A chemistry with caring

Estee Lauder had said that all great things begin with a vision, a dream. For Nur Amirah Mazli, her great thing began with chemistry – more specifically, Chemist3.

Having spent four years on a lot of chemistry-based courses during her Bachelor in Forensic Science (Hons) programme at MSU’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (FHLS), Mira knew she had to make good on the education. She decided to combine her knowledge of chemistry with the passion she had built as a teenager learning all she could about soap and skincare.

Despite a bright future in her discipline of choice at Management and Science University (MSU), from where she graduated in February 2019, Mira chose to partner up with two friends she had met during internship. Together they formed RM Phytoceuticals Resources, a skincare startup producing Chemist3-branded moisturizer, skin serum, and facial cleanser.

Whilst the number 3 in the brand-name is a nod to the tri-party partnership, ‘phytoceuticals’ in the company name marries the product’s all-natural plant-based ingredients with ‘pharmaceuticals’. Ninety-five percent of a Chemist3 product comprise an active natural ingredient, which penetrates the skin to give better results.

“Most skincare products with an active ingredient also carry a hefty price tag, whereas we would like for everybody to have good skin and be able to afford good skincare products. That’s how Chemist3’s tagline ‘Everybody’s Skincare’ came to be,” explains Mira.

She admits that promoting a new product in a saturated market is no easy thing. Without a ready-made customer base, the customer’s product awareness must be built first. Yet Chemist3 has gone on to attract loyal users, industry players, and investors alike. The company recently opened a manufacturing facility in Setia Alam and is planning to supply hospitals in Selangor with its Kombucha enzymatic health drink.

Mira recalls an interesting discovery that led to the botanical drink’s formulation.

“I was in my final year at MSU and doing a project during internship. I discovered that such a drink could help people suffering from diabetes, hypertension, and constipation or other gut issues. I never thought that something from my final-year paper could be turned into a beverage that benefits so many people, but I'm happy that that I can still contribute to society outside the scope of my forensic discipline.”

With so much of her great thing tied to her learning at Management and Science University (MSU), the alumna gushes about her MSUrian experience.

“PEC at MSU helped turn me from introvert to open, bolder, and more confident. I also got to go on the MSU Global Mobility Programme (GMP) to Burapha University in Thailand once for 3 months, as a Dean’s Lister, and the experience, among many others, opened my eyes to the wider world and what one can do for others.

“I may have chosen forensic science because I had wanted to be the best in the field, just like Horatio Caine of CSI Miami fame, but I chose MSU simply because the University met my expectations at all levels. Where the forensic discipline would have been a good fit to my original career inspiration, MSU was the best fit for my entrepreneurial inclinations.