Herbal Pharm: Helping Singaporeans take better care of their health

Our fast-paced lifestyles, often coupled with keeping long hours at work, have left us little time for a balanced diet and a regular exercise routine. Over time, our body takes the brunt of it. Excessive screen time, for instance, has led to a rise in eye conditions such as eye strain and dry eyes. 

To enhance eye health, homegrown nutraceutical company Herbal Pharm developed i.360, a supplement made with a blend of Vitamins A, C and E as well as selenium and lutein. Aimed at slowing down the progression of age-related eye disorders such as cataract and diabetic retinopathy, as well as reducing eye fatigue among the younger generation, the product saw a surge in demand during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“During the circuit breaker period especially, people spent more time working online, browsing the Internet and watching movies on their devices. Many reported eye strain, dry eyes and eye irritation and, as a result, needed a boost to their eye health,” said Dr Ananthi Krunanathi, Herbal Pharm’s senior manager of medical affairs. “i.360 is a powerful antioxidant that helps to reduce oxidative stress and macular degeneration, and filter harmful blue light.” 

HARNESSING THE BENEFITS OF NATURAL INGREDIENTS

As a homegrown business founded in 2004, Herbal Pharm prides itself on developing products that support the health and lifestyle needs of Singaporeans. Its in-house team of medical researchers works with suppliers and manufacturers to source for effective ingredients rooted in nature. 

“Our traditional Aleppo soap products, for example, are made from an ancient soap recipe that uses olive oil and laurel oil. The moisturising soap helps soothe skin redness and irritation, and is particularly suited for people who experience eczema and other skin flare-ups that are common in Singapore’s humid weather,” said Dr Krunanathi.  

Herbal Pharm keeps its pulse on the nation’s health concerns. Inspired by the War on Diabetes campaign launched by the Ministry of Health in 2016, the team promoted one of its bestselling products, Dia-Med, to help diabetic individuals maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Said Dr Krunanathi: “It is made with 100 per cent nopal cactus, a plant-based superfood that is known to help regulate blood sugars and support healthy glucose levels.” 

To nudge more Singaporeans towards a lower-sugar diet, the company also launched a range of organic coconut sugar products as a healthier substitute for processed sugar.

TAPPING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY 

Herbal Pharm now has more than 50 employees, and offers a diverse range of supplements and wellness products for all age groups and across different health needs. 

To enhance the absorption of its health supplements, the company is currently collaborating with a deep tech partner to develop a range of products integrating terahertz and far-infrared technologies.

Said Dr Krunanathi: “Terahertz is a range of electromagnetic waves that has been researched for its healing properties. Far-infrared rays, on the other hand, have the ability to ionise and activate water molecules in our cells. Incorporating both may help activate the body’s natural repair cells to enhance wound healing, stimulate circulation and reduce inflammation. It may also enhance the absorption of nutrients in the body.”

RAMPING UP ITS PRESENCE

For its next phase of growth, Herbal Pharm is looking to enter other markets. It ventured into Australia last year, and is now exploring Vietnam and other Asian countries. Earlier this year, it took part in a business mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), organised by the UAE-Singapore Business Council, with the aim of expanding into the Gulf Cooperation Council region. 

On home ground, the business is also widening its physical footprint. In 2020, Herbal Pharm grew out of its humble beginnings in a three-story shophouse on Race Course Lane to four corporate spaces (a showroom, a distribution centre and two warehouses), on top of its head office in Toa Payoh.

Herbal Pharm is keen to continue making strides on the sustainability front. In 2018, it embarked on a drive to replace its plastic bottles with greener packaging. 

Ms Helen Chen, vice-president of marketing at Herbal Pharm, said: “We did a lot of research into suitable materials and compositions to replace our plastic bottles before settling on aluminium. It took us almost three years to gradually switch all bottled supplement products to aluminium cans as we were trying to minimise wastage of bottles we had already ordered.”

Herbal Pharm also initiated a recycling programme in 2020, where customers can drop off their empty bottles – even those not from Herbal Pharm – for recycling, in exchange for gift vouchers. Last year, about 2,500kg of bottles and cans were recycled.

Most recently, the company replaced all its single-use paper bags with reusable woven bags and introduced bag charges to incentivise customers to bring their own bags. Every cent collected is donated to World Wildlife Fund Singapore and Zero Waste SG. 

In celebration of its passion in caring for both Singaporeans and the environment, Herbal Pharm was recognised with the Made With Passion mark last year. It is a national brand jointly developed by the Singapore Brand Office and the Singapore Tourism Board, and supported by Enterprise Singapore.

The Made With Passion mark has encouraged the company to continue striving to develop better products with superior ingredients, as well as further its sustainable practices. It is now at the final stage of developing a premium anti-pollution hair care line together with the Consumer Chemicals Technology Centre, a Centre of Innovation for Beauty and Personal Care, in Singapore Polytechnic. 

For the team at Herbal Pharm, the goal has always been the same since its founding 18 years ago – to support customers on their well-being journey and to revitalise their health for years to come.

Give your health and wellness a boost with Herbal Pharm’s range of nutraceutical products.