As a teenager, Kelly Keak helped out at her mother’s beauty centre business part-time while she was studying. While she was mainly responsible for manning the cashier and doing simple chores like changing sheets and washing sponges, this was her gateway into the beauty and skincare industry.
Today, Keak is the managing director of MTM Skincare Singapore, which handles the mtm labo facial treatment centres in Singapore. In 2017, Keak took over the reins from her mother, Dr Susan Teng, who had brought MTM Skincare to Singapore in 2003. Since then, Keak’s focus has been to groom young leaders in her company, training them to listen to and connect more with the clients.
mtm labo’s stores in Wheelock Place and its flagship at Winsland House have experienced a change in design led by famed Japanese designer Kenya Hara. These outlets offer custom-blended facial treatments.
“We recognise that every individual is unique, and so is our skin. Inspired by the medicinal applications of Oriental botanicals, we’ve carefully curated mtm labo’s special library of extracts comprising Chinese, Western and Japanese ingredients. Selected extracts are custom-blended into our skincare products according to how they can help improve each client’s unique skin condition,” explains Keak.
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She tells Options about her story of passion, love and filial piety and what it’s like to be the company’s managing director.
Tell us more about mtm labo and what it is all about.
The mtm customised skincare products were launched in Japan in 1991, made specifically for customers depending on their skin concerns. My mother brought MTM Skincare to Singapore in 2003. That was when she opened mtm labo, which stands for “made-to-measure laboratory”.
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In 2021, we engaged Japanese designer Kenya Hara, known for his work with Muji, to revamp our outlets in Singapore and our branding logo. He designed our logo, which looks like a weighing scale, to symbolise that everyone is unique, and mtm labo will custom-make the specific products our customers need.
At mtm labo, we use advanced technology to analyse your skin. After that, a report is churned out, allowing us to custom-blend the best formulation for you. There are over 300 formulation combinations, each tailored to specific skin conditions. We are the only one in the world that creates our skincare products this way. All the ingredients are natural extracts from plants, fruits or herbs. And we have a patented machine to blend the formula to ensure it is evenly distributed.
What inspired your mother to start the company?
My mother has been in this business for over 40 years. She started when she was just 19. She told me that her father — my grandfather — wanted her to become a fashion designer back then, and so she started working from the bottom up, learning how to work the needle and thread. But after working her way up and becoming a key designer, she realised that it was not something she wanted to do.
She also had troubled skin when she was younger. She bought skincare products over the counter after saving up enough money, but because she had little knowledge about skincare, her skin condition worsened.
That was when she thought about learning how to take care of her skin, which sparked her passion for skincare. She joined a beauty school and went door to door after graduating to provide facial services. Eventually, she rented a space in a hair salon with just one bed to provide facial services.
From just one customer, she then built a loyal following. Till today, some of the customers from back in the day still support us here.
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With so many other skincare brands in the market, why have you and your mother decided to use the mtm skincare products?
My mother has always chosen things of high quality and is very detailed in the service she delivers. In her earlier days, she used skincare products from Italy and Paris. But one day, we were on a trip to Japan, where she learned about MTM Skincare. She spoke with the founder, who was based in Hong Kong, to bring the brand to Singapore.
Tell me a little more about your background. Were you in the beauty industry the whole time, or did you venture out to do other things before joining your mother’s business?
When I was in my early 20s, I was a financial consultant. It is a very different job compared to what I am doing now. But what I’ve learned from my previous job was how to understand sales, how systems work and how to incentivise customers. I also gained leadership skills to manage a team.
After a while, I decided to join the family business, and my mother became my boss. I became used to looking up to my mother and learned how she did things.
There was a period when she was ill and hospitalised for a life-threatening issue. I was scared, but I had to step up and take on more responsibilities. We were prepared for the worst, and my mother told me to change my name card and reassured me that I was ready.
My mother is now not very active in the business anymore, but she still conducts “cultural training” occasionally and attends board meetings.
What skincare advice do you have for our readers?
Always make sure to clean your face well — both morning and night. Good skin starts with a good cleansing routine. If you don’t cleanse well, you will have clogged skin, and your skin will not be able to absorb your skincare products.
A custom-blended moisturising facial
I walked into mtm labo in Winsland House, just a short stroll from Somerset MRT Station. The newly refreshed boutique has floor-to-ceiling glasses and wooden furniture set against white spaces, exuding a calm and serene vibe.
Before starting my facial treatment, the friendly staff at mtm labo took me to a room to analyse my skin. This is where technology and machinery are used to determine my skin type and identify concerns to be tackled during the facial session or through mtm labo’s customised skincare products.
The analysis said I have combination skin: An oily T-zone and dry, sensitive cheeks. The first step of the process was to create a custom-blended moisturiser. The beautician recommended a moisturiser concoction of linden and chamomile extracts to soothe the sensitive areas of my face while providing enough moisture. Then, I got to watch the beautician blend my moisturiser in a special room. After essential oils were added to the moisturiser base, the concoction was put into a unique machine that evenly mixed everything.
The beautician then suggested a course of facial treatment best suited for my skin. I enjoyed the custom-blended Es’te Amour Face Treatment ($456 or $136 for the first trial), which is mtm labo’s ideal solution for strengthening, firming and lifting your skin.
Painless and non-invasive, this treatment uses local dynamic micromassage (LDM) technology to improve overall skin health, promote collagen synthesis in the skin and increase glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) which support and maintain the skin’s structural proteins such as collagen and elastin.
LDM has been clinically proven to be stable in treating various skin conditions. It utilises dual-frequency ultrasound waves to improve overall skin health and rejuvenate each skin cell. It is non-invasive and allows the skin to heal naturally so that you can expect no downtime or side effects.
The treatment space in mtm labo is bright, spacious and comfortable. You can choose which soothing music you want to enjoy during your treatment. And if you’ve got some time to spare, there are even massage chairs for you where you can relax further.
I appreciated that the beautician took her time to extract my blackheads, ensuring my skin was as clean as possible. The LDM treatment was also very calming. The facial massage with the custom-blended moisturiser put me in a deep relaxation mode, and by the time the therapist applied the custom-blended mask to my face, I was in a deep sleep. My facial experience was not just relaxing; my skin was clean and glowing for days after the treatment.
