From a boutique spa, skincare brand Ice’s Secret breaks out into e-commerce

AFTER struggling with sensitive skin, Icemichelle Chen left her accounting career to start Supreme Boutique Spa in 1999. She soon realised that what matters for skincare are not just spa treatments, but the products used – and many products on the market were not made for South-east Asian skin.

That was around the time that the South Korean pop-culture wave hit and the country’s beauty products began gaining popularity, said Quinn Chen, Icemichelle’s daughter and managing director of Ice’s Secret. Japanese beauty products were also on the rise, joining a market previously dominated by US and European brands.

“They’re all countries with four seasons,” noted Quinn. But the South-east Asian climate is very different, with more humidity, which affects skin, she added.

Apart from climate, diet – such as the prevalence of spicy food – is another factor that Ice’s Secret considers when formulating skincare for South-east Asian customers.

After research and development, Ice’s Secret launched its first product in 2014: a mask catering to the “untapped demographic” of South-east Asians. Other products were also developed, but for several years, these were used only in the spa.

Then, in 2019, Quinn experienced “terrible acne”. After experimenting with other solutions such as acid-based products and laser treatments, she tried Ice’s Secret’s own acne solution and became a believer.

When the Covid-19 pandemic meant curbs on physical stores, Quinn realised that they needed a way to still make Ice’s Secret products available. She thus launched the brand on its own e-commerce platform.

Setting itself apart

Ice’s Secret skincare products range from S$14 masks to S$298 serums, for uses such as combating acne, brightening and repairing skin. They are created by in-house “product engineers” or chemists, and do not contain ingredients which can have side effects such as Vitamin A (see *Amendment note), retinoids and glycolic acids, Quinn said.

Alongside the e-commerce website, Quinn began to conduct livestreams on TikTok and Instagram, to expand the group’s reach, build a community and educate.

She debunked myths about skin, shared stories, taught viewers about skincare and introduced Ice’s Secret’s products. She also occasionally collaborated with influencers.

While 90 per cent of the company’s customers are in Singapore, it also gets orders from Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, the US and UK. Quinn thinks these overseas buyers may have heard about the brand through word of mouth, and potentially through the influencers.

Post-Covid, the brand still holds livestreams every Thursday. But now it also holds offline seasonal pop-ups and masterclasses to expand its influence.

In a collaboration with Chocolate Origin in July, the brands hosted a pop-up cafe with exclusive menu items and curated beauty experiences. There, Ice’s Secret debunked beauty myths about chocolate, such as the misconception that it directly causes acne.

Masterclasses are held once or twice a month, on topics such as the menstrual cycle’s effects on skin and understanding the causes of different types of breakouts.

In these small-group sessions, participants may also test Ice Secret’s products. Each class costs about S$28, but the amount is returned to customers as credits which can be used to buy Ice’s Secret products.

Leaning into Quinn’s background in psychology, the company is now developing a masterclass on mental well-being, exploring the relationship between confidence and the state of one’s skin.

Growth in all areas

Beyond the face, Ice’s Secret has bodycare products such as a body wash for people with back acne and eczema, as well as creams for skin elasticity. It is now looking to expand into the healthcare space, with topical products for aftercare following medical procedures.

In the same vein, it is looking at taking its products to clinics in Indonesia. Earlier this year, Ice’s Secret joined an accelerator programme by venture builder Louken and Enterprise Singapore, which helps participants access South-east Asia’s largest market. The programme will culminate in a pop-up event in Indonesia in February 2025.

An Ice’s Secret mask could be “a perfect match” for clinics in Indonesia that do laser treatments, Quinn suggested, as it helps the skin recover.

“A lot of times, for this kind of clinic, they may be great at what they do, but they may not have great products that fit. In fact, some of these don’t even have aftercare products at all.”

Another option is to find a distributor with e-commerce experience or existing physical stores, she said.

The decision to enter a new market was motivated by the company’s stable performance in Singapore, Quinn said.

Ice’s Secret’s revenue broke S$3 million (see *Amendment note) in 2020, its first year, and is now at “a very comfortable level” with year-on-year growth and continued profitability, though Quinn declined to share figures.

During the pandemic, Ice’s Secret passed on an opportunity to go abroad, turning down an invitation from a “reliable company, also established in Singapore” to bring its products to a medical building opening in Vietnam. Quinn felt that the timing and entry method would not work.

“You really never know when stars will align, never know which path you will cross with different potential partners,” she said.

“And I feel like that’s where it’s very important that as a business owner, that you have full trust in your vision, you have full trust in the value that (you) can offer to people, and you have full trust that the right time will come.”

This is the third in a series on Singapore skincare small and medium-sized enterprises

*Amendment note: An earlier version of this story said that Ice’s Secret’s products do not contain Vitamin E. They in fact do not contain Vitamin A. The story has been revised to reflect this.

*Amendment note: An earlier version of this story said that Ice’s Secret’s revenue broke S$2.5 million in its first year. It in fact broke S$3 million. The story has been revised to reflect this.