From Materials Engineer to Entrepreneur– Judith Ang’s Journey with Zeromultiple
Judith Ang’s venture into natural makeup and skincare began out of necessity and innovation. Eight years ago, faced with a lack of 100% natural makeup options in Singapore and the prohibitive costs of importing overseas brands, Judith, a materials engineer by profession, decided to create her own solutions. This initiative led to the birth of Suiinaturals, a natural makeup line featuring bestsellers like the BB face powder, natural lipsticks, and concealer foundation—all crafted without petrochemical-derived ingredients.
Two years later, Judith expanded her vision with the establishment of Zeromultiple, a platform that incorporates natural skincare and personal care products, with Suiinaturals remaining its flagship makeup brand. Her mission for Zeromultiple is to offer consumers a completely chemical-free personal care routine, aiming to protect human health and reduce environmental pollution.
However, the journey was not without its challenges. One primary hurdle was securing ingredients from cosmetic suppliers, as minimum order quantities posed a significant barrier for small-scale operations. Despite these obstacles, most of Zeromultiple’s products are still handmade in Singapore. Looking forward, Judith faces the technical challenge of scaling the business, which may require partnering with manufacturers and distributors.
Harnessing Asian Heritage – The Power of Traditional Ingredients in Zeromultiple’s Products
Judith emphasises the profound impact of Asian heritage beauty ingredients on the effectiveness of her products. Leveraging centuries-old traditions, she incorporates ingredients such as pearl powder and thanaka into her makeup line, celebrated for their safety and efficacy.
In the skincare realm, Zeromultiple utilises a range of botanical extracts, including mangosteen extract, wasabi extract, moringa oil, and tamanu oil. These natural ingredients are particularly effective for addressing acne-prone and eczema-affected skin, providing holistic and long-term healing options. Judith highlights that much of the world’s medicine originates from botanical sources, with the pharmaceutical industry often isolating specific molecules from plants to create drugs. Similarly, botanical extracts in skincare need to be delivered in the right dosage and method to be effective, underscoring the meticulous formulation process at Zeromultiple.
Expanding Horizons – Zeromultiple’s Commitment to Inclusivity in Makeup Shades
Judith is determined to expand the shades available in her makeup line, reflecting Singapore’s diverse market. Currently, the business operates as a one-person show, with Judith handling formulation and production in their Singapore lab. The existing range caters to fair to tan Asian skin tones, but Judith acknowledges the need for more inclusive options, especially for deeper skin tones.
A pivotal moment came during a conversation with a local makeup artist, which made Judith rethink the limitations of her product range. Despite the presence of major brands, shade options for deeper skin tones remain scarce in Singapore and Asia. This gap motivated her to strive for greater inclusivity.
Although financial and operational constraints pose challenges, Judith is optimistic about the future. She is committed to developing a broader spectrum of shades, ensuring that every individual can find a suitable match. The goal is to make the experience of visiting a makeup counter inclusive and welcoming for all skin tones. Judith hopes to announce the availability of these new shades soon, as part of her ongoing efforts to serve a diverse clientele.
Zeromultiple’s Path to International Growth
Judith is actively seeking strategic distribution and financial partners to elevate her brand to the global stage. Her vision is to make Zeromultiple an international name, offering zero-chemical personal care products to a broad audience.
In potential partners, Judith looks for those who share a long-term vision rather than a narrow focus on immediate financial returns. While Zeromultiple’s current business model is profitable, Judith seeks collaborators who are committed to promoting zero-chemical living as the primary choice for consumers everywhere.
Judith envisions a future where petrochemical-based personal care products are phased out, reducing their toxic effects on both human health and the environment. She views many chemical-based products as contributors to pollution and is dedicated to providing safer, sustainable alternatives. By partnering with like-minded investors, Judith aims to expand Zeromultiple’s reach, advocating for a healthier planet and populace through zero-chemical personal care solutions.
Balancing Growth and Integrity – Zeromultiple’s Commitment to Zero-Chemical Products
As Zeromultiple gears up for international expansion, Judith is committed to maintaining the brand’s zero-chemical ethos, even if production shifts overseas. Judith acknowledges that manufacturing in Singapore is not cost-effective at scale, and the local expertise in colour cosmetics manufacturing is limited.
Despite these challenges, Zeromultiple’s dedication to zero-chemical formulations will remain unwavering. The brand takes pride in its Singaporean roots and plans to keep a small lab in Singapore for research and development, as well as pilot-scale production. This approach ensures that Zeromultiple can continue innovating and adhering to its core values, even as it grows on a global scale.
Transformative Skincare – Zeromultiple’s Breakthrough Products
Among the many achievements of Zeromultiple, a standout moment came during the COVID-19 pandemic. Judith developed two innovative products: the wasabi extract skin sanitizer and the Tamanu Hemisqualane oil moisturiser. Judith, who is allergic to topical alcohol, created these alternatives for personal use, which quickly proved beneficial to a wider audience.
The wasabi extract skin sanitizer effectively kills Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria strains without using alcohol, making it ideal for eczema-prone skin that is often split, open, or fissured due to Singapore’s hot and humid climate. Combined with the Tamanu Hemisqualane oil moisturiser, this product formed an effective eczema skincare set.
One particularly heartwarming success story involved a woman who had suffered from a persistent eczema patch for 20 years. Despite treatments from the National Skin Centre, her condition had not improved. However, after using Zeromultiple’s eczema skincare set, her skin saw significant improvement. This achievement is especially meaningful for Judith, as it validates the science behind her products and highlights the impact her business can have on improving customers’ quality of life—an invaluable reward beyond any financial gain.
Advice from Judith Ang for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Judith Ang
Founder of Zeromultiple
Your personal expenses and business expenses should come from different pockets.
If you are using your business proceeds to fund your personal expenses, you will be very stressed in the early stages of the business because it will not be profitable for a few years until you have hit economies of scale. Prioritise profit over everything. Profit is sanity. Revenue is vanity.
