Business savvy mum's sweet smell of success

KAREN Lucas and her children Noah and Oscar have developed child-friendly deodorant Just4Kids

SUCCESS is no sweat for a Mossley mum thanks to the launch of her innovative child-friendly deodorant.

Mum-of-three Karen Lucas realised there was very little in the way of natural products on the market when looking for a deodorant for her younger sons three years ago.

Aiming to find something which didn't contain nasty chemicals such as aluminium ­- associated with Alzheimer's ­- parabens, linked to breast cancer, and something called propylene glycol ­- a neurotoxin which can cause dermatitis, and kidney and liver damage ­- she and her boys began working with scientists to find an alternative.

Three years later "Just4Kids" has scooped two prestigious awards from natural product enthusiast, singer and TV and radio presenter, Janey Lee Grace, through her Imperfectly Natural website and has been praised by parent bloggers across the land.

And last week it was given the "best buy" accolade in The Green Parent Magazine Natural Beauty Awards.

"We were unable to find a natural deodorant that was aimed purely for children," said Karen, who launched the product under the company name "NOOSC".

"We knew other mums and dads wanted to do the best by their kids so we set about developing a natural deodorant specifically designed for children with the help of my sons, Noah, then aged seven, and Oscar, then aged ten ­- hence the company name of NOOSC.

"With lots of research help and advice from experts in laboratories ­- the kids loved their visits to meet real scientists ­- we began developing the best natural deodorant formulated for kids.

"Our deodorant is a healthier alternative to traditional antiperspirants formulated for younger sensitive skins. We have made our product with passion and love to give children a healthier start in good personal hygiene. A deodorant that children would like to use and parents would want to use on their children."

As well as using natural ingredients the ethical product isn't tested on animals either.

Karen is now looking to get supermarkets and high street retailers to stock "Just4Kids" and has entered Sir Richard Branson's social media "VOOM" competition in which companies pitch for public votes and a share of £1 million in prizes.

The deodorants come in a range of fragrances and are available from www.just4kidsproducts.com.