KUCHING: A passion for organic beauty and self-care products has led a woman and her daughters to embark on their own lip balm business journey.
Difficulties in sourcing natural lip balms in the local health and beauty stores that would solve chapped and dry lip problems inspired them to create their own brands, Deservebarn, an organic lip balm with nourishing and hydrating qualities that is suitable for all ages.
The founder of the brand, Julie Chia, 56, initially handcrafted the lip balm just for her two daughters, friends and relatives but an encouraging response led her to start her home business in 2018.
“We started this business in 2018 and started to join pop-up booths actively in 2019. It has been five years since we established this brand,” said Megan Yeo Xiao Mei, one of her daughters at her booth during the 2024 Sago Festival recently.
Chia did a lot of research and development (R&D) at home by trying out different formulations on which ingredients is suitable for her lip balm creation.
She finally decided on the the use of naturally sourced virgin coconut oil to lend a more hydrating experience for users.
“We are the lab rats, we just try, observe and it actually works for us because we use the ingredients that are very nourishing and hydrating for the lips.
“For the packaging, we do it ourselves. I design it myself. We send it for printing and we package it ourselves. Everything from scratch.
“We actually collaborate with one of the local communities on a very small and quite remote island. We collaborate with them, help them to market their coconut oil and we also use it in our products,” said Megan.
Besides lip balms, Megan shared that they also produce products like the Jet Essential Set (JES), use as a roll-on to sooth minor discomfort such as headache or a nose block.
Chia also created essential oils without fragrance called Essential Oils Purefume, an alternative for those who are allergic and dislike artificial smells.
“We also have foot and body salt soak. You can pour in the bathtub or soak your feet in a basin.
“We use lavender essential oil and then Epsom salt inside the foot soak to helps relieve muscle aches,” she said.
As to where they sell their product, Megan said that it is only available in Kuching.
“Customers can get it at Shine Pharmacy (the Spring Mall and Waterfront) and Sense of Malaysia at Kuching International Airport (KIA) departure hall.
“We hope to bring our products to our neighbouring countries like Singapore. We actually had our products sent to Frankfurt, Germany a few months ago due to the exhibition there.
“Actually, Business Events (BE) Sarawak brought our products to Frankfurt to help us market our products.
“We hope that in the future, we can bring our products all over the world so people will know our products and especially their benefits,” she said.
On the future of this business, Megan hopes the community will be more aware of the importance of lip balm, rather than overlook at is as a lipsticks.
“I hope a lot of people will be more aware of lip balms because I realised that a lot of our customers, when they walk pass by, they will see that it’s a lipstick.
“We want more and more people to know our brand and products as something more than just a lip balm, but an organic lip balm,” she said.
Megan said the price range of all the products is between RM17 and RM88, with lip balm being the most popular product at RM20-RM25.
“Our regular customers will come back and buy different colours so they can mix and match.
“We have seven different colours and shades for our lip balms along with three flavours available,” Megan said.
The lip balm unique trait does not stop there, Chia included elements of local delicacies, especially coconut caramel famously known locally as Kaya, with their key ingredient.
“And our tinted lip balms are infused with peppermint essential oil, our non-tinted are infused with either peppermint, lavender essential oils and a special addition is the kaya pandan flavour
“You can say kaya pandan is our best seller. We received a lot of foreign customers, especially Singaporeans at our booth during the recent Rainforest Festival.
“The first day they bought like a few and then the next day they came back and bought in bulk the kaya pandan flavour,” Megan said.
Megan said that they could produce a range of two hundred to three hundred lip balm per day in their own designated home space.
Deservebarn , the brand with a tagline “where your lips story begins”, not only produces but also provide services such as customisation or personalised door gifts for special occasions, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) workshop, collaboration and wholesales.
“Normally, we do our workshops during pop-up events. Sometimes, some organisations or companies like to have some activities for their staff. They will approach us or contact us,” she said.
The workshops activities varies from making lip scrubs, face mask to essential oils. Customers can learn, make and choose their own selection of essential oil infusions.
“What can we do to make it more fun? My mum came up with the idea that we can make facial masks and lip scrubs using ingredients that you can get from your kitchen.
“So they can make it whenever they like at home with easily accessible ingredients at home. For the lip scrub, you can just scrub and its edible.
“They can choose, make, smell, learn and they go back and can make it themselves. It’s a really fun experience and calming for them,” she said.
