Mrs Aliza Inthaseni stands amid the display of her Aliz Paulin beauty products. photos by Thiti Wannamontha
Nowadays, people are paying more attention to their health and appearance than in the past, driving the rapid growth of the cosmetics and healthcare industries.
And as technology develops, consumers, especially the young, expect instant results from the products they use.
“I am one of those people,” says Aliza Inthaseni, the owner and managing director of Intan Group Co, which manufactures health and beauty products under the brand Aliz Paulin.
“I like to take good care of myself and I also want products that I can rely on which work when I need them to,” says the 35-year-old.
Mrs Aliza says people nowadays are also more cautious about choosing products, with quality and safety being major considerations. To her mind, the fact that her products are thriving in a fiercely competitive market speaks volumes about their efficacy.
It all began four years ago when Mrs Aliza was an employee working in the financial sector. During a business trip to Switzerland, she met a Frenchman who worked at a laboratory in France that invented formulas for global cosmetic brands. It piqued her interest and inspired her to start a business that would allow her to pursue one of her passions.
“I had always wanted to run my own business in an area I was passionate about: fashion or beauty products,” says Mrs Aliza.
Not long after her trip to France, she began discussing product concepts with experts.
Then, following a period of development and testing, she officially launched her first skin care products under the Aliz Paulin brand in 2012. Through that process, Mrs Aliza developed a strong sense that her products should be both innovative and boast outstanding quality.
“To differentiate our products from our competitors, we brand our products as cosmeceutical,” says Mrs Aliza.
She says that cosmeceutical is a combination of cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, which contains biologically-active ingredients purporting to have medicinal or drug-like benefits.
The first product of Aliz Paulin to garner a lot of attention was an immediate smooth skin filler, which can purportedly help smooth one’s skin a mere 40 seconds after being applied.
Mrs Aliza launched the product during a sales event hosted by a major department store, along with a number of major cosmetics brands, in August 2012.
“I was a little nervous since we were a new player in the industry and had to take part in the same event as major brands,” she says.
“But due to the fast-acting nature of the product, we became very popular, with people calling us ‘the 40-seconds booth’. The product sold quite a bit better than we had expected,” she says.
In the early stages, Aliz Paulin products were only sold online. After getting good feedback at the event, however, their products have seen strong sales at major department stores.
A couple of years later, Aliz Paulin launched a high SPF sunscreen product which contains only natural ingredients and has no sticky texture, making it easy to use.
Marie Claire pronounced it the sun screen product of the year, and several other magazines followed suit, making it even more popular among consumers.
“What all of our products have in common is that they are innovative, setting them apart from our competitors,” says Mrs Aliza.
She adds that the other important factor is that all of their products are made with natural ingredients, making them safe.
After receiving a warm welcome for its skincare products, Aliz Paulin launched supplementary products, including royal jelly, which is said to boost the immune system.
Right now Aliz Paulin has 13 skincare products ranging from whitening creams, facial cleansers, serums, skin fillers, facial masks, sun screen, eye gel, and two supplementary products, including the royal jelly.
Aliz Paulin has sales counters at six venues, including major department stores, Bangkok Hospital and Vibhavadi Hospital. It also plans on opening a new counter in Phyathai Hospital this year.
Right now, Aliz Paulin has 18 franchises throughout the country along with 60 distributors, the latter of which is set to rise to 100 by year-end.
“Sales through our distributors are the main channel for our products, so we are trying to capitalise on that,” says Mrs Aliza.
“What all of our products have in common is that they are innovative, setting them apart from our competitors” – Aliza Inthaseni, Owner, Intan Group Co
She notes that their main goal is to penetrate into new Asian markets this year.
Aliz Paulin has sale agents in Singapore, Laos, Cambodia, Norway, China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines and is also in talks to seek a online distributor in India.
Mrs Aliza says Aliz Paulin’s sales keep growing at a fast clip, having risen from 30 million baht in the first year to 60 million baht in 2014 and 100 million baht in 2015.
For 2016, the company forecasts revenue will grow 70% to hit 170 million baht, largely on the back of its plan to penetrate new overseas markets, she says.
The company has recently diversified into plastic surgery under another subsidiary, Prime Medica Co.
In the long term, Mrs Aliza says Aliz Paulin aims to be not only the producer of cosmeceutical products but also a research institute that develops new healthcare and beauty products.
“Shiseido is a good example. Customers are confident about the quality of their products as they are not merely a brand of a manufacturer but an institute as well,” says Mrs Aliza.
She says the company plans on opening a beauty centre on Siam Square in August this year via its subsidiary Prime Cosmec Co.
The centre would offer innovative beauty services such as whitening, sugar therapy and light wave treatment.
She says the company aims to be listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand over the next 3-5 years, which will also enhance its image.
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.