The legendary Silk Road has a fascinating history dating back to 200bc & many fabled adventurers explored this path in search of spices, herbs, silks, fame & fortune. These days a sojourn along the Silk Road in search of illustrious ingredients to enhance the western way of life takes less than a day & is far less adventurous.

But where to look for something a little bit different from mainstream skin care products, the monolithic factories of the East have sprung up like mushrooms on a damp Autumnal morning, churning out everything from the newest chic & trendy cosmetic product to the latest scientific breakthrough in anti aging skin care cream. They employ the finest scientific minds to baffle the consumer with such impressive stories from the laboratory that it is only natural that you feel compelled to buy.

One thing they often overlook is simplicity & a back to basics approach; this is where small niche skin care companies can often make their mark & many such companies can be found along one part of the legendary Silk Road in what is known as 'The Pearl of the Orient' Penang, Malaysia.

These intrepid small companies are delving deep into their own backyards to seek out herbs & plants that grow in abundance in their very own Malaysian rainforests. The rise in the use of herbs such as Pegaga, Tutup Bumi, Kacip Fatimah, Serapat & Manjakani as ingredients in skin care products is encouraging to the advocates of traditional Malay medical practices.

The role of traditional Malay medicine dates back over 1000 years & even the world health organisation supports the practice as a complement to modern medicine.

The worldwide phenomenon of using natural ingredients has definitely reached Malaysia with a host of small companies experimenting with the use of natural herbs & plant extracts in their products; the sheer wealth of choice at their disposal is quite remarkable.

Such is the impact of this phenomenon that there have been legendary stories of the chemistry graduate scientist calling his grandma for advice on the traditional uses of such plants & herbs in Malaysia. In the true spirit of entrepreneurial enterprise this is producing some very interesting products that are capturing the imagination of many in the Asean region.

It would appear that small niche companies may not be performing on quite the same playing field as the multi-nationals yet but they are definitely alive & kicking & capable of providing a diverse offering that enriches consumers choice on that rich tapestry of informational shopping that is the internet.

So when tradition meets the 21st century it is inevitably typical in the spirit of the traders of old down the Silk Road that many of these small companies are now online & prepared to deliver worldwide.