Disillusioned by views & clicks, Root Remedies founder closes her skincare biz after 7 yrs

On August 2, local health and beauty brand Root Remedies announced in an Instagram post that it’s saying goodbye.

Founder Chiew Yee Sian wrote, “With deepest sincerity and sorrow, I would like to announce that Root Remedies will officially close its doors on September 30, 2022.”  

Established in 2015, Root Remedies has had a seven-year run, which is not a small feat for a local skincare brand. But as the brand’s Instagram bio now reads, “All good things must come to an end.”

The root causes

Boasting clean, vegan, and cruelty-free skincare, Root Remedies has amassed an audience that routinely uses its products. Loyal customers have posted their own collections of the brand’s offerings, questioning what they’ll have to do once they run out.

With over 30K followers and a flood of likes and comments on its goodbye post, it seems like Root Remedies’ biggest struggle isn’t to do with a lack of support.

“However, keeping up with social media and its unceasing trends have been taxing,” the founder wrote. “With the constant need to pursue profits and thus views and clicks, I find myself becoming increasingly disillusioned and burnt out.”

She concluded, “I realised that I cannot give my best to Root Remedies anymore.”

On top of this, Root Remedies also felt pressure from “unforgiving economic conditions” and disruptions in the supply chain.

Ending her message, Sian said, “With that, I would like to remind everyone that it is okay to take a break, and not to forget about the important things in life.”

The end of an era

Sian founded the skincare brand at only 21 years old when she was a fashion marketing student in college. The idea was to craft a result-oriented brand that Malaysia can relate to, sparked by Sian’s own foray into natural skincare.

With many commenters sharing how they’ve benefitted from Root Remedies, it seems like Sian has achieved what she set out to do.

To add to that, the founder has also been featured for her efforts in clean, sustainable beauty. Just last year, she was recognised alongside husband and partner Leland Lo by Prestige Magazine in its Top 40 under 40 list.

Having ridden such a high in 2021, it’s no wonder why Root Remedies’ closure comes as such a surprise to the brand’s followers.  

But seven years since its inception, Sian, now 28, has a different outlook on what she wants. We have reached out to Sian for comment and will update the piece with her responses.

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Root Remedies joins other arguably well-loved Malaysian brands that have closed down, including lingerie brand Jujumello, ecommerce site FashionValet, and home services provider Kaodim, just to name a few.

Perhaps catalysed by the current economic conditions, it seems like many entrepreneurs are reconsidering their businesses these days.

In any case, there are a little under two months left before Root Remedies officially closes on September 30, 2022. The skincare brand will be having a goodbye sale until then, offering discounts up to 80% for customers in-store as well as online.

As shared on Root Remedies’ Instagram story, many customers are already taking the brand up on the offer, stocking up their carts to the brim (virtually, that is).

We hope Sian and Root Remedies will be able to close the chapter on a high note, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for the founder.

• Learn more about Root Remedies here.
• Read other articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups here.

Featured Image Credit: Root Remedies