Text by Nikola Hassan
If you’re one of Asma’ Nasarudin’s 165,000 followers on Instagram, you’ll know her for her positivity, relatability and daily dose of sunshine. You may have also noticed her megawatt smile.
Cue: Gigi, a 100% vegan toothpaste ‘formulated with natural goodness’. Asma’ has reimagined oral care as something that’s enjoyable, delightful, safe for your health and friendly to the world we live in.
What started as a nugget of a business idea in 2019, escalated into rigorous research, R&D, packaging design, branding, and vision planning. Fast forward to today, and Asma’s brand ‘Gigi’ has recently made its debut in Malaysia, with the launch of the first product – the Essential Toothpaste.
Free of nasties like fluoride, sulfate, parabens and not tested on animals, but on women (this writer included), Gigi’s key ingredients include tea tree oil which prevents plaque build-up and coconut oil which stimulates gum health. But the hero ingredient to highlight is hydroxyapatite, a fluoride-replacing, all-natural ingredient that works wonders on teeth, proven to protect their outer layer and rebuild enamel (if it’s good enough for NASA astronauts, it’s good enough for us).
Clean beauty, as an evolution of the bigger wellness movement, has been a growing category globally. Increasingly more consumers are looking for ethically made products with an ingredients list that won’t harm them nor the environment – Asma’ included. “Gigi is here to elevate the industry with our clean, and natural toothpaste using innovative ingredients. Gigi is created by women, for women (and the men around them, but we all know who decides on the toothpaste in the home),” grins this 34-year old digital content creator.
The Starter Kit is a duo pack consisting of the Essential Toothpaste and a Bamboo Toothbrush, in sustainable, chic white packaging with onyx and gold accents. The toothpaste is sleek in your hand with a glistening gold cover, and most importantly – it tastes minty fresh. The bristles of the Bamboo Toothbrush are gentle on your gums but sturdy, it feels organic in a birch wood hue.
Pronounced ‘gee-gee’ (as in the Malay word for ‘teeth’), Asma’ has big aspirations for her brand and aspires “to bring a bit of my [Malaysian] heritage when Gigi goes global”.
When asked about her short-term dream for Gigi, Asma’ romanticises that creating a household essential means that her brand has the potential to be a part of people’s everyday lives, as they grow and evolve over the years.
“Gigi is here to bring the excitement back into oral care, making it part of our self-care routine, and worthy enough to make it on your Instagram feed,” she says with a twinkle in her eye and pearly whites sparkling.
Gigi’s Starter Kit (RM44.90) is available exclusively online at www.brushwithgigi.com. Follow @asma.nasa and @brushwithgigi for more information.
