FANCY turning the fragrant spices in a cup of chai into a perfume?
That question crossed the mind of 11-year-old Vantana Meyyelahan as she watched her mother prepare the traditional spiced tea at home.
Captivated by the rich aroma of cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and other spices, the Standard Five pupil from SJKT Mak Mandin wondered whether those same ingredients could be transformed into a natural perfume.
That curiosity eventually blossomed into Chai Organic Perfume — an innovation that earned Vantana and her teammates, Divyean Mahendran and Hiren Jeysing, the Gold Award at the Borneo International Innovation Creativity Competition 2026.
“I’m interested in perfumes, and I have a variety of perfumes at home. One day, while my mother was making chai, I noticed the amazing aroma of the spices and wondered if I could turn that smell into a perfume. That curiosity inspired me to create Chai Organic Perfume,” Vantana told Buletin Mutiara in a recent interview in Butterworth.
The three Standard Five pupils impressed the judges with their four-minute video presentation titled Chai Organic Oil–Based Perfume STEM Project.
Organised by the Malaysian Young Scientists Organisation (MYSO) in collaboration with Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), the competition attracted more than 2,700 innovation projects from participants representing 20 countries.
The trio submitted their entry on May 31 and were announced as Gold Award winners on July 10.
“I felt proud and blessed because it was our first time taking part in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) project, and we won the Gold Award,” Vantana said.
“My inspiration came from my curiosity about different fragrances. Whenever my mother used perfume, I wondered how such a small bottle could produce such a beautiful scent.”
Divyean said he was thrilled by the team’s success.
“I never expected us to win the Gold Award. Our perfume is special because it combines the traditional aroma of chai with science.”
Hiren said he was both shocked and proud when his team was announced as the Gold Award winner.
“We spent about two months preparing for the project,” said Hiren, who also plays hockey for the school.
During the preparation, Vantana said the biggest challenge was finding the right balance of ingredients to achieve the top notes (the first smell), middle notes (the heart of the fragrance) and base notes (the lingering scent).
“Too much of one scent could overpower the perfume, so we tested different ratios until we achieved a pleasant and balanced fragrance. We used eight essential oils,” she said.
The pupils experimented with different formulations, storing each sample in 10ml bottles for seven days before evaluating the strength and balance of the fragrance.
After comparing the results, they selected the formulation that produced the most pleasing and long-lasting scent.
Hiren said their perfume is eco-friendly because it uses natural ingredients, is alcohol-free, and is gentle on the skin.
All three pupils credited their achievement to the unwavering support of their parents and teachers, especially their Science teacher, Jagathisen Mariappan, 42.
Jagathisen said Vantana’s interest in perfumes sparked the project, but he encouraged the pupils to think beyond conventional floral fragrances.
“Perfumes made from flowers such as rose or lavender are quite common, so I wanted them to come up with something different. When they suggested using chai, I thought it was an unusual idea because people normally associate chai with a drink rather than a perfume,” he said.
He said one of the pupils’ parents, who is involved in the cosmetic industry, shared valuable knowledge on perfume-making, while the other parents also played an active role in helping the children throughout the project.
“My role was mainly to guide them on the technical aspects, such as preparing the presentation slides and researching ideas on the internet,” he said.
Jagathisen said that while the school had won several STEM competitions and sports championships like hockey, football, netball, and squash, the Borneo International Innovation Creativity Competition 2026 proved particularly challenging because it required not only innovation but also strong digital presentation skills.
“We used infographics, animated slides and voice-overs in our presentation. The pupils recorded the voice-overs themselves and spoke excellent English. I also appeared briefly in the presentation to provide an overview of their project. I am proud of them for combining science, creativity and nature in this innovative project,” he said.
Jagathisen, who will accompany the three pupils to Kuala Lumpur on Aug 23 to receive their Gold Award, added that the school’s growing reputation in STEM was recently recognised when it was named one of the Top 10 STEM Excellence School Award recipients in conjunction with Tech Dome Penang’s 11th anniversary celebration.
Besides the trio’s achievement, the school also celebrated Hirsshika Arumugam’s Silver Award, while Jaairesh Karunagaran and Atharvaa Khushendran received Honourable Mention awards.
For Vantana, Divyean and Hiren, the journey to Gold Award began not in a laboratory, but in a kitchen. What started with the comforting aroma of a cup of chai became an award-winning STEM innovation.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by G. Revatic