Six years ago, Crystal Phillips’ young daughters wanted to make slime.
The creative, imaginative activity at home transformed into a small business when Edana, who is now 20, and Geneva, now 17, approached their mother with an idea to start making and selling slime products. They included floam slime, which smells and has a crunchy texture that pops when played with, and butter slime, which is softer and feels creamy in the hands.
Now, the successful enterprise called Maui Slime Co., which originated on Maui, will be opening its first store front for other families to come together at the Manono Street Marketplace in Hilo.
“I have always had this dream to open a store and when this opportunity came up, I applied and hoped for the best and it felt kind of like fate when we got it,” Phillips said. “I love that Maui Slime Co. will be in Manono, because the owner is very supportive of locally owned small businesses and everyone has been so welcoming already.”
Located between the children’s store, crib, and Aloha Paws, Maui Slime Co. will be selling handmade slimes created by Phillips and her daughters and also offering the opportunity to make your own slime in house.
Kids and families will be able to come into the store and choose the colors, scent, texture and the items to go inside the slime, like beads or charms. Then, Phillips will teach them how to make the slime and give them tips on how to make it last longer.
“Slime Parties” also will be an option for people with 8 or more in a group that want to celebrate a birthday, or are just looking for a fun activity to do together.
“Creating slimes with my daughters really brought us together and I want to do the same for other kids and families,” Phillips said. “Itʻs a unique, creative activity and there is not much like it in Hilo.”
A simple slime recipe combines white glue, baking soda, food coloring and saline solution that contains boric acid. After combining 1 cup of glue with 1 tablespoon of baking soda, mix in food coloring until the desire color and then add 1 tablespoon of saline solution.
Knead the slime together and add a little saline if the slime is too sticky, then store the slime in an airtight plastic bag or reusable plastic container. The slime can also be personalized with fun mix-ins such as beads, glitter and confetti.
She added: “There are endless possibilities when it comes to making slime and Iʻm really excited for people to come in and see for themselves.”
When here children were young, Phillips said they would spend countless hours mixing, stretching and experimenting with different slime recipes and creating different concoctions.
“Ever since my sisters and I were young we’ve always loved to create,” Geneva Phillips said. “Whether it was drawing, painting, or even making clay creations, it was what we spent majority of our time on. Around that time slime was a huge craze, it was full of fun, experiments, and creativity.”
She said: “Making slime was right up our alley.”
The vision for Maui Slime Co. came to be after the family realized that this would be a fun activity for other kids and their families as well.
“We started making it and would sell some of the slimes on Etsy and I kind of just help them along with their business venture,” Phillips said.
Slime is usually made for fun and as a sensory tool that can be stretched, squished and manipulated due to its texture. Some people may find it to be stress-relieving while some may use it as a learning tool to explore basic chemical reactions.
There also is a creative part to slime, with the addition of glitter, beads and food coloring to customize the slime and make it look cool.
“The slime really started to pick up in 2019 right before COVID-19 hit when we did the Made in Maui Festival, which was a great experience,” Chrystal Phillips said. “We started selling more, so we did more experimenting with different textures, making different scents for the slime and putting together better (do-it-yourself) slime kits for people to try at home.”
As her daughters transitioned into their teenage years, they began to take a step back in making and selling slimes and mom took over the daily operations of the business and would make all the slimes for their orders. Her now 15-year old daughter, Vienna, began helping more as she got older, while Edana and Geneva have never stopped giving their creative input.
Phillips was a stay-at-home mom without much entrepreneurial experience before Maui Slime Co. So when she opened a kiosk at the Queen Kaʻahumanu Center in Kahului, she began to realize that the dream of opening a store front could become a reality.
When the family moved to Hawaiʻi Island in the fall of 2023 , Phillips spent the first year integrating into the new community personally and professionally. She was able to bring Maui Slime Co. to a few markets and the Made in Hawaiʻi Festival, where she got to know other small business owners across the island.
Now located at 681 Manono Street Suite 106 in Hilo, Phillips and her daughters are preparing the space and making even more slimes for the grand opening on Feb. 26.
“To think after all these years my hardworking mom would have a store of her own is truly amazing. We have all put in so much effort into creating this business,” Geneva Phillips said. “What I am most excited for, is to see the positive effect it will have on our community. Being able to experience that first hand is something I am so grateful for.”
While Geneva has taken a step back from making slimes for Maui Slime Co., she hasn’t let go of her entrepreneurial spirit and has started selling her drawings of native birds and plants through her new venture, Manu Natives.
Since Maui Slime Co. is aimed toward keiki, Chrystal Philips is planning on supporting keiki and youth entrepreneurs by showcasing and selling their products and services at her shop in Hilo.
“My daughters have their own businesses now, so along with their products, I definitely want to support all the keiki out there who are making things and putting themselves out there at a young age,” Phillips said. “This will be a supportive and safe place for all kids and I think that is what Iʻm most proud of.”
For now, slimes, do-it-yourself kits and stickers are available on the Maui Slime Co. website.
