When you first meet Ziling, you’re immediately drawn to her graceful elegance; much like the ethos of the brand she runs, RE:ERTH.
RE:ERTH has an interesting brand journey unlike any other skincare brand, with the brand origins beginning in Kyushu, Japan. The brand has a presence spanning across Singapore and the US, with Ziling’s co-founder based in Japan and Ziling managing the marketing and operations across Singapore and South-East Asia.
Besides exuding the quiet confidence of a founder and COO, the busy businesswoman also has glowing and luminescent skin to boot. We speak with her to learn more about RE:ERTH and her beauty secrets.
Ziling wears the Boxy Jacket and Linen Open Back Top
Hi Ziling! What do you think sets RE:ERTH apart from other beauty brands?
Something interesting about RE:ERTH is that we grow our patented ingredients, the Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric in Kyushu, Japan. They have been extensively researched for close to 20 years by Kindai University for diverse skin health benefits.
Tell us about the ethos behind your brand.
RE:ERTH (an abbreviation of “Re-encountering Earth”) believes that healthy skin is beautiful skin. Powered by mindfully made formulations, backed by science, and inspired by nature - with the rare Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric at its heart, RE:ERTH’s collection of highly efficacious and multi-beneficial skincare is fuss-free and improves skin health for busy urbanites seeking visible, long-lasting results from the restorative powers of nature.
We love your take-back bottle scheme. Packaging waste is such a huge issue in the beauty industry. What led you to start this initiative?
RE:ERTH believes in sustainable living, and we hope that all initiatives taken to improve, heal, or protect our environment brings us closer to a healthier ecosystem.
Our sustainability journey began when a local farmer in Kyushu, Japan, felt mottainai (もったいない), meaning something is too good to waste. He saw a very rare type of turmeric being discarded as agricultural waste and sought help from Professor Komai, then Head of Agriculture of Kindai University, to look into the plant’s properties, which has many benefits for skin health.
Close to two decades later, RE:ERTH now owns the patents to our proprietary ingredients, the Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric. The mottainai spirit continues in us, and led us to seek a true, transparent solution to overcome the current limitations of conventional recycling.
Conventional recycling requires cleaning and drying of these containers in order to be recycled, which are added challenges for consumers. This unique chemical recycling is a process called waste plastic pyrolysis and is done by our local sustainability partner, which reduces carbon costs.
It also makes it easy and convenient for consumers as the packaging doesn’t need to be washed, dismantled, or cleaned.
What happens to the bottles that you have collected?
At lab prototype scale, RE:ERTH empties gave 70% oil yield, which means that 10kg of empties will give us approximately 7kg of oil. The rest of the waste plastics (approximately 30%) becomes carbon black which has some recycling value and can be repurposed into road material or syngas (a thermal energy source that goes back to power the pyrolysis machine).
How many bottles have you collected so far?
Since launch (about a year ago), we’ve collected more than 8,000 plastic skincare bottles in total, among other personal care plastic bottles and other items (approximately 350kg). 
When deciding on the year-end gifting option for your customers, why were you drawn to Furoshiki?
It conveys appreciation and respect to the gift recipient, and is reusable, long-lasting, and has multiple purposes!
Why did you think of Esse when sourcing for your Furoshiki wrap?
Esse designs with longevity in mind, lives by slow fashion principles, and you have beautiful textiles. I’m a huge fan of the brand and it’s a top-of-mind dream collaboration!
What are some ways customers can continue to use their Furoshiki wraps
Elevate your everyday home living, and discover simple hacks like making them into tissue box covers, napkins, and even carafe bibs. Check out our Instagram reels for more examples!
What is your best skincare tip?
Break away from stereotyping skin, and think about skin health as a whole. I’ve come to realize that good health and poor health do not occur as a dichotomy but as a continuum.
Consistent good habits will reap their rewards naturally. In particular, for skincare, it’s not about how many products you use, but instead, it’s all about quality over quantity, and putting together an efficient regimen that makes the most sense for your skin concerns, schedule, and enjoyment!
Do you have any other mindful routines to complement your skincare regime?
Music makes the best accompaniment for relaxation (one song track is more than sufficient for a minimalist, efficient system like RE:ERTH’s). It helps me to engage with my senses when I go through my day-to-day skincare regime: taking deep breaths, enjoying the scents, being deliberate with applying layers, and paying special attention to where it needs more care.
Which is the one RE:ERTH product that you’d highly recommend?
Our powerhouse oil-free, skin-refining serum, Multi-Targeted Elixir, which consists of our signature Japanese White Turmeric and Japanese Spring Turmeric. It’s so lightweight that it absorbs completely in 10 seconds flat (this always surprises our customers when they first try it!), and it can be easily incorporated into any existing day and night regime.
I love seeing how one bottle is able to gently transforms dull and tired skin to healthy, mochi skin (soft, supple, and hydrated, with an inner glow and brightness to it) for myself, and so many others, of different ages and skin types!
Special thanks to RE:ERTH for collaborating with us on this meaningful project to upcycle our leftover fabrics and offcuts. Receive a complimentary Esse Furoshiki Wrap when you spend above $380 on reerth.com this Christmas.