Local Business Can Help Cure Your Child's Fear of the Dark

Once the kids are warmly tucked away into bed each night, that’s Mom and Dad’s much-needed time for themselves. Time for a little break, and some peace and quiet.

So, when the kids suddenly discover the world of monsters, ghouls and goblins, and are too afraid to go to sleep at night by themselves anymore, it is not only sad for the terrified little ones, it can be very stressful for Mom and Dad, too.

That’s where Miss Stephanie’s Potions, a brand new Redwood City “sprout,” comes in.

How a Desperate, Late-Night Idea Turned into a Company

Miss Stephanie’s Potions was founded by Redwood City resident Stephanie Corey, mom to 12-year-old Owen, 10-year-old Grace and 8-year-old Nico.

When it comes to her company, as the old saying goes, necessity was the mother of invention, she says.

“My son Nico, when he was 7, developed this really debilitating fear of zombies. He wouldn’t even go into his room, let alone go to bed, at night,” Corey said. “So the whole bedtime routine became a nightmare.”

One night, Corey had a desperate idea to try and cure her son’s fears and make him feel safe.

“I thought, maybe I can just do an essential oil spray, and encourage him to spray it on his door and windows and tell him it's zombie repellent,” she recalled.

Corey took a bottle of one of her favorite essential oil sprays, and went online and found a simple picture of a zombie. She printed out the picture, and fashioned her own makeshift “Zombie Repellent” label.

The next night, when it came time for bed, she gave it to Nico.

“His face lit up, and he grabbed the bottle and ran into his room,” she said. “He sprayed it all over his door, the doorknob, and his windows, and for the first time in weeks, he went to bed in his own bed.”

Corey thought—maybe she had stumbled onto something.

"The nighttime routine was cut from a very stressful 90 minutes down to a completely zen 30," she said. "I was amazed by the results."

She began to talk to friends and other fellow parents, and learned that little Nico wasn’t the only child with a fear of monsters and a difficult time feeling safe enough to go to bed at night.

“I realized just how many children suffer from anxieties, especially around bedtime,” she said. “So, I decided to develop the product line after talking with other parents.”

Miss Stephanie’s Fear-Fighting Product Line

It was important to Corey to make her products kid-friendly, safe, nontoxic, and “green.” So, Corey formed a relationship with a green-certified manufacturer from right here in the United States—the same company that makes the popular “Dessert Essence” spray for Trader Joe’s stores around the country.

“Evidence from holistic studies suggests that essential oils do have a calming effect on kids and adults alike, and having the ability to spray them directly on their specific fears will empower any kid, not to mention make their rooms smell really nice!” Corey added.

What started out as one zombie repellent spray she created for her son Nico, is now a line of six different sprays that either repel monsters or turn them into friends, a bath and body wash, shampoo and conditioner, and pajamas, and soon, children’s accessories and stuffed animals.

In addition to the monster-repelling products, Corey expanded upon the idea and designed a fairy-attracting spray for young girls—spraying it around the bedroom at night will attract magic fairies to visit while they’re sleeping and bring them sweet dreams. “Monster Armor” is a bubble bath and body wash that makes bath time a more painless experience for parents

“When you bathe in the Monster Armor bubble bath, you’re covered in protective armor for all-night protection from monsters, so it can help get kids to want to take a bath,” she explained.

The essential oil sprays include “Essence of Fairy Dust,” “Monster Be Good,” “Under the Bed/Closet Monster Be Good,” “Vampire Be Good,” “Werewolf Be Good” and “Zombie Be Good.” Her bath and body line includes “Monster Armor” bath and body wash, and shampoo and conditioner.

And, with the help of two local artists, Corey designed a full line of original monster characters, each of whom has its own t-shirt and, soon, stuffed animal. There’s even an official “Miss Stephanie” character with her own back story, about how she was a Creole medicine woman in Louisiana who used to whip up special herbs and potions to cure ailments and ward off evil spirits.

Corey says, the thought process behind dreaming up each monster character is also to help kids feel like they’re not alone in their fears.

“Each of the characters has a unique personality, and they’re all named after herbs, because that’s what Miss Stephanie uses in her potions,” she explained.

“Each character has a flaw that kids will be able to relate to. For instance, ‘Draco the Vampire’ can fly, but he's afraid of heights and loves to play video games. ‘Fleabane the Werewolf’ has bad allergies and is always itchy, ‘Shadberry the Under the Bed/Closet Monster’ is just shy—that's why she hides under your bed. She's not trying to actually scare you.”

Currently, all of the Miss Stephanie’s Potions products are sold through Corey’s website, www.MissStephaniesPotions.com, and they are also being sold in two stores in Aptos—Outside-In Kids and Forget-Me-Nots.

Though the products have only been available for purchase since last month, Miss Stephanie’s Potions are already making a splash across the country, with customers as far away as Pennsylvania and New York placing orders.

“The security of having a monster spray and the soothing aroma have really helped my children be calmer when going to sleep,” wrote a satisfied customer from Napa.

Andi, a Redwood City mother of two, says her daughter loves the fairy-attracting spray, and wrote, “The second she saw the bottle, a huge grin spread across her face. It is refreshing to find a natural product that encourages their innocent belief in all-things-magical, and inspires creativity.”

Corey said she also recently got an e-mail from a child psychologist in New York who said he loves the product line and recommends them to clients who have children with nighttime anxiety.

Corey says the next stop on Miss Stephanie’s Potion’s monster-fighting business train is to approach some local Redwood City stores about carrying the product line. She is also considering a booth at the local farmer’s market, and perhaps sponsoring some community events to help get her business’ name out there.

Visit www.missstephaniespotions.com.

See “Sprouts and Shutters” and "Booming Businesses" on Patch every Monday, for the latest in small business news for Redwood City. Read about new stores that are opening, which ones are closing, and profiles on the businesses that have been around for a long time.