In a bid to adopt more sustainable practices, the Singapore-based consumer health company behind Suu Balm, Good Pharma Dermatology, explores the possibility of transforming its liquid body wash into a concentrated product.
Consumer expectations are often unpredictable and volatile, moving with cultural shifts or riding on the latest trends on social media. However, as climate concerns grow, consumption habits across industries shift towards sustainable and ethical practices. According to a recent report by Alibaba Group, almost 90 percent of consumers from emerging markets in Asia want to practice more sustainable lifestyles—this includes changing consumption patterns to choose companies with sustainable or recyclable packaging.
For Good Pharma Dermatology, the company behind Suu Balm, meeting such consumer demands for sustainable practices and reducing the company’s overall environmental impact are paramount. As such, they have begun exploring various technologies to improve their product formulations and packaging. With IPI’s help, Good Pharma partnered with Consumer Chemicals Technology Centre (CCTC) at Singapore Polytechnic to assess the feasibility of converting the company’s liquid body wash into a concentrated formula that has greater environmental benefits.
Switching to a concentrated format
Good Pharma Dermatology is a Singapore-based consumer health company that offers skincare products under the Suu Balm brand. As a company intent on pursuing sustainability, it has since launched refill packs and a refillery—a place for customers to fill up reusable bottles with skincare products. Now, the company is attempting to transform their liquid body wash formula into a solid and concentrated alternative.
Solid and concentrated formats are one of the most sustainable and low-waste ways to package skincare products.
“Concentrated formats require less packaging volume and are lighter. Unlike normal water-based products, where much of the weight and volume is water, shipping concentrated formats uses less energy and therefore results in fewer emissions,” said Dr John O’Shea, Co-Founder of Good Pharma.
Forging new partnerships
IPI has enjoyed a longstanding partnership with Good Pharma Dermatology in driving innovation. Through IPI, the company collaborated with the National Skin Centre to commercialise a non-prescription itch-relieving moisturiser under the Suu Balm brand back in 2013. At TechInnovation 2021, IPI's flagship technology brokerage event, Good Pharma was keen on a technology offer presented by CCTC, which was in line with one of Good Pharma's approaches for the development of their products, and IPI facilitated the meeting between the two companies, paving the way for a partnership between Good Pharma Dermatology and CCTC.
First established in 2019, CCTC offers consultancy services for product research and development. Their services include product design, ingredients and active formulation, safety, efficacy and stability tests, among others.
After a series of introductory meetings, both companies decided to conduct the project in two phases. The first phase aims to explore the feasibility of transforming Good Pharma’s liquid body wash into a concentrated format. Depending on its results, the second phase involves further detailed formulation and stability work.
While the project is still in its early stages, Good Pharma is grateful for the opportunity to tap into the know-how of CCTC. “The CCTC team is organised and highly knowledgeable on various ingredients, textures, and formulations—all of which are key aspects of developing a successful product,” Dr O’Shea said.
Should the feasibility study and product development prove successful, Good Pharma hopes to launch the new concentrated body wash product in 2024 across various Southeast Asian countries. The body wash would be the company’s pioneer concentrated format product—With IPI’s help, the new product will support the company’s goal of delivering environmentally friendly, high-quality skincare to customers. This project has underscored the value of IPI's TechInnovation event as a pivotal platform for introducing technology partners to the industry. It empowers enterprises to expedite their exploration of novel technologies and the creation of innovative products.
