Bskin bet bee actives could carry a skincare brand — and won Indonesia first

A Singapore skincare label built on bee actives, manufactured in South Korea, priced from $29 to $126.

That bee actives — honey and propolis from the family's supplement business — could anchor a skincare brand that wins Indonesia before Singapore.

Chia Su-Mae spent three years as a corporate lawyer and struggled with acne into adulthood. Her father founded HDI, a bee-wellness supplement brand whose biggest market is Indonesia; his own 1990s skincare attempt tanked for lack of expertise. She joined HDI in 2015 and launched Bskin — Balance of Science, Knowledge, Innovation and Nature — at the end of 2016 with three lines: Vita Advanced, White Glow and Multi-taskers.

Formulation research proved the easy part; marketing, packaging and the website were the struggle — early copy 'read like a legal contract'. Products were manufactured in South Korea. Sales skewed heavily to Jakarta and Surabaya, with a following in rural Indonesia and a facial sanctuary in Jakarta; Chia credited Indonesian trust in imported Singapore-made goods. Singapore grew about 20% year on year but made up only a fifth of sales. Men rose from 10% of customers in 2016 to 30%. The brand launched on iShopChangi and Shopee.

The family's 1990s skincare attempt failed on expertise; this time formulation research came first — 'the easy part', Chia said — before launch.

Indonesian shoppers trust Singapore-made imports, so the brand's credibility travelled better abroad than in its crowded home market.

Word of mouth substituted for media spend: Chia valued being 'a lesser-known brand' whose customers arrived through recommendations.

Distribution followed demand — iShopChangi and Shopee listings, a Jakarta sanctuary, then a new website with global shipping in August 2021.

A family company's new line wins by exporting trust it already has: Bskin's bee-wellness credibility sold hardest in Indonesia, where Singapore-made imports signal quality, faster than at home.

As of August 12, 2021, the pandemic was pulling skincare newcomers to the brand, men made up 30% of customers, and global shipping had just launched. A beauty device was slated for the following year and a product redesign within two. The father, once convinced a skincare business could not work after his own flop, had started using the facial wash, serum and moisturiser — 'quite validating', Chia said.