Willabelle Ong steps into her own with a new business venture—and no, it’s not a fashion project

Made in Japan

It didn’t take long before Ong got to work and started looking for a manufacturer. However, landing on one in Japan wasn’t always the first choice. 

“At first I was considering [a manufacturer] in Australia because I used to live there and the country has a lot of organic products. And the other option was Japan. But I think I chose Japan in the end because I felt that their craftsmanship and [quality control] have always been consistent… even from ten years ago,” Ong adds. 

After several Zoom calls and emails, she settled on a lab in Osaka with over 75 years of heritage and innovation. “So over the past two years, we've been going back and forth with the lab on everything from formulation to packaging,” Ong says. “In terms of formulation, it took a while [to finalise what we wanted] because we wanted to get the right viscosity, texture and even how the soap lathers.”

In terms of fragrances, Ong didn’t want something too overpowering or heavily perfumed. She shares that “the most challenging yet rewarding aspect” of creating the Ome Essentials collection (which comprises the hand wash, dish wash, surface cleaner, and sanitising hand mist) was perfecting the overall sensorial experience and scent through its 100 per cent essential oil blends. The brand’s hand wash, dish wash and surface cleaner each include a blend of three or more essential oils that complement each other.

The hand wash contains a blend of geranium, lavender and orange essential oils; the dish wash is infused with a blend of lavender, clary and rose essential oils; and the surface cleaner features a blend of rosemary, lavender and rose essential oils. 
 
As for the hand mist, it comprises lavender sourced from France as the main fragrance profile. 

“Getting the texture that I really want was tough,” Ong says. “Some [samples we received] were a bit more diluted and then some are very, very thick but they don’t foam up while I wanted something that foams because that’s what I enjoy for myself. I like luscious, clean feeling.

“When you rub your hands while using Ome, the smell unfolds slowly so it’s not overpowering. After you wash your hands, the smell still lingers on your hands. So that’s what I wanted also and all these things were very hard to achieve.”

Challenges along the way 

“It’s very different from what I'm doing. It’s not like I’m launching a fashion brand, you know?” Ong admits. “The biggest challenge was having to understand a lot of the ingredients and educating myself. For example, we don’t use sulphates and paraben. I had to learn about all these things and we wanted to avoid these ingredients to differentiate ourselves from other brands.”

Having to liaise with manufacturers and laboratories was also something Ong had to learn along the way. 

“The terminology is so different for me. We’re not talking about Hermès or Prada here! It’s so different from what I’m used to. But I think my husband helped a lot with that. He’s a bit more patient in breaking things down. I learnt to be patient in [educating myself] and communicating my ideas to someone else.”

Practical and eco-conscious

As an artist herself, Ong knows the importance of paying attention to details. Her expertise in this area is present in the packaging for Ome. While Ong was researching packaging, she realised most brands tend to house their products in bottles with rounder shapes. 

“When we went through [research and development] for the design, I realised a lot of the bottle designs we saw were usually round. And we wanted to kind of stand out in the way that it has to: minimalist yet contemporary,” Ong says.

Thus, the brand committed to a rectangular and flat design that is practical for all its products. This also means the bottles are easier to stack when packing products for shipment and delivery. Ong adds that this also helps in reducing the carbon footprint of the brand. In addition, she chose to use 99 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles as opposed to glass bottles—which may offer durability but pose their challenges such as fragility and a higher amount of carbon footprint in terms of manufacturing and shipping.  

“My love for fashion has [a lot to do with the] craftsmanship involved.” Ong muses. “So I felt that was kind of similar to our [approach] for thoughtfully curated formulation, packaging and design, which kind of ties in with the craftsmanship aspect that I hope to emulate in this collection.”

Coming up next...

With the launch of her debut brand, it’s clear that Ong knows what she wants and works hard to chase her dreams. What’s even more inspiring about her accomplishments so far is her ability to do it all without a big team—an impressive feat for a public figure with over 1.1 million followers across her social media platforms. 

And if you think this is all that the supermum has up her sleeves, you’re wrong. Not one to shy away from unfamiliar areas, Ong’s upcoming projects are part of something she has never attempted: the entertainment business. She has not one but three on-screen projects, which have all gone to production at the time of writing. 

“I wanted to add this dimension to my career. I didn’t want to just be a content creator but have my own brand eventually. And with acting, I feel like I can connect with my audiences differently. I’ve always enjoyed performing when I was younger, but I think growing up then I became a bit more self-conscious,” Ong reveals. 

“The thought of what people might think has been holding me back. Now I’m just like, screw it. I’m going to do it for myself and show my daughter that I can pursue what I want. My passions. That is also why I launched my brand this year.”

So why did she eventually choose to venture into home care and not, say, fashion? 

“I guess it sort of reflects my journey as a mum ... I never really had an interest in home care until my daughter was born. It feels a bit personal yet it makes sense.” Ong says. “It is only natural that I would use home care products more often now. In that regard, it’s quite a nice feeling.”

Juggling motherhood and her day job as one of Singapore’s biggest social media stars is no easy feat, but Ong is an unstoppable force. Soon, we will see this on screen, as her first feature film will be released in November 2024, so it won’t be long before we witness her magic again.

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