Who wouldn’t want to smell fantastic all day? There’s one smell you just can’t seem to get rid of, despite wearing perfumes and colognes: the stench of your pits! Many people have an ongoing concern about armpit odour, as you could feel quite self-conscious about it and alienate people due to the smell.
Because deodorants just mask the odour, and not eliminate it, for some people, a daily bath does not solve the issue, and they must continue to work on it outside of the post-shower deodorant-talcum routine. You might try a variety of deodorants, but you might not be able to get rid of that unpleasant odour, and some ingredients in deodorants and anti-perspirants might even make things worse! Well, if you’re facing a similar situation, there’s some good news in store just for you.
Meet Ivor and Meng, two Malaysian entrepreneurs and founders of HYGR, a brand selling all-natural deodorants. Yep, you read that right – ‘all-natural’. But how did it all begin for them?
Ivor and Meng came from a legal background. They graduated from law school and started a side hustle about personal care during pandemic when they couldn’t secure a job in any law firms due to difficult times.
It just so happened that Meng had been dealing with severe body odour, which he had difficulty getting rid of. He had tried a slew of deodorants, but none of them had helped him get rid of his foul stench. He was also sensitive to aluminium and baking soda, which are used in several of the deodorants he tried. So Meng decided to create an all-natural deodorant that genuinely works to eliminate body odour – by using only natural components. In May 2020, in the thick of the epidemic, HYGR — a pun on the Greek term hygrós, which means cleanliness — was established, with the Smell Be Gone deodorant as its debut product.
Ivor then joined Meng to create an all-natural lip balm for her dry lips. She began developing a lip balm formula with a colour that would go with her skin tone. We women have tons of makeup products, but occasionally, we want something all-in-one! Ivor had exactly that in mind. According to Options, Ivor desired a product that would be easy to use as a moisturizing balm and a go-to lipstick. So she created her first natural, coral-tinted lip balm by combining the two USPs.
Starting off with just one tone, HYGR’s lip balm now comes in four variations: Coral Red, Hibiscus, Pink Rose and Colourless Peppermint. These tinted lip balms not only suit all types of skin tones, but they work as a blush too!
Meng and Ivor did everything themselves, from production to packaging, until they hired a local manufacturer to work on a better recipe for their products a few months later. They assisted in perfecting and stabilizing the prior formula so that they could provide a better experience for their clients.
What makes this product unique is that even their packaging is eco-friendly! Unlike certain deodorant and lip balm brands, HYGR meets strict criteria for achieving the most environmentally-friendly packaging possible. Instead of using plastic bubble wrap, honeycomb paper wrap is used to differentiate smells on deodorants and lip balms. Also, the brand engraves its logo onto its products’ packaging, rather than pasting printed plastic stickers on them. So, you not only get a bunch of goodness from the ingredients, but in a way, you’re doing a favour for nature. How cool is that?
@hygr.my We don’t throw away our finished tinted lip balm, but we give it back to our nature 🥹 how bout you guys? #hygr #recycle #gogreen #recycledpaper #recyclediy #papertube #naturaldeodorantmalaysia #lipbalmcollection #hygrmy #lipbalmbusiness ♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
Here’s the bigger question. How did HYGR go viral?!
Making your own items at home is a terrific start, but it will only be worthwhile when you sell them to others. Ivor, a social media video producer who works full-time, believes that choosing the right social media channel to target the right audience is the most important thing to concentrate on while marketing a business. Surprisingly, TikTok users are more open to new brands than users of other sites.
@hygr.my Thank you so much for the lip balm review! 💋🇲🇾#TakeMyCard #handmadelipbalms #lipbalmsmalaysia #hygrmy ♬ why díd this sound blow up – steppedllama
In May 2021, an unforgettable day for the duo, one of their Tiktok videos went viral overnight, and 300 lip balms were sold in under an hour! That’s incredible! And because of the positive feedback from their clients, the pair has been able to extend their line of natural clean beauty products, while also improving their recipes and packaging.
As much as this duo is doing wonderfully in their business, let’s not forget the hardships they faced. One obvious thing about being Asian is that not everyone is ‘passion-oriented’. For both of them, there were high expectations from their respective families.
Without the assistance of their families, the two utilized the little earnings from their part time jobs and internships to launch the company. The pair explained that their families have finally come around to HYGR after over two years. Ivor was able to hand out what she refers to as a “fat angpao” to illustrate her achievement during Chinese New Year (CNY). According to Vulcan Post, Meng explained that it’s difficult to convince traditional parents with words and only your actions – but results can convince them. That was one hell of a big move, don’t you think?
In addition to this flourishing company, Meng continues to practice law at his own firm, while Ivor concentrates on content creation. You can find all sorts of mind-blowing contents on her Instagram and TikTok page by visiting those platforms. She writes primarily on tourist sites she’s visited in Malaysia, which I think is really helpful for other Malaysians and tourists. Numerous brands and businesses have begun sponsoring her since she’s gotten the hang of it.
Both Meng and Ivor had no clue how far social media would take HYGR, but they embraced it wholeheartedly. Their present objective is to develop a line of natural personal care goods, with the hope of replacing everyone’s daily self-care routine with items that are packed sustainably. The good news is that HYGR has received lots of positive feedback and has been selling their products at pop-up stalls at various locations.
You can purchase and show your support to HYGR and their eco-friendly plus all-natural products via Instagram, website and on Shopee!
Let’s hope for the very best for this amazing duo. Kudos!
