Natural skincare can be the answer to good, healthy skin but choose wisely writes Meera Murugesan
THE clean, fresh smell of garden herbs greets me as I step into the brightly lit inviting room with rustic tables and benches made from recycled wooden crates and shelves stacked with skincare such as colourful bar soaps, jars of lotion and huge bottles of toner.
Mayura Apothecary sits on the 3rd floor of an unassuming shop lot in Ampang Avenue, nestled among busy warehouses, workshops and mamak restaurants.
Despite the hustle and bustle outside, there’s serenity inside this quaint little shop, very much in line with its philosophy of offering natural skincare to keep skin calm and in balance.
Natural skincare is very much in trend these days as more and more consumers ditch chemical-laden personal care products in favour of those that use safe ingredients, are eco-friendly and feel good on the skin.
EARTH’S BOUNTY
Mayura is the Sanskrit name for the peacock, a bird which is often associated with flamboyant beauty.
But it’s worth remembering that the peacock owes every inch of its vibrant, eye-catching looks to nature, a goal that Mayura Apothecary is also promoting with its all natural skincare.
Yoking Lai, co-founder and formulator at Happy Earth Resources, the company which owns Mayura Apothecary, says her foray into natural skincare started when her brother, a nutritionist and naturopath blended a cream just for her because she was unable to use any kind of conventional product due to allergies.
At that time, she was working for an international fashion retail brand and her hectic work schedule, the constant stress and extensive travel took a toll on her skin.
She was constantly suffering from rashes and breakouts until she switched to the all-natural solution her brother made by blending German chamomile into a beeswax cream.
Eventually, her brother, Henri Lai, realised that there were many people like his sister who were constantly battling skin problems and they too needed all natural products which would not stress their skin and Mayura Apothecary was born in 2012.
Yoking took over the running of the business in 2014 and it has since expanded to include a complete range of skincare using a 100 per cent natural approach.
The brand makes use of both Asian and Western herbs, plants and flowers such as ginger, pink lotus, lavender, chamomile, hibiscus, Chinese knotweed and lemongrass in its products.
“Our philosophy is that everything we use has to be natural, from the colour and smell of the product to the ingredients that go into the formulation,” says Yoking.
The products also come with minimal packaging and all bottles can be brought back for refilling in line with the brand’s green approach to skincare.
At its outlet, large glass jars with taps attached hold mysterious liquids in various shades.
I’m told they house toners and the taps make for easy refilling when customers bring their empty bottles. The toners have been made from various botanical ingredients such as lotus, moringa and lavender while natural bar soaps made from lemongrass and turmeric or rosemary and lemon and shampoos containing coconut and castor oil also adorn its shelves.
A hand and body lotion made from cassia alata and calendula herbs is also available as are serums containing ginseng and moisturisers housing various natural ingredients.
THE NATURAL CLAIM
Yoking says while there’s a huge demand for natural skincare today, many consumers are being misled by brands that “over claim” their “naturalness.”
They create products that come across as natural but in fact contain very little natural ingredients.
For example, a brand may promote an almond oil shampoo but the amount of almond oil in the formulation could be just two per cent or even lower.
“Many brands use the term natural very loosely. Any label that is green is considered natural, organic and safe but these products also contain chemicals.”
Mayura Apothecary sources for its natural ingredients from small organic farms within the country and each formulation, whether for a cream, lotion, serum or soap is painstakingly put together based on its philosophy of keeping things 100 per cent natural.
Pink lotus which is used in its toner comes from a farm near Slim River, Perak while another local farm in Rembau, Negeri Sembilan, supplies them with Chinese knotweed, a plant which has strong anti-bacterial properties and snake jasmine.
Hibiscus leaves and petals are also sourced and used to make their plant pigment hair dye.
Certain ingredients which are not available locally are imported and as a strict rule, the brand doesn’t use any preservatives or stabilisers in its products or artificial colours or fragrances.
The pink hue in its handmade bar soaps for example comes naturally from pink French clay while the yellow bar soaps owe their glorious colour to turmeric.
Essential oils instead of artificial fragrances are also used to give its products both a calming and soothing effect and a scent that’s mild and natural.
All their formulations are developed and produced in a production room located at their premises in Ampang Avenue and because of this, their production capacity is small.
They don’t have a factory to mass produce their products and prefer to focus on smaller quantities without compromising on quality.
Yoking adds that because everything they use is natural and chemical free, their products have a shorter shelf life compared to conventional skincare products.
They have a shelf life of six months and once opened have to be discarded after three months.
And even though many of Mayura Apothecary’s herbal or natural ingredients come from organic sources, they don’t label themselves as an organic brand.
Yoking says just like the term “natural”, “organic” is also a label that is used very loosely in the local skincare industry.
But to be truly organic is a huge challenge she explains. In certain countries, the product must have at least 70 per cent of its ingredients from organic sources to gain an organic certification.
“To be completely and truly organic, you need to ensure that even the water that is used to grow the raw ingredients is pure and untainted and the air around the farm is clean and unpolluted but that’s near impossible because if a neighbouring famer sprays pesticide or uses chemical fertilisers, the remnants can spread or leak into the organic farm next to it through soil and water so it’s very hard to control.”
Very often she adds consumers use chemical laden personal care products simply because they are cheaper and easier to find.
Price is a factor because truly natural products don’t come cheap but Mayura Apothecary is making an effort to keep its products affordable so more people can access them.
A handmade bar soap for example which one can use for the hair, face and body costs as little as RM9. Its other products range from RM9-RM180.
While many of its customers are young adults who have embraced a natural, minimalist and eco-friendly lifestyle, there are also those who come to them because their products offer real solutions for sensitive, troubled skin.
The brand also offers soap making workshops so people can learn to make their own natural soaps for daily use and it even hosts vegan cooking courses or health talks at its venue.
“At the end of the day, we don’t just want to sell natural skincare but also promote this whole concept of living green, healthy and sustainably. It’s a complete lifestyle, not just limited to the products you use.”
For more information, go to www.mayuranatural.com or www.facebook.com/MayuraApothecary
THE LOWDOWN ON LABELS
IF you are taking the natural route to skincare, do keep in mind that there are many different categorisations and it helps to understand what they mean so you get products which suit your skin and lifestyle.
Vegan Skincare
Products which eliminate all animal derived ingredients like honey, lanolin and beeswax. Vegan skincare uses plants and minerals and safe synthetic ingredients.
Natural Skincare
A product may be labelled “natural”, but it doesn’t necessarily mean all ingredients used are natural. Sometimes it may only contain a few or some natural ingredients. Look for those labelled “100 per cent natural” to ensure synthetic ingredients have been completely eliminated.
Organic Skincare
Products made using ingredients which have been organically produced without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilisers. They don’t contain harmful parabens and phthalates and other synthetic components and usually come in packaging which can be recycled.
Cruelty-Free Skincare
Skincare that ensures animals are not harmed in the manufacturing process such as not testing the finished products on animals and not testing even the raw ingredients on animals.
Vegetarian Skincare
It does not contain any animal parts but it may contain animal bi-products such as honey, yogurt or beeswax which makes it different from vegan skincare.
Sources:www.adore.com, www.soilassociation.org and www.crueltyfreekitty.com
READ IT RIGHT
To stay safe and keep skin healthy, look for products which have these labels:
Paraben-free
Used as preservatives in cosmetics, parabens are believed to be linked to a host of health problems, from breast cancer to reproductive issues.
Phthalate-free
Phthalates are a group of chemicals widely used in soaps, shampoos and lotions which are said to damage the liver and kidneys.
Sulfate-free
Sulfates are detergents which can be quite harsh on the skin, resulting in irritation.
Fragrance-free
Look for products which are fragrance-free or contain only natural fragrances. Bear in mind that unscented doesn’t mean fragrance-free. It may just contain chemicals to mask scents.
Hypoallergenic
It mean there’s less risk of you developing an allergic reaction. It doesn’t guarantee you won’t experience it however.
Non- comedogenic
It won’t clog your pores, especially if you have oily or combination skin which is prone to breakouts.
Source: Adapted from “How To Decode The Labels On Your Beauty Products” - www.dermstore.com