It’s a fact that Asians take pride in the healthiness of their skin thanks to a variety of natural ingredients from Mother Earth that are packed with benefits. Nowadays, organic skincare is turning more artisanal with a slew of home-grown brands making waves in weekend markets and social media. Here we take a look at some unique handmade skin and body brands from Asia that might convince you to go natural.
The Saponifist
Cold process soaps in swirling marble designs and heavenly botanical scents are the back bone of Saponifist created by chemistry-loving Nadya Lee from Malaysia. After a trip to a quaint little soap shop, Nadya levelled up her joy of making homemade beauty treats and started the Saponifist.
Her skilfully handmade soaps are good for the skin as it is pretty to look at. Therapeutic botanicals like chrysanthemum blossom and jojoba oil give a lovely fragrance on top of its skin benefits. The soaps are also made from 50% olive oil, a signature trait that will leave your skin beautiful thanks to its natural antioxidants.
Pamper your skin with their best-selling bars like the Emulsion formulated with goat’s milk and a touch of caramel for skin as supple as a baby’s. The Panacea doubles as a mild exfoliator with licorice aiming to even out the skin tone and some geranium essential oil for a sleep-inducing aroma.
Where To Get It:
www.saponifist.com or www.facebook.com/saponifist or catch Nadya at local bazaars with updates on Facebook.
Wunderbath
The Wunderbath brand has a cult following in Malaysia thanks to their balm stain called the Wunderlippie which exploded on social media. Creator Evelyn Marieta started off as a nutritionist who could not find the right lip balm and went on to experiment on food ingredients. From there, she ended up creating cosmetic and bath products that are free from toxic chemicals
It all began with her WunderLippie lip balm stain that is vegan and lead-free. Nourishing ingredients like rose hip oil, pure shea butter and vitamin E are the base while natural minerals give that punch of colour in six vivid shades from rosy pink to blood red.
Another best seller are their body butters that has garnered good reviews on helping
to ease eczema symptoms thanks to a tub of Fairy Godmother healing body soufflé. Their latest product that has been creating buzz is Wundersoap, handcrafted using plant oils that come in whimsical shapes like mooncakes and the ginger bread man.
Where To Get It:
www.wunderbath.co and retailers like M+ Pharmacy at Bangsar Village and 176 Avenue.
Native Essentials
Trouble sleeping? Need something to induce that sense of relaxation? Well that was the concern of Native Essentials founder and aromatologist, Daniela Pelonara. She was fascinated by Asian botanicals after many years of living in the Asia Pacific region. This pushed her to amass the knowledge of organic cosmeceuticals and aromatherapy, thus creating Native Essentials.
Be spoilt for choices as her brand cater everything from face and hair products, essential oils and even a range for pregnant women and kids. Her bestselling face product is the Hyaluronic Skin Booster which is a fast absorbing face and eye serum to retain moisture all day long.
The travel-friendly essential oils work wonders if you have problems sleeping especially during travelling times. The Fall Asleep essential oil promotes relaxation thanks to ylang ylang and lavender where a couple of drops on your pillow or in the bath tub will set your body up for a good sleep.
Where To Get It:
www.nativeessentials.com or indulge in some spa treatments using Native Essential product at Sparadise (www.sparadise.com.hk) and Melomist (www.melomist.com) in Hong Kong.
Katfood
There is a reason why Katfood is crowned Singapore’s most awarded independent beauty brand and why beauty junkies are loyal to it.
Firstly, their all-natural coconut oil based skin and hair care products or kat-treats are 100% organic with no chemical preservatives. Kendra Liew, the founder believes that what you put on your skin should be as safe as what you put in your mouth. Plus, Kendra saw that the market was lacking high quality food grade and chemical free skin and hair care at pocket- friendly prices.
The cute packaging with funny pun-like names like John Lemon Lip Balm and Matcha Made in Heaven Brightening Mask are adorable on top of its organic quality. Popular kat-treats include their Cuckoo For Cocoa Dry Shampoo made from cocoa and cinnamon when one can just sprinkle it on the roots of the hair for a refreshed less-oily scalp on the go.
If you are looking for an organic cellulite buster, the Espresso Yourself Body Scrub will leave your skin smooth and firm. While the Fix-it Felix serum with blended oils of coconut, primrose and almond is the perfect concoction for your night skincare routine.
Note that if you purchase a kat-treat, it is handmade fresh upon each order Therefore do read the ‘best before’ and keep them in cool dry places for longer shelf life.
Where To Get It:
www.ilovekatfood.com as well as Isetan Scotts in Singapore.
