Mayura Apothecary, Malaysia
The road to radiant skin and healthy living can potentially be littered with potholes. This is a story of two individuals’ quest for this Holy Grail, how they found it together, and the way they are bringing it to people around them.
Henri Lai worked in a pharmacy where his role was to dispense steroid creams and similar goods to patients suffering from skin problems. It was not long before he noticed that a certain well-known range of products started to bring about growing levels of discomfort to a large group of users. Henri investigated the cause and was repulsed to discover that an increasing amount of chemicals were being formulated into the products, unknown to the consumer. His words were:
“It is rather disturbing for a market, so large and mature, to not accommodate for people with dreadful skin conditions aside from using steroid creams and chemical-enriched moisturisers.”
Compelled by a desire to provide alternative solutions for the afflicted, Henri founded Mayura Apothecary. The name reflects a combination of Eastern rustic herbal heritage and Western herbal lore. It began as a herbal education initiative to impart authentic medical knowledge to the masses. Like a deep well of life, Mayura Apothecary has since grown into a source of lifestyle solutions that affirm therapeutic skincare, healthy cooking, safe and gentle detergents, and effective remedies. Henri was not alone in this endeavour as he was soon joined by co-founder Yoking Lai in early 2014.
Yoking is no stranger to health woes. Before joining Mayura Apothecary, she was an accomplished 14-year HR professional overseeing regional business in numerous countries for a multinational corporation in the fashion industry. In 2009, the prolonged intensity of her work caused her to develop an autoimmune disorder which plagued her with allergies.
This distressing period in her life prompted her to question if she truly found personal connection and meaning in her hectic HR work. She sought her answer in the reflective region of Ladakh in India where she immersed in meditation and went on a charity tour. Her conclusion was:
“Life at its best is just being simple and natural.”
She resigned from her HR role at the end of 2013 and joined Henri in Mayura Apothecary where she has since been significantly expanding their range of solutions from natural skincare to perfumery, cosmetics, and healthy baking. Holding herself to a higher principle of meaningful work and constant improvement, she has enrolled into a diploma course majoring in holistic skincare products and aromatherapy.
Co-run by Yoking and Henri, Mayura Apothecary embraces a grounded educational approach in aiding people who seek the same aspiration of healthier living: ethical, effective, natural, and simple.
