbyminnie.com or follow her on Instagram @sugarscrubsbyminnie.

Based in Lewes, Sugar & Scrubs by Minnie offers sugar- and salt-based scented scrubs that exfoliate and moisturize, letting your inner you shine from head to toe.