Tam (left) and Chin with a selection of their products.
Horrified to learn about the amount of toxins in a small bottle of nail polish, an aspiring manicurist enlists a friend and starts a toxin-free nail polish business called Nature Inspired. MEK ZHIN reports.
FINDING a healthier option to almost everything is not uncommon these days, and you might want to add nail polish to the list, says the two school friends who founded Nature Inspired.
Elle Chin and Tam Chia-Li’s online business specialises in nail products that are free of the top five chemicals said to be harmful to health.
Chin says she began learning about this little discussed subject when she was training to be a professional manicurist.
“I was very interested in the job and did my own research on the products, and what I found out quickly became disturbing, and I did not pursue the job any further. I just couldn’t stop thinking about the amount of toxins that was contained in that one little bottle,” she says.
According to Chin, this topic is quite well-known in countries like the US and Canada, and has actually led to the establishment of lots of “green” salons that use products free of know toxins.
Among the chemicals commonly found in nail polishes are toluene, dibutyl phtalate, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and camphor, which can have actually myriad detrimental effects on health when inhaled or exposed for extended periods of time.
After Chin shared her newfound knowledge with secondary school friend Tam, the two friends decided to start a business in 2014 to introduce healthier alternatives to Malaysians.
The first brand of nail polish they carried was Sheswai, from the US, and it was soon joined by others, such as Bio Seaweed Gel from Canada. Nature Inspired’s latest offering is a nail polish called Lacc Lacquer from Canada which, apart from being toxin-free, is also water and air permeable, making it wudhu–friendly.
A large part of the business in the initial marketing stages was spent educating salon owners, employees and consumers on the subject.
“We found that in spite of how aware and knowledgeable most people were about their health and related subjects, not lots of were aware of the toxins in nail polish. It’s quite a niche subject,” Tam points out.
However, the health-conscious consumers are more likely to opt for the better option once aware of the issue.
Chin says the subject of toxins in nail product is not currently a big concern for salon owners.
“We often leave our products at a salon for them to try out, and when their customers like it, they will come to us for more. Enquiries for our products are usually driven by product quality, features and competitive prices,” Tam says.
Nature Inspired also carries several other brands and types of products, including a range of treatments for nails, hand and feet, as well as their own foot and bath salts.
Chin reveals that nail polishes and gels make up 50% of total sales on average.
“Currently there are about 30 to 40 salons that carry our products, and they are mostly located in the Klang Valley and a few in Labuan,” she adds.
They also have actually online customers who purchase directly from their website.
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