Beauty starts with healthy diet

For Golden Swan Biotech, opportunities for growth are boundless as the healthcare and supplements industries in Malaysia and globally continue to flourish once again.

THOSE days, malnutrition as a result of vitamin or mineral deficiencies, resulted in severe diseases and premature death.

Although malnutrition is not so severe today, most people still find it difficult to get a balanced diet due to their hectic lifestyles.

This provides opportunities for vitamin and supplement producers to introduce various products into the market.

According to Euromonitor, the global vitamin and supplement market is currently worth about US$68 billion (RM214.2 billion).

Although competitive, the industry has been growing but at a slow pace in recent years due to the economic crisis, regulation difficulties and an over abundance of products in more mature markets.

However, for Golden Swan Biotech (GSB), opportunities for growth are boundless as the healthcare and supplements industries in Malaysia and globally continue to flourish once again.

Last August, the company introduced its latest product to the market, Pure Beauty - an anti-aging nutrient drink - to meet the high demand for quality nutrient drinks in the market place.

"We expect our domestic sales of the product to hit RM5 million by the end of this year. We aim to triple that over the next few years by expanding our business to overseas markets," executive director Jen Mensen said.

The company is selling around 5,000 boxes of Pure Beauty a month since the product was launched last August. It targets to hit 10,000 boxes a month starting next month.

Jen, who is optimistic on the product, said it contains the most powerful antioxidants which work synergistically from within to create what scientists call, "antioxidant cycling".

"It is a process in which antioxidants work together to extend each others' lives and make them stronger," she said.

Jen said GSB is planning to tap the Indonesian, French, Brunei and Singaporean markets by the second quarter of this year.

For many women, beauty means looking good and it starts with a healthy diet and anti-aging nutrition.

Beauty can be defined as the level of health appreciation, acceptance and satisfaction with the way one looks, Jen said.

Jen believes beauty is not all about having a pretty face but it's about living a happy, healthy life.

Speaking to Business Times in an interview recently, Jen said choosing a healthy diet is surely the way to go when looking to enhance the appearance of the skin from within.

"Beauty on the inside will reflect the outside. So, eating the right food and eating in moderation is the way to living a healthy life," she said.

GSB, formally known as Nur Resources Sdn Bhd, was founded in 2006 by Jen.

Jen, who has more than 10 years of experience in health and beauty nutrient industries, said the company offers a completely integrated manufacturer of all types of nutritional supplements. These include product development, raw material acquisition and custom formulations.

Jen said GSB has invested some RM100,000 in its research and development and will continue to invest to pump up its product development.

Jen sees the domination of international brand names in over-the- counter healthcare products segment as one of its challenges.

Other challenges include greater competition due to widespread use of information technology, strict advertising regulations and claims of product effectiveness by unethical companies, which affect the industry's reputation.

As the company anticipates robust growth this year, it has allocated RM30,000 a month for its marketing and advertising expenses. "We are focused on branding and in meeting the customers needs," Jen said.

Based on its strong belief in people and customer satisfaction, GSB markets its products via dealers. This is unlike other companies that distribute their products through pharmacies, franchises or direct selling.