Rough Beauty, a local business selling handcrafted soaps, will be dedicating their sales proceeds to several charitable organisations from Nov. 24 to Jan. 31.

The brand was founded by Chew Jia Tian, a former staff nurse.

Chew passed away in October 2023. Her body was found in waters off the coast of Sentosa on Oct. 24 after she was reported missing whilst kayaking.

10 per cent of the brand's proceeds will be given to charitable organisations including Cat Welfare Society, Dementia Singapore and Zero Waste SG, organisations which represent the causes that Chew "deeply cared about".

Fostered and adopted stray cats

In a Facebook post dedicated to her, the brand wrote that she was committed to "providing care, shelter, and support for stray and abandoned cats", adding that she fostered and adopted stray cats.

Her love for cats led her to adopt three street cats, and she named one of Rough Beauty's soaps after her third cat, Mari.

Chew was also a regular donor to various cat rescuers and organisations.

Cared deeply for her grandmothers

Rough Beauty expressed that Chew "cared deeply about others", and loved both her grandmothers very much.

"Seeing her grandmothers age and struggle with dementia inspired her to find ways to make their elderly years better," the website wrote.

She sought various ways to keep their minds active to delay the onset of dementia and to enhance the quality of her grandmothers' lives during their elderly years.

Prioritised sustainability

Chew built Rough Beauty around the concept of sustainability and prioritised zero waste.

She used eco-friendly packaging and introduced refills at her brand, encouraging customers to live greener and more mindful lifestyles through her products and services.

The brand also reinforced its commitment to upholding Chew's vision of crafting simple, sustainable and natural products of good quality.

Started brand nine years ago

Chew started working on her brand nine years ago.

She embodied the brand's values and hoped to inspire mindful living through her products and experiences.

Chew delved into the art of soap-making while she was still studying nursing at the Singapore Institute of Technology, and would sell the soap to her nursing classmates.

Encouraged by their responses, she travelled to Malacca to learn about the cold-process method of soap-making from a Taiwanese soap maker.

She continued to make soaps in her parents' kitchen, but quickly outgrew the space and decided to start her own company.

"We hope this humble effort will help these organisations further their missions and light a warm flame in the hearts of the beneficiaries. If you wish to donate directly under this initiative, do reach out to us," the brand wrote.

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Top photos via Rough Beauty