We Tried 6 Affordable Malaysian-Made Skincare Brands. Here's What We Thought

More often than not, reviews on great products are done by non-Asians living in non-Asian weather.

So instead, we decided to search for natural ingredient products made for Malaysian skin just to see if they really work.

This Malaysian skincare brand is all about natural ingredients. Their products do not contain any synthetic chemicals and fragrances - a definite plus point.

The range includes facial cleansers, facial oils, shampoos, lotions, scrubs, and its newest is hand wash - all packaged in minimalistic glass bottles to save the environment.

What I love is the Sea Buckthorn Pure Oil - after putting it on at night, it left my skin feeling glowy and moisturised the next morning. It does leave an orange stain though, so if you're using it before bed, I'd recommend making sure your pillow is covered with a towel if it is light-coloured.

Their products are sold at various stores in Klang Valley. You can check them out here.

LOVE LOVE LOVE their natural deodorant! I was so impressed by this Malaysian company's deodorant and gave some to my colleagues and sister just to test if it would work with different types of body odour - and all of them loved it.

My concern was that it wouldn't last through the day, but it did - even after Muay Thai and badminton sessions! On top of it all, the smell is amazing, thanks to the essential oils in the product.

Compared to a typical roll-on or spray, the paste was surprisingly not mafan to use. Instead it glided onto the skin easily and did not clog my pores at all. The founder mentioned that you don't even need to wash your hands after because it just dries up instantly - she was right.

Hello Natural Co has other products such as dry shampoos, face masks, and hair serums.

You can check them out here.

After hearing a lot of good things about Mineraw, I decided to finally try it out for myself. And I must say, I get the hype.

The Honey Glow scrub left my skin feeling clean and moisturised without being too harsh.

The toner is made from apple cider vinegar and was easy to apply - be warned that the smell does take some getting used to.

Meanwhile, the Glow Serum has already been added to my staples. I wear make-up and tend to be quite oily by the end of the day. Surprisingly, when I used this before applying foundation, it lasted even till midnight - with no oiliness on my skin yet looked and felt moisturised (despite being in air-conditioning all day).

The products are sold at several places in Klang Valley. You can check them out here.

Jojoba oil is known for having anti-inflammatory properties and helps in skin repair and damage control. Good facial products tend to include jojoba into the ingredients. And what is great about Kopara's Jojoba Oil is that it is 100% jojoba oil.

I personally think it would work on all skin types - oily, combination, and dry. I have combination skin and it left my face feeling healthy and dewy. Wanting to know if it would work on other skin types, I gave some to a colleague who has very dry skin and his face looked and felt moisturised throughout the week.

Several reviewers with acne have also raved about it. Not to mention, the smell is great too!

The texture is light so it doesn't feel like you're slathering layers of oil onto your face because it absorbs immediately. You can also mix a few drops into your foundation for a glowy finish. 

It promotes itself to be a multipurpose oil, so you can use it on dry areas of your body or as a make-up remover. A little goes a long way so it's definitely worth the price!

You can check it out here.

Whenever a company considers the environment in their products, I'm sold. Aro Sarawak does just that - from their bamboo toothbrushes to their glass bottle skincare range.

The Sarawakian company has everything you might need like scrubs and facial creams to hair and face serums - you name it, they have it. If you're into fragrances that have emberwood notes, then you might enjoy this range. 

My colleague, Arisha (who is also a make-up artist), tested out their three-step organic skincare - gentle cleansing cream, day & night cream, anti-ageing serum - and absolutely loved it! 

The products absorbed quickly leaving her skin supple and plump. The cream also makes for a great make-up base. The only downside was that the cleanser comes in a tub which is a little difficult so she would have preferred if it were in a tube or pump.

Overall, she was satisfied with the range and how affordable it is.

You can check them out here.

Kayman Beauty essence and Skintella Repairing serum left my skin feeling minty, moisturised, and did not clog in any way at all. I'm not a fan of products that clog my pores, so this was a huge plus for me.

Moreover, I avoid using facial wash because it tends to be too dry for my skin. But the CoalFace Cleanser wasn't too harsh and left my skin feeling clean. Although, I would still recommend moisturising with a facial oil or serum after cleansing.

They have made quite a name for themselves on Twitter, so do read more reviews there.

You can check them out here.

We're still trying each item but we're glad we've found skincare that is locally-made and uses natural ingredients.