The beauty of Hygr’s formula

Chew (left) and Lim. Their goal is for Hygr products to become an integral part of everyone’s daily skincare and personal care routine. Photos: Hygr

FOUR years ago, Ivor Lim and Chew Hoi Meng, the founders of sustainable personal care brand Hygr, were prompted to start a business as a result of their own personal care problems. Chew struggled with body odour, while Lim dealt with dry lips.

At the same time, the two law graduates had been facing difficulties finding legal associate positions at law firms in the midst of the pandemic.

It was then that they decided to create deodorant and lip balm products that would help others with similar body care issues.

“After months of research and development trials, we developed solutions that worked for us,” Chew recalls.

“Despite having limited resources and far-from-attractive packaging, we began selling online with minimal capital. We named it Hygr, inspired by the word “hygiene” with a twist,” he explains.

Since then, the business has gone from strength to strength, growing from a team of two founders to more than 30 employees across its production, operations and marketing departments.

Additionally, the brand’s offerings have expanded from tinted lip balms and deodorant to now include personal care products such as a sunscreen, lip scrub, and hair and face oils.

In March this year, the company relocated to its own 10,000 sq ft factory in Shah Alam.

“Our proudest moment was moving to the larger factory,” shares Lim. “Our family, who had initially disagreed with our decision to switch from a legal career to starting a business, came from Penang for the opening ceremony.”

Beyond online sales, Hygr’s products can now be found in retailers such as Watsons.

“It was gratifying to see our products on Watsons’ shelves alongside international brands,” Lim adds.

In a market as saturated as personal care and beauty, Hygr sets itself apart by knowing its customer base well and putting efficacy first in its formulations.

“The effectiveness of the products speaks louder than marketing,” says Chew. “While attractive packaging catches attention, customer retention relies heavily on the products’ ability to solve their personal care struggles and boost their confidence.”

Hygr’s product offerings are thus meticulously crafted based on the feedback of its customers.

The skin and lip care range is made using naturally derived ingredients, and designed with compostable, recyclable and refillable packaging.

“Our target market ranges from 18 to 40 years old,” Chew shares. “We focus on individuals who care about natural ingredients and sustainable packaging, and who support local brands.”

With the business operating out of its own Good Manufacturing Practice certified production facility, he opines that the team is able to refine and improve its formulas faster than larger competitors.

“We benchmark our products against international brands to demonstrate that locally made products can shine,” he adds.

At the same time, one of the most uniquely notable aspects of the brand is its social media savviness and strong, content-driven digital presence.

Leveraging platforms such as TikTok, Hygr connects with consumers through entertaining short videos that often document the team at work as they develop new product designs, carry out quirky marketing campaigns, and interact with customers at pop-up markets.

Chew describes its branding strategy as “raw, organic, authentic, and creative”.

“We show the behind-the-scenes process of creating the products and let the audience follow along the journey of building this business.”

In its early days, the brand had taken to using online marketplaces like Shopee, Instagram and Facebook to grow its presence, focusing on “hard-sell” style content.

This approach, Lim shares, brought limited success. “When we stumbled upon creating these organic, behind-the-scenes, storytelling types of videos, we started gaining significant traction,” she says. “People began paying attention to us because other brands weren’t doing it.”

“We realised that realistic, down-to-earth videos engaging with customers brought us closer to them and helped build our community.”

From there, the team began putting more emphasis on both the quantity and quality of their content.

“As a start-up, we had to ensure every cent counted, so we concentrated on the most effective channels and expanded accordingly,” Lim adds.

However, formulating a successful social media strategy is more art than science, and there is no one-size-fits-all technique for businesses.

“What works for others might not work for you, and what doesn’t work for others might work for you,” Chew points out.

“We were initially laughed at for making content on TikTok, as it had been mainly known for dancing videos at the time,” he says. “People questioned how TikTok videos could translate into sales but we persisted, and it paid off.”

Asked what’s next for Hygr heading into 2025, the founders reveal that they have their sights set on expansion overseas.

“Our goal is for Hygr products to become an integral part of everyone’s daily skincare and personal care routine, with sustainable packaging for a sustainable life,” says Chew.