GEORGE TOWN, Oct 3 — It started with skin allergies that resulted in rashes that would not go away until they realised it is the synthetic chemicals in most skin care products and cleaning detergents that were causing the rashes.

After extensive research and fine-tuning formulas, scientist Dr Mike Thair and designer Le Thanh Thuy established Indochina Natural in Vietnam to make their own natural soaps and skincare range without any hidden synthetic chemicals.

That was in 2006 and today, Indochine Natural has since shifted to Penang and has a range of soaps, shampoos and cleaning products that are free from synthetic chemicals and preservatives.

That’s not all. When it first set up its base in Penang, Indochine also embarked on a community programme by training the disabled at the Asia Community Service’s (ACS) Stepping Stone Work Centre to make dish soap from recycled cooking oil. Stepping Stone Work Centre is ACS’ support centre which provides a workplace for people with special needs.

Scientist Dr Mike Thair with his range of all-natural products at Indochine Natural.

“We provided the necessary equipment, helped them set up the facility and trained them in the soap-making process so that they could independently produce dishwashing soaps on their own for a steady source of income,” Thair said.

To ensure that the Stepping Stone Work Centre could market the dish washing soaps they made, Indochine takes the stock of soaps from them and sell it.

All of the soaps produced by Stepping Stone Work Centre are made entirely from recycled cooking oil with no addition of any synthetic chemicals or preservatives too.

The household cleaning products including the dish washing soap made by the ACS Stepping Stone Work Centre. — Picture by K.E.Ooi

Thair said their work with Stepping Stone is due to Indochine’s fair trade principles which is to provide opportunities for disadvantaged producers and to empower them with development and production capacity to improve their living standards.

Other than the dish washing soaps, Indochine specialises in all-natural body and skin care products that are made entirely from plant oils.

“After doing a lot of research on products in the market, we find that most products use synthetic derived surfactants that could cause skin allergies,” Thair said.

The soap manufacturer is very particular about the ingredients used to make their products, especially when both founders, Thair and Le, are allergic to synthetic ingredients.

Indochine Natural's range of products that included shampoos and face oils. — Picture by K.E.Ooi

“We buy only the highest quality of ingredients from all over the world and if we find any single ingredient has even a tiny fraction of synthetic material, we will not use it as we both are handling these products daily so the products have to be all-natural,” he said.

He said most fragrances for skin care products available are also synthetic so they had to source only fragrances that are purely made from plants.

Indochine set up its base in Penang back in 2008 due to the availability of better infrastructure here and due to the nature of the business, where most products were exported, the freight hub here is also very cost effective for them.

“The infrastructure in Vietnam wasn’t very good and it was very difficult dealing with the government there but here, it is different especially with better infrastructure and efficiency at the government departments here,” he said.

Indochine also produces all natural loofah. — Picture by K.E.Ooi

The manufacturer has a website selling its own range of products, which is also available at its office and an organic store in Tanjung Bungah, but its main focus is producing products for up to 10 different brands that include a local soap brand and some hotels along with exporting to countries like Japan, US and Europe.

“About 85 per cent of the products made here are for other brand names,” he said.

The production of a cleaning product at the Indochine manufacturing facility in Tanjung Bungah here. — Picture by K.E.Ooi

Indochine has a production capacity of 10,000 bars of soap and 10,000 bottles of liquid soaps per month.

Looking forward, the manufacturer is now looking at expanding its product lines to include skin and body care products for babies and children.

“Babies and children have sensitive skin so we are coming up with a range especially for this age group,” he said.

Blocks of soap in the curing process. — Picture by K.E.Ooi

Indochine’s current available products include body wash, face wash, organic face oil, shampoo, soaps, essential oils, household cleaning products, loofah, mosquito repellent, cosmetic clays and organic face mists.

Find out more about Indochine’s products here.