When Michelle Wang’s daughter was struggling with a skin condition that left her constantly scratching, she decided to make the ultimate pivot — leaving her accounting job behind to become a qualified cosmetic chemist and clinical aromatherapist to create simple, clean and effective bodycare that would target specific sensitive skin concerns.
As a result, Arithmos was born, and in just a few short years (having launched in early 2021), the unique skincare offering has quickly become an award-winning range, with Michelle’s hand-blended formulas focusing on both effective results and mood-boosting fragrances.
Below, Michelle opens up about the Arithmos journey so far, including what she wish she’d known before taking the leap and a few words of wisdom for others looking to do the same.
“My daughter had this skin condition where she was constantly scratching her skin. I used to put a lot of products on her to help relief her condition to the point where I started to question myself what exactly I was putting on her, I had little knowledge about the ingredients in the products so I decided to attend skincare workshop to learn how skincare was being made, and also did a lot of research on botanical oils to learn about their benefits. I then created a product not only helped her skin condition but also saw her skin return to healthy and supple state. I then decided to do further my study and became a cosmetic chemist. I wanted to create the products that are honest, transparent, and with the best possible ingredients for the skin that people will love and enjoy.”
“It has to be when Qualia Spa asked me to create a bespoke massage oil for one of their signature spa treatment (Couples Indulgence Spa Treatment) in the first year of the launch of the brand.”
“Get the right person to design your products. Even though you know your products are amazing, but unfortunately the first impression is everything in the beauty industry. If you are not familiar with social media marketing, get someone who knows what they are doing to run your ads otherwise you could easily spend thousands of dollar in social media marketing and not seeing any returns on the investment. Find a mentor who’s in the beauty industry to give you the tips and advice before making any big decision. You will be surprised a lot of the founders (you can reach out to them via Instagram) are willing to help guide you through your start up journey.”
“A lot of the female founders tend to juggle a lot of things in life, e.g. family, running errands, full-time job etc. It’s important to support each other as I know how difficult it is to start your own business.”
“It would be the SOOTHE Superfine Body Oil. I just adore the smell of the product and instantly calm my mind (the essential oil blend has relaxing and calming aromatherapy benefits). The product is packed with potent nutrients to feed what my skin needs to keep it healthy and give that natural glow.”
