An idea for a lollipop that would help relieve children’s coughs and colds has evolved into an award-winning product sold in thousands of retailers across the country. Sinéad Crowther talks to InBUSINESS about export potential, growth at home and why hard work pays off  

For most parents, the start of the school year isn’t just about organising uniforms, buying new lunchboxes and getting used to a new routine again. It’s about preparing – both mentally and practically – for coughs and colds season and dreading the illnesses that spread like wildfire once all the kids are back together again. Sinéad Crowther, Founder and CEO of Soothing Solutions, doesn’t share that dread. Back to school season is her busiest and most profitable time of the year, when pharmacies, supermarkets, health-food stores and other retailers sell her products to parents looking for a solution to soothe their child’s cough or sore throat.   

Sinéad and her business partner Denise Lauaki set up the business in 2017. With over two decades of experience in community pharmacy under her belt, Sinéad saw a gap in the market for a natural, effective product for common, seasonal illnesses. “I got the idea for Tonstix after spending 20 years talking to parents and feeling their frustration at the lack of child-friendly products for common illnesses. There just wasn’t an over-the-counter product that would soothe that type of discomfort in children. Once I had my own children, I shared that frustration and thought, someone has to do something. It turned out that someone was me,” says Sinéad. 

After her son had a serious accident, Sinéad left her role as a Pharmacy Technician. “I was on lone parent benefits as I was too scared to leave him when he got out of the hospital. The idea for Tonstix was in my head at this stage and so I just decided to see how far I could take it. I wasn’t thinking about the big picture or the longer term, it was just something to focus on. I got really interested in the idea and began using my network in pharmacy to find out that if I was to go ahead and develop a product like this, would pharmacies stock it? The answer was a resounding yes.”  

Tonstix is a dissolvable, all-natural, jelly pop that provides comfort to children with common coughs, colds and sore throats. The pop encourage the sucking reflex which facilitates lubrication of the throat and contains  honey, known for its soothing properties, along with Vitamin C and Zinc. As it dissolves, the pop create a coating that temporarily supresses distress and comforts irritable throats. Shaped like a stick person, its design prevents a child from inserting the pop too far into their mouth. Sounds clever – but how did a good idea evolve into a physical, on shelf product?  

“My background is as a Pharmacy Technician, I had no experience in product development so taking the idea to a product on shelf took a long time. We had to ensure it complied with regulations and that it would appeal to children. We worked alongside a food scientist to ensure the product’s efficacy and safety. As a lone parent, I had zero capital at the start; securing funding for R&D was difficult.”  

Eventually her good idea started to take root. A priming grant from her local LEO along with HPSU funding from Enterprise Ireland and approximately €800,000 in private capital from a seed funding round, gave the business the boost it needed. “It’s been a journey with finance. Again, I knew nothing about running a business or trying to raise funds. At this stage, I could write a book about it! It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’ve really enjoyed that element of it. I can’t imagine going back to a regular 9-5 role where you just do your job and go home. It’s hard work but I love it.”  

That hard work is paying off. In 2023, Sinéad was named the Enterprise Ireland High-Potential Start-Up (HPSU) Founder of the Year. Judges described her as an excellent example of a founder with a clear pathway to scaling globally and someone with the potential to become a world leader in her field. Tonstix, which is manufactured in a purpose-built factory in Dundalk, Co Louth, is sold in pharmacies and retail stores across the country and in 2024, the product launched in 110 Tesco stores. They’re also available in every Holland & Barrett store. “We’re also exporting to the UK and Malta and we’re talking to distribution partners for expansion into Europe. Our sights are on further growth in the next 12 to 18 months; we already have huge listings at home but we want to expand and grow our presence in Ireland and abroad.”  

The business currently employs a team of five and that figure is growing. In 2024, the business launched a second product, developed for children with travel sickness. Tonstix Travel Pops contain a different formulation to the original product, ideal for use on flights for children suffering from ear popping. Feedback from parents has been excellent, says Sinéad, and there are plans in place to launch further products in 2025 and beyond. “We expect to launch the next product much quicker than our first two; we have the experience now and we also have the support of our partners.”  

Sinéad attributes the success of Tonstix to delivering a new, convenient solution to a problem faced by parents all over the world. “I saw a very real gap in the market for a child-friendly solution for children’s health issues. It might sound niche, but that niche is global. Children are responding to the products, they’re happy to use them and I think that’s the key. Throughout the whole process, we kept the user experience front and centre and that’s why it’s been so popular.” The plan is for Tonstix to become a household staple, a pop that’s always on-hand for when seasonal illness strikes. “With the investment we’ve secured, with our growing listings and the fact that we’ve started exporting, that ambition is becoming a reality. I. think our story really shows what can be achieved when you believe in your product set your mind to making it work.”