Pam (left) and Philo
What would you do if you could not find a product on the market that suited your skin? Well, if you ask the co-founders of Love Is, they would say, “You simply have to make your own!” Frustrated with not being able to find anything that worked for sensitive skin, Paramjit Kaur, 33, and Primila Ganash, 35 — or more fondly known as Pam and Philo — decided to start developing their own skincare range.
The process of building the brand to what it is today was far from simple, though. While it was officially founded in 2014, the groundwork began long before that. “We started making the products just for ourselves but word got out and orders started to pour in from family and friends,” explains Pam, who was then working in advertising.
Philo, who had a career in banking at that point, toiled over the process of soap-making during her free time, experimenting with various ingredients at home. She discovered that the recipes found online did not always work — “One spoon of coconut oil in a western country would refer to the ingredient in a solid form but the coconut oil we get here is different.”
Over time, Philo came up with her own recipes. This resulted in a pretty handmade line of products, which include bath bombs, bubble bars, bath salts, body scrubs, lip balms, hair masks, face masks and soaps, pumice soaps, healing balms and pet care products.
One successful first pop-up store later, the duo became determined to pursue the business seriously, even moving their home studio to a separate location. According to Philo and Pam, a bath bomb is the most challenging of the lot to make.
“It is very tricky! You have to get the consistency just right or else it will crumble or break … It can cause such heartache when this happens. There is a science to it and Philo has mastered this!” says Pam, who — considering her expertise — handles marketing and branding for Love Is. Together, they are the brains behind the development process of each product, but Philo is in charge of making each one by hand.
Sometime last year, Philo decided to quit her day job and concentrate full time on Love Is; six months later, Pam joined her. “It was a good time to focus on the business as the running of it began to take over our day jobs. It was like jumping off a cliff … we felt it was the right window [of opportunity].”
On the brand’s name, Philo tells us that it was inspired by her favourite cartoon strip that has the same name. “We want you to decide what Love Is,” Philo says dreamily. “Love could also be our chocolate masks or our bath bombs!” Pam adds with a laugh.
Products made by Love Is come with the promise of only the best ingredients. “We ensure that the ingredients are not only skin-safe but food-grade. If you can eat it, it is safe for your skin too,” explains Philo.
“The testing ground is mainly made up of ourselves as well as our family and friends,” Pam says, adding that the ingredients are mainly sourced from countries such as Australia and Canada where the quality control is quite strict. However, they also source ingredients locally.
“We ensure that the ingredients we use have the requisite certifications and meet the requirements of local laws … We also avoid scientific names because they confuse customers,” Pam explains further, emphasising the brand’s commitment to quality control and excellent customer service.
Love Is also carries a small range of pet care products, birthed from their difficulties in finding suitable products for one of their pets, the late Cotton, a Pekingese puppy that had extremely sensitive skin. The co-founders now have one dog – a Shih Tzu named Fifi – and three black cats – Chance, Chapline and Olive – at home and if you look closely, you will see a dedicated corner in the store bearing photos of cats and dogs that are available for adoption, in collaboration with an independent rescuer friend.
The co-founders fondly recall their travels, which often inspire the products they develop. One in particular that stands out is their Lombok holiday. Rainy weather forced them to cancel their plan to visit Gili Trawangan but it turned out to be a moment of serendipity as they discovered many interesting ingredients for their products, such as locally made essential oils.
“In Shimla, we came across a vendor selling saffron buds in small bottles. He educated us on how saffron could be used and we ended up using it in one of our scrubs,” Pam says, adding that they are currently exploring the idea of purchasing from local communities. “As a small business, we would like to buy from smaller farms as well but we are also very particular about quality,” she remarks. Their Publika store is a testament to this spirit of camaraderie between small business owners as it also stocks products by other local, artisanal brands.
The Love Is outlet embodies the values that the co-founders hold dear, including building and maintaining good relationships with customers. “The brand is where it is now because of them,” says Pam, who, together with Philo, takes great pride in customer care. The duo are scheduled to visit Bali soon — to scout for ideas while taking a much-needed break. An indication of an upcoming exotic Balinese range, perhaps?
Visit the outlet at Lot 52, Level G2, Block B3, Publika, Jalan Dutamas 1, Solaris Dutamas, Kuala Lumpur, or go to www.facebook.com/loveisgifts for more information.
