KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 18 — Homegrown skincare and cosmeceutical brand B&B Labs recently launched its Super Treatment Essences, a collection of five formulations powered by clean Asian plant, fruit and herbal extracts.
“As a brand, we are rooted in Malaysia with a global perspective,” said Julius Lim, CEO of B&B Labs who co-founded the brand with his mother Ruby Siah in 2014.
According to Lim, B&B Labs formulates plant-based cosmeceuticals powered by clean Asian ingredients.
“Malaysia is home to centuries-old rainforests and surrounded with rich Asian ingredients known for their health, beauty and wellness benefits.
“B&B Labs utilises this flora sustainably for high performance solutions to maintain skin wellness,” Lim told Malay Mail.
According to Lim, the Super Treatment Essences range is designed to correct specific skin concerns.
Eliminating the need for a toner, each lightweight treatment essence aims to penetrate faster and deeper into the skin with no artificial fragrances and preservatives.
Like mother, like son
For Lim, the skincare business runs in the family.
“My mum has been in this industry since 1983, distributing European skincare brands. I joined her right after college and helped to scale the business to more countries within the Asia-Pacific region,” Lim said.
Being a proud Malaysian, it has always been his dream to create a skincare line that is truly local, using Asian plant, fruit and herbal ingredients with cosmeceutical formulations.
“My aim is to elevate the appreciation of Malaysian skincare in the international markets. If Korea could do it with K-beauty, why not M-beauty?” Lim asked.
When the brand debuted in 2014, B&B Labs products were only sold at authorised skincare salons and clinics.
“Fortunately, our team had the foresight of going online and setting up our e-commerce store in 2019, just before the pandemic lockdowns.
“We also doubled down on social media content to communicate with our customers,” Lim added.
Being a man in the predominantly female beauty industry has worked in Lim’s favour.
“Aside from embracing a motto of live well, feel good, look great, my passion lies in the science of skincare and its relationship with wellness, nutrition and fitness.
“I am also inspired and driven by how this business has transformed the livelihood and standard of living for so many of our partners,” mused Lim.
Beauty industry post-pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has expedited the digitalisation of content and the way people purchase products.
“As a brand, we need to get with the times by creating more content for online consumption both in terms of educational and commercial content.
“Although e-commerce has grown by leaps and bounds, I still believe that a hybrid strategy is important for the skincare industry. Physical presence is important as consumers still like to touch and smell the products before deciding whether to buy or not,” Lim said.
With the pandemic restrictions behind us, B&B Labs has plans to expand its distribution network within Malaysia and abroad.
“We are now available in lifestyle pharmacy chain Ascen+ and looking to open our first B&B Labs experience store which offers skin treatments as well,” Lim explained.
The brand has also secured an official distributor in the Lion City, being available on Singapore Airlines’ KrisShop. “We are currently working with our UK business partner to get B&B Labs into retailers there too,” Lim added.
As an entrepreneur, Lim is driven by passion and a determination to keep on going.
“The skincare industry is one of the most competitive businesses in the world. For me, B&B Labs isn’t just about skincare as it has a greater mission to empower people while promoting Malaysia to the world through unique products.
“It’s challenging because there are countries like Korea and Japan within Asia that are forerunners in this industry. But I truly believe that Malaysia has something great to offer in providing life-changing skincare,” he concluded.
For more information, visit https://bb-labs.com/.
