13 years, all thanks to you

Dear Friends at Porcelain,   

I cannot believe it has been 13 years since Porcelain came to be. Though we have always believed in and held hopes for our future, I am still tremendously grateful for having come so far.  
 
At Porcelain, we have always attributed our growth to you, our community who believe in us. We wouldn’t be here without your trust and support. All through the years, some more difficult than others, it was because of you, we’ve persisted. Our team was guided by our values of integrity and with a deep commitment to serve you through every experience.  
 
There have been some pertinent concerns raised recently, please allow me to address them.

“I Can’t Find a Slot 🙁“ 

Our therapists, who are Malaysians, play a crucial part in your Porcelain experience. With the reopening of borders after two long years, they are finally able to return to the embrace of their family – parents and children they have left behind.   

Our team-mates are part of the Porcelain family, and we are happy they can return home and have encouraged them to do so. Some have chosen to stay home with their families, and we respect that. However, this means a reduced availability of appointments. Typically, we have a strong pipeline of new therapists to mitigate that. However, two years of border closures also meant that there were no new incoming therapists. The “womanpower” shortage we experienced was real.  

With the reopening, we have seen the light and have some bright young therapists joining us. They are currently undergoing an intensive and stringent training programme of between three to six months before becoming “Porcelain-Qualified.” Our training and operations team are working tirelessly to ensure we can provide more appointment slots very soon, without compromising on quality.  

“Do the new therapists know about my skin?” 

We thank you for your trust in letting Porcelain be part of your lifelong skin journey. We have invested heavily, thankfully, in technology before COVID, which has allowed us to record your skin data, condition, treatments etc, in detail. Your new therapist who is taking over will have your skin journey handed over from your previous therapist.  

Technology only enables us to do things more efficiently, but building relationships takes time. So, I thank you for your patience in allowing our new therapists to forge that bond with you. If you have any feedback that can help them improve, please let us our front of house know, or you can email us at knockknock@porcelainskin.com! Your feedback can help us serve you better.  

“The App keeps crashing” 

We launched our first app in 2012 and have continuously upgraded it over the years. Our goal was to simplify your experience while providing access to information about your skin health, treatment, and product regime. However, when COVID hit, we were in survival mode. We conserved our resources to keep ALL jobs (thankfully we were able to keep a zero-retrenchment rate) while keeping the business afloat. We also prioritised improving product formulations so the products can care for you at home while the Spas were closed.  
 
We did not plan for major upgrades to the app during those two years, and we apologise that it is giving issues right now.  

Currently, we are working on the following: 

• Enhance the synchronisation to display accurate appointment information.  
• Prevent app crashes during appointment release. 
• Streamline appointment booking process for more efficient booking  

Please do bear with us while we make these improvements.  

“Why did the product prices go up?” 

In 2021, we launched the rebranded Porcelain, embracing the idea of “Perfection in Imperfection”. With the packaging change, there was an increase in size – for example, the old cleansers were 120ml at $59, the new ones are 150ml at $70. There was a 25% increase in volume with only an 18.7% increase in price. We have taken the opportunity to decrease some prices as well, for example the three gel moisturisers (Botanical Soothing, Deep Recovery and Hydraclear) were at $128 and we decrease it by 7.8% to $118 as we changed from an airless tube to squeeze tube, passing the savings in packaging to you. 

Though we should have explained it better then, I hope it is not too late.  

Over time, we have subtly improved each product based on the feedback you have given us, and from the innovative technologies we have sourced globally to incorporate into the formulations. We have also made the products cleaner, without harmful no-nos. For example, the pH Essence is in its third new formulation – previously known as the Balance Sebum Control Essence.  
 
Each of our product has ingredients sourced globally – for example, two key ingredients in the RevitalEye Concentrate are from France and Switzerland. We take pride in using nothing but the best ingredients in each product, so you can feel safe in our hands – both in our spas and at home.  
 
With global supply chain pressures, inflationary pressures and cost of labour rising at an extraordinary pace in 2022, we are reviewing our cost and pricing structures to ensure they continue to be viable. We seek your kind understanding should there be any necessary changes to come.  

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Though the road ahead seems long and tough, knowing that we have your support and trust is enough to power us through. Thank you for being a part of our journey thus far, and we look forward to serving you for many years to come.  
  
Founder of Porcelain