B. Kitty’s Polish

Scholastic: Why did you start your business?
B. Kitty: A few years ago, one of my friends started selling bracelets. That inspired me—I wanted to sell things myself! I picked nail polish because I’ve always had fun painting my nails. So my mom and I started a business called Kitty Paws, which is geared toward self-care for kids. But the products are perfect for adults too. Now we also sell combinations called Kitty Crates. The Mommy & Me DIY Spa Day is our best-selling crate. It contains nail polish, DIY at-home facial supplies, a bath bomb kit with prepackaged ingredients, and even tea for two for you and your mom to relax with! We make or hand-select all of our products.

Scholastic: What’s the best part of running your business?
B. Kitty: I love the rewarding feeling of being able to give people a healthy line of nail polish that is really nice quality too. What makes it special is that it’s designated 10-free. Nail polishes that are designated 10-free do not have potentially harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and phthalates. Many brands use these chemicals because they make nail polish shiny and help the manicure last longer. We also don’t test our products on animals, like some companies do. I don’t want anything we sell to end up being harmful to anyone.

Scholastic: What math do you use to run your business?
B. Kitty: We use ratios and proportions all the time! When we create colors, we mix different pigment powders together. When we get the desired color, I note how many milligrams of each powder we used. Then we multiply that ratio to make a larger batch. When the amounts are off, the color or consistency can be off. When the mixed polish is perfect, we put it into a bottle with a brush, a lid, and ball bearings so a customer can shake it up and keep the polish from clumping together. We also have to measure the ingredients for our bath bombs. They will crumble if the ratios aren’t right!

Scholastic:  What advice do you have for other kids?
B. Kitty: Try to have a trustworthy adult help you. If you work with your parents, it’s going to be one of the best memories you might ever have with them. And you should really just have a fun time doing it!

Key Math Idea:
Using Proportions

B. Kitty and her mom make almost everything they sell. They mix ingredients according to certain ratios to get the perfect nail polish colors and bath bomb textures and scents. Then they use proportions to make larger batches. A proportion is an equation that states that two ratios are equivalent. Record your work and answers on our answer sheet.