Kanata entrepreneur invents water-activated shower stick

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Blair Edwards

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EMC News - Nick May's eureka moment happened during a mixing mishap in his kitchen last year.

The 23-year-old rural Kanata man was experimenting with chemicals, trying to create a water-activated shaving cream for women.

May was mixing different combinations of chemicals in the squares of ice cube trays when he accidently dropped some powder into a metal bowl filled with vegetable oil, which was warming on the stove.

The oil activated the powder forming a slippery nugget that sunk to the bottom of the bowl - he only discovered his creation while later cleaning the container in the sink.

"The nugget stuck to my spoon," he said. "So that was my 'aha' moment. That told me that what I was trying to do was awesome."

The nugget was a slippery substance, perfect for use as a water-activated shaving cream.

May's discovery turned the first-year Carleton University student from an amateur scientist into a fledgling entrepreneur.

The next set of steps was a little more demanding - finding a manufacturer and marketing the product.

First May held a test study with a group of women - comprised of his cousin and some of her university friends to test his prototype.

After reviewing the results of his focus group, May decided to create a vanilla-scented shaving stick called Vanilla Shower Time, a product containing tea tree oil with omega oils instead of preservatives.

"It doesn't have all the extra crap," said May.

"The real story here is he's taken it to manufacture," said Robert Burk, chair of the chemistry department at Carleton University. "He's getting an education in a lot more than chemistry."

May has a fertile mind, said Burk, who teaches a first year course on general chemistry attended by May.

The first-year university student was working on an idea to add an oxidant to fuel for motorcycle to super-charge the engine.

"He's got all these great ideas ...and now he's shown he can push it through to a product that's on store's shelves."

May, who is enrolled in the bachelor of science program at Carleton and hopes to eventually become a pharmacist, said he wanted to avoid using many of the chemicals common in other shaving products and instead rely on only natural ingredients.

He came up with the seed money to manufacture the sticks by selling his motorcycle - the other passion in his life.

May started racing the motocross circuit across North America at the age of 14, retiring when he turned 20 and returning to high school to get his diploma.

He graduated from Adult High School in Ottawa with a 90 per cent average, good enough to earn him an $8,000 scholarship to Carleton.

Seed money in hand, May next found a group of manufacturers to create the lable, container, and vanilla-scented stick, producing a first run of 5,000 shower sticks.

The product, which sells for $9.99, has been on sale at Abstentions, a convenience store at Carleton University and the First Class Book Store at Algonquin College since December. It has since been introduced at three Natural Food Pantry stores in Ottawa, including a branch located at 5537 Hazeldean Rd. in Kanata.

May said he hopes to expand production and sell the shower stick using major retailers.

May said he's been fascinated with the concept of making a solid shaving lubricant since he was 14 years old.

"I was amazed at how awesome a moisturizing strip was on a razor."




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