Remedies made from flower extracts are not something Malaysians usually turn to when treating certain symptoms or conditions, especially emotional and mental health.
However, this local entrepreneur has a vision to bring these products into every household in Malaysia, not as a replacement for known treatments, but as a complement to them.
These are known as Bach (pronounced “batch”) flower remedies and can be taken orally or used as a mist.
Stephanie Loi, co-founder of Malaysian wellness brand PurelyB, believes so strongly in this concept that she launched Sound of Flowers to increase access during the pandemic.
It’s history class time
I’m not one to seek alternative medicine, so for the most part I had no idea what Bach Flower Remedies were until I learned about Sound of Flowers. So I had to ask Stephanie to explain what they were.
Bach Flower Remedies was founded in the 1920s by Dr. Edward Bach, a bacteriologist, physician, and pathologist. Each treatment he came up with is related to basic human emotions such as worry, confidence, fear, and jealousy.
There are a total of 38 types of flowers, and 38 types of human emotions can be healed through the vibrations and energy of the flowers.
How does it connect with the human body?
This is because humans are also living energy fields that interact with the energy fields of other objects and beings in the universe.
Emotions like sadness bring our vibrations to a very low level. There are many things you can do to increase this energy level. Things like listening to music, exercising, eating delicious food, and taking walks in nature.
However, some people do not feel well and continue to think about negative emotions, worsening their anxiety and depression.
“So fields of vibrational medicine like Bach flower, which once ingested is called energy medicine, can help naturally increase our energy levels,” Stephanie said.
“It has a different effect on everyone in very gentle and subtle ways, making us feel better, more confident, more hopeful.”
Buy Sound of Flowers Remedies now at a special price at VP Label:
turn beliefs into decisions
If you’re like me, you may have read the above with some skepticism. Perhaps because the concept of energy fields within the body may sound more spiritual than medicinal.
But before we dismiss it completely, there is a growing consensus that our health effects can indeed be influenced by these electrical and magnetic energies.
Stephanie strongly believes that if you can heal on an emotional level through balancing these energies, it will have a ripple effect on other aspects of your health.
After being introduced to these treatments by a naturopathy (a type of alternative medicine) friend, she even ordered her own products from the UK and started using them.
After four months, she became convinced of its effectiveness and looked for ways to become certified as a Bach Flower Therapist, eventually settling on a course at the Bach Center in the UK.
By March 2020, she officially became a certified therapist. During her pandemic, she had an epiphany.
“Why is something so pure and natural not known in this part of the world? That’s when I decided to share it and spread it to more people who need it. ”
With that philosophy in mind, Stephanie’s direction for Sound of Flowers was to make the process of getting help simple and easy for people.
Flower power every 4 hours
To accomplish that, she created a proprietary blend not available in the original Bach flower tincture. “Unless you know what you need, you have to look at 38 different types of flowers,” she explained.
This way, she is also able to offer her blends at affordable prices. “A normal person needs to take at least 4-5 flowers according to their needs. That means they need to buy 4-5 bottles individually. With our brand, you can We can prepare blends for the price of one bottle.”
Similar to supplements, users only need to take these blends every few hours every day (following the instructions on the bottle) to experience changes.
To better cater to the Malaysian market, the treatment usually preserved in brandy is now also available in an apple cider vinegar alternative.
There are a variety of ready-made remedies that target or encourage specific emotions, including those that target anxiety, anger, and panic attacks, and encourage faith, focus, and courage.
Sound of Flowers also offers Bach Flower consultations for those seeking a more customized treatment. This allows the therapist to get to know you better and create a blend that fits your needs.
I have personally been able to try some of these treatments, mainly stress, peaceful nights, and faith, and have also received some therapeutic mists and rollers. The mist and roller were great to use to pamper yourself, but they were the treatments I was most interested in.
They have a mild aroma and taste like the preservatives used, and I was supposed to take 4 drops of each every 4 hours or as needed.
It’s been about 3 weeks now, and I’ve noticed small changes in my mood after using it, but I’m still wondering, “Is this just a placebo?”
complement rather than replace
Of course, Stephanie is aware that there is a lot of skepticism regarding Bach flower remedies and other types of alternative medicine.
“But we’re not trying to convince everyone to give it a shot.” [Bach flower remedies]. People who come to us have been facing emotional problems for a long time,” she revealed.
In fact, many of her clients are already seeing a therapist or taking medication, and Stephanie makes sure to remind them that Sound of Flowers is not a replacement for medication.
However, if drugs cannot cure you and you can feel better with alternative drugs, is there actually a problem with the placebo effect? I think.
Stephanie Louie, Founder and CEO of Sound of Flowers
And I also agree with her. Personally, I still believe that many people who feel better after using treatments like this are simply experiencing a placebo, but I believe that taking care of yourself through these treatments and mists is I can’t deny that the act of taking time to improve my mood. That’s more than enough for me.
She has received feedback from many satisfied customers who say they feel much better after using Sound of Flowers products. But what I needed to know is, did anyone say they didn’t notice a difference?
1 in 50 was the number Stephanie gave, and The Sound of Flowers was usually about trying to figure out why.
If the client’s consistency in taking the remedy is satisfactory, the team revisits the prescription and offers another remedy in two weeks.
“We make it clear that there are no guarantees, even with drugs. Most of the time they understand. But as long as they’re willing to try, we’re always happy.” I will guide you,” she said.
Achieves stable growth with strong roots
Known for her role as co-founder of wellness brand PurelyB since 2015, Stephanie tapped into that fanbase for market research before founding Sound of Flowers.
This comes as no surprise since their fans are already health conscious and interested in natural products and traditional remedies, both of which are hallmarks of Bach Flower Remedies.
Noticing the huge interest in Bach Flower Remedies, Stephanie soon began selling Bach Flower Remedies on PurelyB and is also planning product collaborations.
Overall, she is optimistic about the growth of Bach flower remedies and believes they have great potential, similar to the growing popularity of essential oils. Seven years ago, she started using them as a purely natural pain reliever.
“And look at where we are now: Every ‘therapeutic/wellness’ product is infused with essential oils.”
She believes this will be a similar growth trajectory to that seen with Bach Flower Remedies.
If Sound of Flowers takes off here, Stefani has her sights set on the larger Asian market and is confident that she can make her brand stand out through personalization and therapy services.
- Click here to learn more about Sound of Flowers.
- You can read about other Malaysian wellness startups here.
Featured image credit: Stephanie Looi, Sound of Flowers Founder and CEO
