Holistic healing: Exzma aims to bring the beauty ritual into SEA eczema care market

Exzma Skincare was launched in May 2019 and offers a range of six skin care products ranging from oils and balms to facial masks.

“We focus on holistic healing by using aromatherapy as the basis of the brand. Our products are all-natural, organic, vegan and our ingredients are sustainably sourced. We are also free from steroids,” ​said founder Nazerah Tahir.

The formulations were developed in Germany by a Singapore-based company that produces the products domestically.

Nazerah explained to CosmeticsDesign-Asia​ that Exzma stands out form other eczema skin care products because the brand strives to create an enjoyable skin care routine for the consumer, regardless of any skin condition.

“People who have skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis usually have to use products that look are more clinical or medical. However, as a beauty routine, it has to be an enjoyable and make them happy too. Especially with the younger consumers, they don’t just want a solution, they want to relate to a brand that is on-trend.”​

She added that the company does this by ensuring its branding is current with the trends and also by introducing beauty products like facial masks for its customers.

“Around two months ago we launched two new products, a clay face mask and a toner because I saw there weren’t many such products geared towards people with eczema. At the same time, we wanted to have products that were more beauty-centric.” ​

As the brand believes skin care is considered a wellness and self-care ritual, focusing on the pleasurable aspects of skin care is in line with the brand’s philosophy of tackling skin conditions from a holistic point of view.

Nazerah revealed that the company is in the midst of developing non-beauty products that complement its existing line.

“Many people who suffer from eczema, psoriasis or any such conditions also suffer from issues like anxiety and depression even. We are working on developing solutions for the mind, for instance, helping people to mediate.”​

In addition, the company also plans to launch more skin care products so it can offer its consumers a full range of products to complete their beauty routine.

Increasing accessibility ​

Since its launch, the company has grown two-fold and is expecting to continue to see growth moving forward.

“We can see there are more people with skin conditions nowadays. This is because of a mixture of factors, including the quality of air, a stressful standard of living and an unhealthy diet. It’s really a vicious cycle,” ​said Nazerah.

Currently, the brand’s fastest growing markets include Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Canada and the US.

While there are opportunities for the brand abroad, the company intends to focus its efforts on the South East Asian region, the market it is most familiar with.

“There are already many eczema brands from markets like the US or Australia. We want to focus on SEA because it is where we can make the most difference and help those here suffering from eczema or psoriasis,” ​said Nazerah.

To drive growth, the company is working to increase its visibility and accessibility in SEA.

This year, the brand expanded offline in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia through A Day, an artisan department store.

However, due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns that have affected many brick-and-mortar outlets, it is looking to expand via online channels instead.

Nazerah said the company was working to expand with one of the leading e-commerce platforms in SEA and that it expects to launch its official store on the platform in the next month.

“We want to be everywhere and more accessible to our consumers. Our goal is to be the number one all-natural brand for skin conditions like eczema.”​