Many of us are doing our part for Mother Nature, whether it’s reducing the use of single-use plastics or cutting down on food waste. Nevertheless, how many of us would create a product if there was no sustainable and effective alternative? With The Powder Shampoo, Lynn Tan did just that.
Sustainable beauty is close to her heart. Tan, 43, has been a retailer and distributor of beauty products for almost two decades, so she knows how much plastic packaging is produced each year—and how much gets recycled.
“I was kept awake at night knowing that almost all of these personal care products end up in landfills, killing our marine life and animals. When we incinerate plastic, it kills the ozone layer and pollutes with toxic fumes.”
As she set off on her eco-journey, she encountered a problem: she couldn’t find a shampoo that was environmentally friendly and effective.
At the time, her only option was shampoo bars, which she found unpleasant to use. “I spent a lot of time trying to lather up the shampoo bars. My hair became dry, and my scalp wasn’t clean. The bars were slimy and I couldn’t travel with them.”
So, Tan took things into her own hands, and created The Powder Shampoo, which checks multiple boxes in the sustainability department.
It comes in plastic-free packaging of 100 percent recyclable aluminium bottles and paper refill pouches. The powdered formulation is also vegan, botanical, and clean, and saves water because the product is made without it.
“As The Powder Shampoo is concentrated, a little goes a long way. A 100g bottle gives you over 100 washes, compared to a 100ml liquid shampoo that gives you 10 washes on average. This means you buy it less frequently, and therefore contribute less to carbon footprints. “
Lynn Tan makes clear how powder shampoo is better for the environment
The brand also plants a tree for every product sold. In just one year, it has planted over 16,500 trees. While sustainability is at the forefront, The Powder Shampoo does not compromise on quality. Tan is fastidious when selecting suppliers and refuses to settle for second best when it comes to ingredients. “If one supplier were to fail to deliver one ingredient that is commonly used, then we cannot manufacture.”
Hence, she stresses the importance of building trust with suppliers, setting expectations, and providing forecasts to ensure a steady supply of stocks.
The next challenge she faced was the lack of understanding of how the product worked. According to Tan, many consumers mistake The Powder Shampoo for dry shampoo. As a result, the company continuously produces videos and other content to educate consumers that this is a powder-to-foam shampoo. The powder works just like facial cleansing powder. As you would with a regular shampoo, you sprinkle it onto your wet hair and scalp and lather it into foam.
The Powder Shampoo currently has four products, each targeting a specific scalp or hair condition: Anti-Hair Loss, Dandruff, Oily Scalp, Normal & Sensitive Scalps. In the coming months, the brand will launch a formula for dry hair, as well as a Powder Hair Mask.
For Tan, sustainability isn’t a battle she wants to fight alone. “Almost all businesses can incorporate sustainability into their values or make dedicated efforts such as reducing the reliance on single-use plastic, and reducing the use of electricity and water,” she says. “Brands must be ethical in what they produce and sell, and give back to Mother Earth or society as they prosper.”
Producer: Adora Wong
Styling: Chia Wei Choong
Photography: Stefan Khoo
Photography assistant: Rex
Videography: Isaku Lim
Hair & makeup: Aung Apichai
