Acne could be one of the problems that many people face in their day-to-day lives. With that said, the beauty industry has been coming up with ways to help people feel more comfortable with their skin. And one of the creations would definitely be pimple patches.
Dododots pimple patch, the brainchild of 2 passionate Malaysians
While the initial pimple patches are designed to blend in with your skin, these 2 Malaysians have decided to come up with a creative way to look cute even with a pimple patch on! Speaking to Wau Post, it was said that the amazing brand, Dododots, is the brainchild of two Malaysians, Esther and Ethan.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
Recalling the days where they started their brand, Esther shared that the idea behind Dododots came by during the middle of the pandemic. And just like everyone, Esther and Ethan were stuck at home which made them ponder the true definition of beauty and the way they perceive beauty.
“We realised that change is needed and that’s when we decided to launch a pimple patch business”, said Esther.
Sharing their personal acne journey, Esther mentioned that she suffered from serious acne issues when she was studying for her STPM papers. As for Ethan, despite being on oral steroids, his acne condition didn’t seem to improve.
“I remember constantly avoiding mirrors because of how terrible my acne was, while Ethan would always cancel plans because the thought of what outsiders would think of his skin was stressful”, said Esther.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
1 year of groundwork for a lifetime passion
Upon surveying, she found out that while plenty have heard of the benefits of using a pimple patch, many would refuse to do so because of its transparent outlook. The gunk absorbed by the pimple patches would be rather obvious, further emphasizing one’s insecurity.
Determined to find a solution, both Ethan and Esther started working day and night which led them to create their first ever pimple patch in November 2021 – Dododots Pretty, Pink heart patches. Having full time jobs back then, Ethan and Esther then made the courageous move to quit their full-time job just 4 months after they’ve launched.
“It wasn’t an easy decision, but we had to do it as we really wanted to build Dododots and help the community”, she said.
Dododots helped patch things up!
Graduating top of her class in Medical Biotechnology, Esther initially had big plans for herself where she was in the midst of applying for scholarships to study in an Ivy League university for her PhD. However, life took a turn when her late dad lost his job due to the pandemic.
Having to help support her family, during the first year of her graduating, Esther worked 3 jobs which included:
- A COVID-19 frontliner where she worked small shifts in the hospital to run COVID-19 laboratory tests
- A full-time contract job for an international science policy organization
- A project manager for a digital marketing agency
Realising that the basic pay as a scientist isn’t enough to cover her family expenses, she began dabbling into marketing where the industry was able to offer her better pay and statutory contributions. Deciding to switch her career trajectory, Esther recalled that her mother was very against her decision.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
“To her, it was as if I wasted all these years studying science and I’m now throwing all of it away”, she said.
Thankfully, as Dododots came to live and successfully penetrated the beauty industry, Esther’s parents became very supportive of her decision.
Marketing with a sprinkle of science!
Focusing on building and growing their brand, Esther said that their core strength in terms of their business was definitely marketing but with a scientific twist. Revealing that both her and Ethan came from science backgrounds, their way of marketing the brand was very objective-oriented.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
“We’re very analytical and objective oriented and I think that’s what sets us apart from other brands”, mentioned Esther.
Sharing some of their marketing strategies, one of the things that they would do is crashing concerts and giving out their pimple patches to concert goers for free! Other than that, for the convenience of others, vending machines with their products are placed in strategic locations!
Going global, 1 patch at a time
Revealing some of the plans they have in store for their brand, Esther shared that Dododots are now available in the U.S, New Zealand and Maldives, through authorised resellers. Other than that, their famous Dododots vending machine is now available in Singapore.
“We also have new designs coming up and you’ll have to wait for our big reveal soon!”, said Esther cheekily.
Source: Provided to Wau Post
As of now, Dododots is available at your nearest Guardian store as well as other online platforms like Shopee, TikTok and their own website!
What an amazing achievement! We hope Dododots is able to expand and grow as a local brand! All the best to Esther and Ethan!
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