Filipino-owned social enterprise aims to make a mark globally through calamansi-based products
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Home cleaning products that use calamansi are becoming increasingly popular nowadays for their sustainability benefits. Using products that contain calamansi can have a positive impact on the environment, one’s health, and local communities.
Calamansi is a small citrus fruit known for its acidic and fragrant juice. It is widely cultivated in the Philippines and in some parts of Malaysia, Indonesia, China, and Taiwan. It is rich in citric acid, making it a natural and effective cleaning agent that can replace harsh chemicals found in many cleaning products.
Recognizing the positive impact of living clean on her health and well-being, Pinky Yee, president and CEO of Pure Essentials Specialist Corp. (PESC), said she decided to create a brand of natural products to ensure her home is as clean as what she is ingesting.
Together with her business partner Lynet Ng, Yee launched LivClean home cleaning essentials that contain natural and biodegradable plant-derived ingredients that are safe to use.
According to Yee, the company was born at a time when she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2019. She had to detoxify and eliminate processed food, dairy, gluten, and sugar from her diet.
The Filipino-owned social enterprise uses natural and plant-based active ingredients. Its latest product, Dishwashing Concentrate, brings together pure calamansi essential oil and cleaning vinegar. This unique combination is the first of its kind in the world. The product’s 2-in-1 cleaning and disinfecting power is tough on grease, effective against germs, gentle on hands, and leaves a fresh citrus scent on your dishes.
“’LivClean for Good’ is not just our brand tagline, it is our philosophy. Making the natural switch to LivClean is both an advocacy and a commitment,” the brand owner said.
Yee shared that their products are also made with biodegradable ingredients that can help protect the environment for future generations. “You are also consciously moving away from harsh chemicals that can harm you and your loved ones.”
Planting ‘seeds of change’
Launched at the height of the pandemic in August 2020, Yee said they saw the opportunity to sell home cleaning essentials that are natural alternatives to chemical-based ones. The following LivClean products contain toxic-free ingredients:
- Anolyte Natural Disinfectant is a water-based disinfectant that’s tough on germs, gentle on your hands, and environment-friendly
- Multi-Purpose Powder Cleanser is a biodegradable, hypo-allergenic, and versatile powder cleanser with baking soda that effectively removes stubborn grime, grease & scuff marks, and helps eliminate odor
- Cleaning Vinegar with Calamansi combines the cleaning power of vinegar and pure calamansi essential oil that removes molds, mildew, and stubborn stains
“While it was challenging, we knew that we were planting seeds of change. We persevered and did not give up in the first couple of years," she enthused. "After all, our products are not a fad, but rather the ideal choice for today’s discerning consumers."
If there was something significant that the pandemic taught the brand, according to the owner, it is that everyone needs to do their part to save the environment.
She also noted that being present on online platforms was necessary for the home cleaning line as “consumers use this medium to purchase essentials for their homes.”
“It was crucial that a startup social enterprise like ours must utilize this channel of distribution to create brand awareness and demand for our products by individual and institutional customers,” she said.
Harnessing the power of collaborative marketing
Yee also emphasized the importance of collaborative marketing with other brands and communities in expanding their reach in the market as they “can help us gain brand exposure and build credibility.”
“It is important for a social enterprise like ours to collaborate with like-minded brands or organizations that share the same advocacies as ours, such as environment protection and support for the Philippine agriculture industry through the use of biodegradable plant-derived ingredients that are toxic-free,” she added.
Asked about where she hopes the company will be in the years to come, she said the company aims to bring LivClean products to the international market.
“Staying true to our mission and commitment, we will continue to create sustainable home and personal care products for advocates of the environment,” she said.
Yee also shared that the company is planning to offer more new products that use plant-derived ingredients and are environment-friendly in the coming years. She said they are currently in talks with selected retail partners about where their sustainable products will be made available.
LivClean products are available in Frankie & Friends at Rockwell and Molito, Alabang.
Customers can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing their products through online platforms like Zalora, Beauty Scout, Pili-Lokal, DTI’s Go Lokal, Speedgifts, LazMall, and Shopee, to name a few.
For inquiries, visit https://livcleanph.com.
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Editor’s Note: BrandedUp is designed to provide you with insightful, inspiring, and educational content created by PhilSTAR L!fe in collaboration with brands like LivClean PH.
