Nateskin: How Jared Chuah looks to shape men’s grooming with humour

A serendipitous encounter with an eyebrow-raising ad in Australia set the stage for Nateskin’s conception. “I saw this very eye-catching ad for a men’s laser removal service in Australia, and the ad said, ‘Make your PP bigger with this PP laser,’ I thought it was hilarious. I had it in my mind throughout my trip. And that’s when I thought that I wanted to do something to remove unwanted hair. That’s how the idea of Nateskin came to be,” recalls Chuah.

He adds that this was the gap he was looking for as he used traditional razors but was uncomfortable. “I used to get nicks and cuts all the time. Once I tried using those waxing DIY strips you can buy in a pharmacy, but that was extremely painful, and the wax would get stuck in the hair,” laughs Chuah.

Chuah and fellow co-founder Rebecca faced the challenge of identifying a market gap and designing a product that addressed it. The duo sourced top manufacturers in Asia, prioritising safety and affordability. Months of rigorous testing led to the birth of Nateskin 1.0, a device offering a clean shave without the drawbacks of traditional methods.

But launching in a conservative market like Malaysia, Nateskin faced initial scepticism. The taboo surrounding personal grooming below the belt required Jared and Rebecca to be physically present at booths, dispelling myths and initiating conversations. Eventually, Nateskin’s unique approach blending humour and quirkiness caught on.

“Initially, many of our customers and focus groups asked, ‘Actually, down there can shave meh?’, and even if they know that you can do it, they’re very shy. So our initial approach was to tackle the subject head-on but due to reception and based on what we gathered, we tweaked our branding to include a lot of humour,” Chuah says.

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He adds that humour and promoting inclusivity help resonate with more conservative customers: “Society expects us to be masculine men and that you need to look a certain way. You need to have big muscles, a chiselled jawline, and a defined six-pack. But that’s not what we stand for here. Personal grooming is not just for models, celebrities, and very good-looking people; average men also need to take care of themselves.”

Citing an example of Nateskin’s brand humour, Chuah mentions the hairstyle guides that come with one of their products: “When someone buys our trimmer, inside, we have a hairstyle guide that suggests some outlandish hairstyles. One of them is in the shape of a lightning bolt and we call it, ‘You’re a wizard, Harry!’. At the end of the day, most men are just big kids. They see something funny, they have a great laugh. They pick up the phone, take a picture of it, and share it with friends and family.”

Since launching in 2021, Nateskin has witnessed a shift in societal norms, with parents now approaching booths to purchase products for their children. Jared reflects on the changing landscape, emphasising that personal grooming is becoming less taboo, fostering an environment where men can openly discuss their grooming needs.

Though Nateskin’s journey wasn’t without challenges, launching amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, initial success was followed by a decline in sales. “Initially, we got a lot of sales and profit, and I thought I hit the jackpot. So immediately I quit my Australian day job to go all in but in hindsight, that was a very rash decision because right after as we head into a new year, our sales started to dwindle,” recalls Chuah.

He discusses how he and Rebecca were faced with two options: “Option A was to stay in Australia, give up Nateskin, and return to our corporate jobs, or Option B was to migrate back to Malaysia, live with our parents to cut expenses and put whatever our savings were left to give Nateskin one last go. We decided on Option B. Despite being Australian PRs, we moved back home to our childhood bedrooms and doubled down on Nateskin.”

The decision took some time, but eventually, after working long hours and opening booths in various bazaars, Nateskin could slowly reinvest in online advertising again, and sales returned to a healthy number.

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Nateskin’s product line has evolved significantly over the past year. The brand’s launch of its nose hair trimmer was a surprising hit. “Customers didn’t realise they needed this until we introduced it,” Chuah notes. “It quickly became one of our best sellers.”

While aftercare products remain on the roadmap, Nateskin responded to customer demand by introducing bamboo boxers and an antibacterial body scrubber. Chuah calls the bamboo boxers “the most comfortable I’ve ever worn,” while the body scrubber has “replaced traditional loofahs and is now one of our hottest products in 2024.”

Today, the brand is thriving in Singapore, where customers have embraced its humour and quality-focused offerings. “Singapore has been highly receptive,” Chuah shares. “We consistently hit six figures in sales, and our presence is growing every day.”

However, not all expansions have been smooth sailing. Chuah candidly admits that launching in Indonesia presented unexpected challenges. “We underestimated how hard it would be to break into a new market,” he says. “We’ve been focused on scaling Singapore, and while Indonesia is still on our radar, we don’t want to rush it. When we do launch, it will be on a full scale, tailored to the local market and culture.”

Looking ahead, the brand is gearing up to release upgraded versions of its core grooming tools, including the Face Shaver 2.0 and Bush Trimmer 3.0, both designed to improve technology and enhance the customer experience. As Chuah to 2025, he is focused on expanding its retail presence in Malaysia and Singapore while also developing innovative new products, including a skull shaver and tools for men with thicker beards.

Chuah encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to take action and make bold decisions to succeed in their journey, “Don’t suffer from analysis paralysis, which means they do too much research and scare themselves from making decisions. Double down on yourself and make tough choices and decisions. And let the results speak for yourselves. Take risks while you’re still young.” 

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