Three Year 13 St Margarets College students are spreading the shimmer with a new body oil that comes from woolly beginnings.

Friends Maggie Hamilton, Emma Richards, and Ruby Glackin have taken a classroom project and turned it into Radiant, a handcrafted lanolin-infused body oil that combines natural ingredients, a subtle vanilla scent, and a soft shimmer.

The product began as a business studies project but grown into something more: a chance to celebrate New Zealand’s wool industry, support rural mental health, and create a product that helps people feel good in their own skin.

“Lanolin is incredibly hydrating, but it’s usually marketed to older women,” says Maggie. “We wanted to flip that on its head and make it fun, modern, and something people our age would actually want to use.”

The idea was born through the Young Enterprise Scheme, which encourages students to design and run their own businesses.

All three have rural roots, and they quickly recognised an opportunity to reconnect young consumers with New Zealand’s struggling wool industry by reimagining lanolin - long seen as an old-fashioned product - as something youthful, trendy, and nourishing.

A hands-on process

It all starts in Maggies kitchen, where the girls make each batch of Radiant Body Oil themselves.

The formula wasn’t perfected overnight; early trials with coconut oil left them with a hard, unusable mixture.

“It took a lot of trial and error,” says Emma. “But once we got something that lasted on the shelf and felt good on the skin, we knew we’d cracked it.”

The vanilla fragrance was no accident but the result of careful market research after surveying over 100 students and teachers.

The shimmer, made from natural, skin-safe ingredients, was also based on feedback. “Girls love a glow, it’s a trend right now,” says Ruby. “We wanted Radiant to feel uplifting and fun, while still being gentle and natural.”

And at $23.99 a bottle, Radiant is an affordable price-point.

Building a brand

So far, Radiant has been sold through a mix of online orders, Instagram DMs, and word-of-mouth, with appearances at markets such as the StAC market and plans to expand to Riccarton and Lyttelton markets.

Social media has been a key tool, with Instagram forming the backbone of their marketing. “We keep a strict bright and summery aesthetic, and we’ve spoken at school assemblies and used posters to spread the word,” says Emma.

Giving back

From the start, the students wanted Radiant to have a community impact.

For every bottle sold, 50 cents is donated to the North Canterbury Rural Support Trust, an organisation that helps rural families through tough times.

“The Trust has been so supportive, they even promoted us on their website,” says Maggie. “It’s not just about the money; it’s about raising awareness too. A lot of girls at our school might never think about the challenges farmers face, but through Radiant, we’ve been able to bring that conversation into a new space.”

What’s Next

And while the girls will go their separate ways after school, they’re open to continuing the business if demand remains.

“It’s simple enough to produce that we could keep it going,” says Ruby. “We’ll reassess at the end of the year, but we’d love to see how far it can go.”

For now, they’re proud of what they’ve created:  a product that helps people feel confident in their own skin while shining a light on rural New Zealand.

As their tagline puts it: “Shine from within, starting with your skin.”

Orders can be placed via www.radiantbodyoil.com

By Claire Inkson