B&B Labs is known for its revolutionary products and effective skincare. This homegrown brand is adored by many skincare enthusiasts in Malaysia. It is safe to say, B&B Labs has a bright future ahead and this is just the beginning. Even us at Beauty Insider love their products! After all, skincare backed by science is our favourite type of skincare.

So, we are super excited to interview and introduce the co-founder of B&B Labs, Julius Lim, to our Beauties. Read on to find out about the zealous Julius Lim, the story behind the brand, and the very exciting things to come!

The Mind of Julius Lim

1. Who is Julius Lim?


I’m Julius Lim, 43 and Co-founder of B&B Labs. I guess you could call me a health nut.  I prefer to eat healthy food and was never into junk food.  Recently, I started introducing more plant-based foods to my diet. However, I still eat high quality meat and seafood as I believe in having variety in my nutrition.  Besides that,I practise Qigong every day. This is for the benefits of inner strength. I practice HIIT as well, to get my heart rate up and mobility and swimming is my favourite sport.  


2. What is your favourite part about being a founder of a skincare brand?

I love building something and seeing it grow.  As the founder, I get to create the touchpoints, experiences and results with my team for the brand that would affect so many people’s lives which in the end when you read the many happy reviews and feedbacks, it just makes it all worth it.  I also really enjoy doing the research and development of the products because I have a keen interest in ingredients because at the end of the day, just as wellness begins from the cells upwards, quality skincare is formed from the very fundamentals of its contents.  


I also believe that no man is an island so another satisfaction I get as the founder is the ability to grow a community of both my internal team and external stakeholders that believe in the importance of skin health and overall wellbeing by propagating this message virally which would create a more confident and empowered world.

3. What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your brand? 

I don’t really have any regrets at all really because B&B Labs was launched after amassing 16 years of experience in the skincare industry so we made pretty calculated decisions to ensure that our products would meet the needs of our customers and our business would be able to keep on growing to fund our constant research into offering better and better skincare solutions.  

The Birth of B&B Labs

4. What made you decide to start a skincare brand?

I grew up in the skincare business because my mom has been involved in this industry since 1983 (since I was just 6 years old).  I would help her during my school holidays working in the warehouse picking, counting and packing products.  She would ask me to accompany her during her trips when she had to train her clients so I was very much in tune with skincare lingo.  I joined her in the business once I graduated from university in 1998.  

After gaining quite a number of years in this industry in all areas of the business, I saw an opportunity to start a skincare brand of my own.  To showcase to the world a truly Malaysian brand fortified with plant-based Asian ingredients, especially Malaysian ones.  After so many years of dealing with imported products, I knew where their shortfalls were and what were still unfulfilled consumer needs and demands when it came to skincare solutions.  

B&B Labs’ Uniqueness

5. What makes B&B Labs different from other local skincare brands?

B&B Labs is the first Malaysian skincare brand that is skin experts (skin therapists, skin doctors, pharmacists) tested and recommended. It’s created by utilising clean Asian ingredients within plant-based cosmeceutical formulations to provide high performance skincare solutions.  We have also been able to harness the benefits from over 50 Asian plants, fruits and herbs in our products.  

Before we created B&B Labs, the available skin care offerings were fragmented and cumbersome. Skincare was either formulated with lots of harsh and aggressive ingredients that harmed the skin in exchange for temporary gratification, or ‘farm-to-table’ natural concept products that didn’t give much significant skin improvements other than just the ‘feel good factor’. Brands were advocating an arduous 10- to 15-step daily skincare routine for best results which wasn’t time and money feasible.  


Noticing this void, we committed ourselves to creating enhanced cosmeceuticals. Cosmeceuticals are turbo-charged skincare formulations with medical benefits for quick results. However, we amplified the effectiveness by incorporating the Eastern ‘health-giving’ approach to skin care. This approach believes in working with the skin’s physiology and not against it for longer lasting skin wellness. That’s why, we decided to include traditional and native Asian plant, herbal and fruit extracts in our skin-compatible bioactive formulations.

We are created by founders that have a combined 60 years of experience in skincare, skin education and skin wellness.  B&B Labs is also the only Malaysian skincare brand that is used by highly professional skin salons, clinics and high-end pharmacies. All at the same time giving further credence to it being a brand for seriously high performance skincare for men and women.  

B&B Labs Products

6. What is your favourite product that you’ve created under B&B labs? 

It would be CustoMask.  This range was created for our participation in the Indie Beauty Expo in London in late 2019 to showcase the best of the best from Malaysia.  I wanted to create a product that didn’t exist before that would incorporate the essence of Malaysia, by adding our King & Queen of Tropical Fruits durian and mangosteen while also ensuring that the fundamental building blocks of the skin is always strong and healthy with a well-functioning skin microbiome.  Because all skin were not created equal, we wanted to ensure each person gets a more customised product as skin is not a one-size-fits-all.  This would change the way a person purchases and uses their facial sheet mask forever.  And, this would make CustoMask the world’s first customised microbiome sheet mask.  No one has ever done this before and it makes me proud that we can claim this title for Malaysia.  


7. What is your top skincare advice to those who are just beginning to experiment with skincare?

Hydration is key!  Every skin type and condition requires sufficient hydration.  As the saying goes, “water is life”!  The skin contains 64% water but this can be reduced quickly without proper skincare due to stress, aging, unhealthy lifestyle and environmental conditions.  Without optimal hydration, you’ll get more acne if you already have acne-prone skin, you’ll get more inflamed if you have sensitive skin, you’ll get more lines if you already have very dry skin and so on.  Whether you’re 18 or 88 years old, skin hydration will always be a good idea.

8. What is one product from B&B Labs you recommend for someone who would like to try for the first time? 

Hydration is really something everyone needs to have so I would recommend everyone to include our B&B Labs Meso-Moist Treatment Essence into their daily skincare regimen.

A super hydrating and moisturising skin essence fortified with hyaluronic acid from Chinese white jelly mushroom, Malaysian bird’s nest and Japanese natto.  Experience 500% more hydration than regular hyaluronic acid to effectively smooth out fine lines, wrinkles and seal in moisture for dry skin. 

The Future of B&B Labs

9. Are you working on anything special for B&B Labs currently?

We want to remain focused as a skincare brand that helps you #freeyourskin from skin issues for you to achieve your best skin ever.  When it comes to skincare, we believe in progress, not perfection but progress is progressive so we will constantly be upgrading and introducing more efficacious products in line with the rapidly advancing skincare technologies available.  To fulfill the demands of our customers, we are compelled to rigorously examine the quality of our ingredients, the potency of our actives and the efficacy of our formulas, time and time again.

10. What do you wish to achieve for B&B Labs in the future? 

Korea has given K-beauty to world, Japan has given J-beauty to world, it’s time for M-beauty from Malaysia to earn its rightful place in the world of skincare so we hope that B&B Labs would be able to play a part in this journey towards achieving this coveted achievement.  

Wow! M-Beauty. Imagine that Beauties! We are excited for the future of Malaysian homegrown businesses and look forward to seeing what’s next for B&B Labs. Share your love and excitement with us by tagging Beauty Insider and B&B Labs on Instagram and Facebook!