[EXPLAINED] How Do Cosmetic Products Get Made in Malaysia

While we’re all about the #SupportLokal initiative, several local brands such as Vida Beauty by Dr Vida has come under scrutiny in the past as their cosmetic items have been declared to be poisonous.

Other cosmetic products have also been banned as they were found to contain scheduled poison and mercury. Eek!

With that in mind, we wondered how does someone actually create their own beauty line? In Malaysia, where local products are often sidelined for international offerings, are there legitimately good products? And how do we know that they're safe?

To answer this, we spoke to Justin Ng, the Co-Founder of Lavish Cosmetics, a newly-lanched cosmetics brand, to find out just how the 'sauce' is made. In particular, we asked about their made in Malaysia product, the Papaya Face Nectar Rejuvenating Serum.

What ‘Made in Malaysia’ Actually Means

Lavish Cosmetics is founded by two Malaysians, incorporated in Malaysia and run by Malaysians. That said, the actual serum is made by a laboratory based in Malaysia, but is a subsidiary of a Singaporean company.

While the ideation is certainly Malaysian, the final recipe has been tested and developed by professionals using international standards.

That said, we Googled "cosmetics laboratories in Malaysia" and found many OEM providers who can customise skincare products as well. Suffice it to say, it's not that difficult to create your own brand of products if you have the money. So, what's the differentiating factor between brands?

It's About How Brands Collaborate With The Lab

Justin shared that small scale start-ups like theirs can’t possibly afford a state-of-the-art facility on their own so they partner with a leading laboratory in skincare as the best alternative. 

Products go through multiple stages of trialling and the owners constantly communicate with the lab on different aspects of formulation: the texture of the formulation i.e. how does it feel on the skin, how fast is it absorbed, what are the benefits of applying it on the skin, what are the ingredients, so on and so forth.

Good laboratory carry the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), International Organization for Standardization (ISO 22716), and Halal certifications and provides services to register the final formula with relevant governmental agencies in order to obtain the right certification and approval. 

These cerifications are a good start to determining the safety of a product, so if you're in doubt, demand to see these certs from a cosmetics brand you're trying out.

Justin shared, “We take pride in being Malaysian, but at the same time, our products are of international standards, meld natural ingredients and active properties, Halal-certified and approved by the Ministry of Health.”

Factors that go into the Final Recipe

As part of the ideation process, Justin and his co-founder wanted papaya to be the main ingredient—and the star of the product.

Papaya was chosen as a differentiating factor in the market. So, it isn't the case that papaya enzymes are some kind of elixir. Justin shared that ingredients have to work in concert with each other so most serums will contain various other extracts at different concentrations.

For example, Lavishs serum contains sodium hyaluronate (for moisturising and soothing), Vitamin B3 or niacinamide (lightens and evens the skin tone), salicylic acid (exfoliates and reduces skin inflammation), Vitamin C (brightens the skin, reverses skin ageing, and lessens the pigmentation of age spots and freckles), goji extract (offers long-term anti-ageing benefits and immediate firming results), carrageenan (locks in the skin’s moisture) and papaya enzyme (stimulates skin renewal).

The concentration of each compound must be balanced and these compounds are the costliest part of the serum. The exact percentage or volume used are of course, a trade secret.

So, don't go looking at products thinking a certain extract is the one and only 'correct' extract. That cucumber extract face cream may look exceptionally effective, but remember that the final composition of the product is what matters.

Other factors also include the feel of the product on your skin, which will determine if the serum will be water-based or oil-based for example. Going further, the product might be customised to age groups, gender, and environmental concerns.

Fine-tuning the final product

Fragrance, colour, and consistency are all determined in collaboration and can be tweaked outside of the final recipe.

Qualified professionals also have to ascertain that their products are safe for pregnant women, cruelty-free (it is not tested on animals nor are the ingredients are derived from animal sources), paraben-free, and alcohol-free.

The packaging is also tweaked according to the needs of a brand—in Lavishs case, both the box and flacon are sustainably sourced from China.

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TL;DR, good laboratories plus vigilant brands equal safe cosmetic products.

It's all too easy for brands to slap a fancy design on a bottle of face cream and market it so it's up to us to be discerning about ingredients, the manufacturing process, and the claims that the bottle carries.

Before purchasing a product, you can check its registered at the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) official website at www.npra.gov.my or through the 'NPRA Product Status' app that can be downloaded at the Google Play Store.