Thursday July 9, 2009
Safer alternatives
By JANE F. RAGAVAN
We put all sorts of products on our skin but are they safe?
MICHELLE Chen’s left cheek bears traces of a rash she developed after eating char koay teow. A couple of weeks before this interview, she gave in to her craving while in Penang despite being allergic to seafood, among other things, and broke out in hives.
Chen, who’s in her early 30s, has lived with a host of allergies for the past nine years. She can’t eat many types of food and her skin breaks out when she’s stressed. Having developed a sensitivity to artificial chemicals found in many skincare products, she knew she had to switch to organic products.
She would stock up whenever she travelled abroad, especially to Australia and New Zealand.
Finally, at the urging of a friend who would later become her husband, Chen decided to start her own business called Bodybar, selling organic skincare products, last December. Its tagline is, “If it’s not good enough to eat, it’s not good enough for your skin”.
“We don’t recommend that you actually eat it though,” Chen smiles, although she admits to having tasted some of her products herself and finding them bitter.
“Except the Mukti (brand) lip balm, which has macadamia and honey. That’s yummy!”
Tried-and-tested: ‘All the products you see on our shelves were tested on myself, my husband, family and friends,’ says Bodybar founder Michelle Chen. Consumers will be able recognise ingredients like shea butter, rosehip, aloe vera, lavender and ylang ylang, but more importantly, these natural items are not used in combination with synthetic chemicals like sodium lauryl sulphate (which provides the foam, the same used in washing-up liquid and industrial degreasers) or mineral oils.
“These are commonly used in skincare products because they create a “moisturised” feeling by creating a cling-film layer over the skin without actually nourishing it.
Customers are encouraged to sit down at the store and try out the products for themselves. Experts from Australia and New Zealand also provide consultation.
Chen says that it’s important customers understand the ingredients in skincare and their functions since they have different therapeutic effects. She stresses that organic products are not just for those with sensitive skin.
Planning took almost a year before Bodybar opened for business, as Chen sourced for suppliers and tested out the products.
“All the products you see on our shelves were tested on myself, my husband, family and friends. We chose products that we would use, and fit our philosophy of no artificial fragrance, colour, harmful preservatives, petrochemicals or harsh detergents and not tested on animals. It doesn’t matter how natural the ingredients are, if it doesn’t work, is not suitable for this country or in an affordable price range, then it won’t be sold,” she adds.
Chen demonstrates an enthusiasm for organic and natural products that goes beyond her business or consumer interest.
“When Bodybar opened, I expected everyone to be as passionate about natural products as I was. But when people first came in, they would say they liked the shop’s decor or its lovely smell or that the products were affordable. No one was impressed that the products were natural and good for them, and I was a little disheartened.
“But now, after six months, customers who have grown with us are starting to read the labels and understanding the ingredients.”
Chen is ever ready to educate her customers.
“We have to start thinking of what goes into that bottle of shampoo we use every day. If we don’t understand what’s in it, maybe we shouldn’t be using it. Synthetic chemicals are not only unnecessary, they are also potentially harmful,” she says.
Chen plans to open another outlet in the next three months. It currently supplies a couple of shops selling organic products in Ipoh and Penang, as well as retails online.
She is also looking into creating Bodybar’s own line of products.
“We’ll start with soaps and we want local manufacturers. Ethnic groups in Malaysia and South-East Asia in general, have a background in traditional medicine (which we could use). The market is fairly untouched, so we could be a major player in this area,” she says.
Bodybar carries several brands: Mukti Botanicals; Remedica Australia; Biguine Bio; BioBotanica; Just Herbal; Organic Indulgence; Yuan; and Soapy, a Malaysian-made soap.
Most of the products are priced below RM100 and come in opaque or dark bottles to protect the contents. They have a shelf life of 18 to 24 months.
Chen had to change her lifestyle to keep her dermal flare-ups in check. She’s a vegetarian for the most part (when she’s not tempted by Penang food) and scrutinises product labels to ensure she doesn’t come into contact with anything synthetic.
She acknowledges that it isn’t easy to be completely natural and organic, but change can come in small ways.
“Start with a bar of soap for RM10,” she says.
■ For details, call ☎ 03-7727 8966 or log on to bodybarskincare.com.
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