Personal Eczema Battle Drives Skincare Entrepreneur To Global Success

By Zaphne Philip

KUCHING, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- Struggling with chronic eczema, an Iban woman from Kampung Melugu, Sri Aman, turned her personal battle into a mission, building a successful business that has taken her natural-based skincare products to international markets.

Sulie Lungkan Abell, 37, founder of Sluvi, a social enterprise skincare brand launched in 2018, said it also helps raise the incomes of Sarawak’s local farming communities.

She explained that the name Sluvi holds special significance: “Slu” represents the founder’s initials, while “v” and “i” stand for vision and initiative, reflecting the business's social mission at its core.

Sulie said Sluvi began in 2015, when chronic eczema left her unresponsive to commercial products, including costly international brands.

“The doctor’s medication provided only temporary relief (for me) and wasn’t suitable for long-term use. I was advised to try natural alternatives, but I found that many so-called ‘natural’ products on the market contained minimal real natural ingredients,” she told Bernama.

Drawing on her own research in academic journals and scientific sources, Sulie experimented with garden-grown ingredients until she developed a formula that suited her sensitive skin.

“The results were amazing, no itching, irritation, or bleeding. My skin healed, and my family and friends noticed the difference,” she said, adding that the positive feedback and early testimonials inspired her to commercialise the formula to help others facing similar skin problems.

According to Sulie, Sluvi was developed as a social enterprise supporting local supply chains, helping village farmers, including honey producers, with an income of under RM200 a month.

“All of Sluvi’s ingredients are sourced directly from local farmers and hand-processed. They aren’t tied to us exclusively and are free to sell their produce elsewhere,” she explained, noting that Sluvi is working with 10 farming families from Simanggang, Melugu, Lachau, and Banting, focusing on ingredients such as kelulut (stingless bee) honey, ginger, rice, rose, and aloe vera.

As a result, farmers’ incomes rose to RM1,000 to RM4,000 a month, alongside training in organic farming and kelulut beekeeping through government-led workshops.

She said one of Sluvi’s bestsellers is the Kelulut Honey Soap, which contains propolis and is suitable for all ages, including babies and individuals with sensitive skin or eczema.

Other products include Rosewater and Aloe Toner, Lemon Coffee Body Scrub, Green Tea Face Mask, Rice Face Mask, and Borneo Loofah.

Sulie’s work in natural skincare earned her a spot on Prestige Malaysia’s 2021 list of Malaysia’s Most Successful, Innovative and Influential Young People (Under 40).

She recently joined the Social Enterprise World Forum in Taiwan, showcasing Sluvi to global social enterprise players.

Sulie said 60 per cent of Sluvi’s customers come from abroad, including the United States, Australia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and the United Kingdom.

Looking ahead, Sulie plans to build an integrated farm ecosystem to generate jobs and support the long-term economic sustainability of the local community.

-- BERNAMA