KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Entrepreneur Faz Subari suffered from burnout after working in the entertainment industry for years.
His talent agency collapsed and was forced to close, leaving him feeling like he had lost everything.
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In 2019, Faz went on a healing journey to reconnect with the scent of traditional Javanese herbs used for beauty in her hometown of Tanjung Karang.
There he discovered a passion for aromatherapy and its reported healing effects.
He is currently the founder and CEO of Eartheories, an award-winning local aromatherapy brand with three stores in Malaysia.
The brand produces essential oils, balms, and a range of beauty and therapy products using indigenous Malaysian ingredients such as lemongrass and kaffir lime, sourced from local farmers.
The company supplies Malaysia Airlines’ planes and lounges, and has stores at Publica, Gurney Plaza and JBCC, serving a prestigious clientele.
In 2023, the brand won Best Aromatherapy for Health and Wellness by Beauty Insider and Best Pure Essential Oil by Natural Health & Health Readers Choice Awards.
Faz spoke to Malay Mail about overcoming burnout and how everyone can find self and success by pursuing their passion.
Fighting burnout syndrome
The 43-year-old found his way into the entertainment industry “by accident” through working on events, building networks and gaining business experience.
Established his own office in 2013 and manages celebrities and talents.
With the rise of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, celebrities want to jump in and create their own content, so his agency manages the dynamics between influencers, celebrities, and social media users. and had a hard time understanding it, which caused him worry and stress.
In 2019, Faz closed his agency and left the entertainment industry, seemingly losing himself and falling into depression.
“I found my way to recovery by undergoing some alternative treatments, but I needed to find myself again,” Faz said.
“Somehow, I discovered aromatherapy as a method of healing and received the proper education to understand it more deeply.
“As I discovered more and more about it, I realized it was something I could share with others.”
The founder said she realized that in trying to please others, she had forgotten herself, and that scent had the power to provide a calming space to reconnect with oneself.
He hopes to share his knowledge and journey with others through his brand and products, and said he has met more “beautiful souls” in doing so.
The power of aromatherapy
An important part of Faz’s healing process was revisiting the scents of his childhood in his hometown of Tanjong Karang, especially the scent of lemongrass.
He said lemongrass is closely tied to Malay culture, not only as an ingredient used in the kitchen, but also as a traditional beauty treatment.
“When I was studying perfumery in Europe, lemongrass was the easiest ingredient to appeal to in scents aimed at the Asian market,” said the founder.
“At that time, I thought that lemongrass should be more appreciated around the world in the spirit of cultivating indigenous raw materials and bringing new value to them.”
Fadz plans to make local ingredients “sexy” for the global fragrance market, highlighting their unique healing and therapeutic properties.
This could increase demand for local farmers to produce more herbs like lemongrass, which can be sold at higher prices compared to regular crops, he argues.
Overall, he says this will promote the agricultural industry and contribute to the brand’s environmental sustainability efforts.
Lemongrass is now a key ingredient in Eartheories’ most popular products, and Fadz wants to make this a unique selling point for the brand.
“Customers have given us great feedback about our lemongrass products,” he said.
“They were pleasantly surprised and told us it helped improve their mental health and sleep quality.”
Push forward with passion
As for future plans, Fadz wants to make Eartheories a global brand.
His desire to help people with aromatherapy evolved into a desire to bring healing to people both locally and internationally.
Although his team is small, the founder has big plans to promote his unique products abroad and use new technology to allow customers to personalize their scent experience.
He said he hopes the brand will still exist long after he’s gone and that he wants to carry on Eartheories’ core ideas for future customers.
When asked what keeps him going and how others with similar business ideas should take action, Faz advised the first step: “Keep moving forward.”
“I think the best way to start is to find your interest and passion, because this (starting a business) is not an overnight job, it’s more like a marathon,” the 43-year-old said. Ta.
“If you’re doing something you love, you’ll keep going. If you feel tired, don’t quit. Take a break and slowly start again.”
“You have to remember to believe in yourself and trust the process and why you started it in the first place. Because you start to lose track.”
Learn more about Eartheories.
