Meet the beauty founder making customised skincare accessible

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12th Aug 2019

From a personalised phone cover to a monogrammed weekend bag, customisation is a trend that’s always in fashion. And, in a world where mass consumption rules and global shipping of pretty much everything prevails, it seems like one of the last options to express our individual style. Plus, bespoke feels luxury in the best possible way.

In the past, having something custom-made was, in fact, a total luxury for those who could afford it; made-to-measure meant expensive. However, with companies like The Daily Edited making monogramming affordable, customisation has truly become accessible. 

And it’s not just fashion and accessories getting the custom treatment, skincare is the next category we’re looking to for custom options for our specific skin concerns and needs. No one has exactly the same skin as anyone else, so it doesn’t make sense that any one product would work for everyone.

It’s this issue of one-size-fits-no-one skincare that led Ee Ting Ng to launch her custom Australian-based skincare brand Hop & Cotton. “The concept was originally born as a need for my skin, as I had been struggling for years to find products to help my persistently problematic skin. It started with myself, then friends and family started requesting products, which sometimes included other personal care products in addition to skincare! After many encouraging success stories from them, Hop & Cotton was born so that I could offer this service to everyone else,” the founder told Vogue over email.

And while skincare is a notoriously crowded market, the custom skincare market is just starting to emerge as the next frontier in not only skincare but also made-to-order. Here, Ng shares the benefits of customised skincare, how she built her brand, and why investing in good skincare means you’ll be able to save on make-up.

What are the key benefits to our skin of custom skincare?
“The key benefit is that we are really providing more of a service than just selling products. We take the time to understand and evaluate each of our customer’s skin characteristics, condition and concerns, before formulating (completely from scratch) a regimen or products that will help them target their concerns or even just to keep their skin [in] the best of health.”

“As and when the customer’s skin condition progresses, we may evolve their formulas to target their most current concerns, such as minimising fine lines with age. Our knowledge of the customer’s skin will grow over time and it generally becomes easier for us to achieve what they want since we understand their skin thoroughly and how it responds to different ingredients.”

What was the most challenging part about setting up your business? 
“There is a saying, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together’. The most challenging part of starting up was to find the right group of people to work with. The business has been self-funded since the very beginning.”

How did you get the word out about Hop & Cotton?
“I’m extremely fortunate to have word-of-mouth recommendations from my friends and family who had already been using products formulated and created by me before Hop & Cotton was born.”

Have you found social media has helped your business?
“Social media has been great for generating brand awareness, as well as understanding what our customers are looking for by interacting with them actively.”

For someone interested in trying customised skincare but with a limited budget, which one product would you suggest they try?
“This question is always very difficult! Our skin is a dynamic organ, and no single product can do it all. Everyone wants the best and lasting results, which is why we always recommend the entire customised regimen, because every step in your regimen is part of the treatment. So I would say try to save on make-up and invest in skincare instead!”

Any final words of wisdom about custom skincare you’d like to share?
“Personalised skincare may be perceived as a trend, with many companies jumping on this bandwagon offering customised products of their own. However, not all customised skincare are made equal as there are many different extents of ‘customisation’. Every single ingredient, not just the actives, make a difference in results and compatibility. Thus it’s important for customers to know what a company means when they say they are ‘customising’ a product for you and understand just how much of that formula is specifically designed for your skin.”  

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