Malaysian Entrepreneur Sources Locally for Her Natural Skincare Business
Mar 03, 2022
Sulie Abell’s natural skincare business seeks to support Borneo farmers by sourcing local ingredients.
Sulie Abell is the founder and CEO of Sluvi, a social enterprise that sources natural ingredients from local farmers in Borneo to create natural skincare products that are safe for users and the environment.
Sulie became interested in social entrepreneurship while completing her degree in International Relations and Business. Sulie’s chronic eczema forced her to leave her job but inspired her to start her own company, Sluvi.
Sluvi aims to support the farming ecosystem in Sarawak villages in Malaysia by offering small farmers the opportunity to serve as suppliers of natural ingredients, including ginger honey, aloe vera, coffee and rice, in the production of sensitive skincare products. Sulie hopes to empower local farmers by helping them to increase their income so that they can invest more resources in their education, healthcare, and wellbeing, and develop new farming skills.
Sluvi’s business generates most of its profits from online and offline sales and prepaid box subscriptions. In addition to offering a wide variety of skincare products, the company also conducts face and body care workshops, exercise and nutrition classes and is in the process of collaborating with other local brands to develop a “Mind, Body and Soul Mini-Fest”.
What inspired Sulie to create Sluvi?
Like many other entrepreneurs, Sulie was inspired to build her own business based on her own needs, as she was looking for products that could help her eczema. She considers herself as a “self-taught natural skin creator” as she started by experimenting with different ingredients. After testing several ingredients and attending skincare courses to increase her knowledge of the industry, she developed a range of naturally based products that could meet the increasing demand for organic and plant-based products.
Sulie’s business focuses on supply chain transparency. She aspires to raise awareness about the importance of sourcing locally and wants to educate her customers on the benefits of using natural products.
Sluvi’s team acknowledges that Shell LiveWIRE Malaysia has been instrumental in developing its brand. Sulie says that participating in the programme helped her upgrade her entrepreneurship skills and provided a space to receive valuable feedback and develop a network with other participants.