WYOMING — It all started with an itch.
Scott Douglas, of Bloomsburg, said he developed an allergy to commercially made skin care and hair care products more than a decade ago. Then the suggestions came pouring in.
“People would say, ‘Try this,’ or ‘Try that,’ but nothing worked,” he said.
So in 2006 Douglas decided to try to formulate his own products. He started with soap. After some trial and error, he developed a winning recipe, which he still sells in his shop, Summer Hill Botanicals on East Sixth Street. Douglas is celebrating his 10th anniversary in business this year.
It doesn’t just end with soap. Douglas makes an array of small-batch, all-natural skin and bath and body care, including lotion, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, lip balm, bath bombs and more. He’s working on a patent for his newest product, Skin Hydration Therapy Cream.
While he started the venture as a way to help his own skin issues, now he creates customized concoctions for his customers.
“My youngest customer, she must have been 3 or 4 years old, and the first time she came in she was crying,” he said. “She had eczema (on her face). Her doctor wanted to pump her with (medication), and her mother said no.”
Eventually Douglas developed allergies to dairy and soy, so none of the products he sells contain those ingredients. He also caters to people with gluten sensitivity. A lot of his line was created by request from customers with unique issues.
“It’s nice to know that I am helping someone with the same issues that I suffered through,” said Douglas.
He said the recipes for his products all required plenty of research, and he likes to check ingredients based on what is banned in the European Union. “Things that were banned in Europe 30 years ago are still in U.S. products,” he said.
Right now, Douglas is a one-man operation, though he does participate in distributorships in which customers buy his products to sell at in-home parties and at craft shows. Douglas said he’s shipped his products all over the country and to England on a regular basis.
He’s working on a few proposals to get his product manufactured overseas, which, he said, would help in his dream of franchising his business.
In addition to natural bath and body products, Douglas also sells cooking herbs, hand-painted glassware, homemade coconut wax candles, jewelry and other home decor items. He has a men’s line of skin care products and all-natural pet care products, too.
He started selling Polish pottery in 2002 under the name European Treasures. Prior to that, Douglas made a living as a photographer/videographer and graphic designer. His work still can be seen through his marketing materials and labels for his products.
“I love to create,” he said.
Douglas also said many noted celebrities use his products, though he could not reveal any names. He’s hoping to start a “celebrity wall” with autographed photos to generate more buzz for his business.
