Senior R&D Formulator

About Hysses

Hysses (乡术 — “arts from the village”) is Singapore’s leading aromatherapy and natural wellness brand, with a retail footprint of essential oil-based skincare, haircare, body care, and home scent products across Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond. All formulation, research, and development is done in-house at the Hysses Singapore HQ.

Hysses formulates with natural botanicals and bioactive ingredients, sourced from farmers and native communities worldwide, and is committed to genuine efficacy over ingredient trends — avoiding synthetic silicones, parabens, paraffin, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, and unrefined petroleum-derived ingredients. The brand’s growth has been driven by a small, hands-on R&D team responsible for everything from raw material sourcing to finished product launch.

Role Summary

The Senior R&D Formulator will lead the development of new products and reformulation of existing ones across Hysses’ skincare, haircare, body care, and home fragrance/essential oil ranges. This is a senior, hands-on technical role for an experienced formulator who can independently own projects from concept to commercial launch — balancing natural/clean-beauty ingredient philosophy, sensory and olfactory quality, regulatory compliance, cost, and manufacturability.

The role also carries a mentorship component, guiding junior formulators and coordinating closely with sourcing, QA, regulatory, marketing, and manufacturing partners.

Key Responsibilities

Formulation & Product Development

Independently develop, trial, and optimise formulations for skincare, haircare, body care, and home/car scent products using natural botanical actives, essential oils, and bioactive ingredients.

Lead formulation projects end-to-end: concept briefs, bench trials, stability testing, pilot batches, scale-up, and handover to production.

Reformulate existing SKUs to improve efficacy, sensory experience, stability, cost, or compliance with Hysses’ clean-formulation standards (free from synthetic silicones, parabens, paraffin, artificial colours, synthetic fragrances, and unrefined petroleum derivatives).

Design and refine essential oil blends and fragrance accords for both leave-on/rinse-off body products and ambient home scent

formats (diffuser oils, room mists, candles).

Technical & Quality Ownership

Conduct and oversee stability testing (accelerated & real-time), compatibility testing, challenge testing, and preservative efficacy studies in coordination with QA/QC and external labs.

Troubleshoot formulation issues arising in pilot or full-scale production runs (viscosity, separation, discolouration, scent drift, microbial stability, etc.).

Maintain rigorous documentation: formulation records, batch trial data, INCI listings, safety data, and version control for all formulas.

Ensure all formulations meet applicable regulatory requirements across Hysses’ markets (e.g., Singapore HSA cosmetic notification,

ASEAN Cosmetic Directive, and relevant requirements in export markets).

Ingredient & Supplier Management

Source, vet, and qualify new natural and bioactive raw materials, essential oils, and botanical extracts, working directly with farmers, growers, and ingredient suppliers.

Evaluate raw materials for purity, sustainability, traceability, and consistency with Hysses’ natural-ingredient philosophy.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the aromatherapy and natural ingredient landscape, including emerging actives, extraction techniques, and sustainable sourcing practices.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with Marketing and Product teams to translate brand and consumer briefs into technically sound, launch-ready formulations.

Work with Manufacturing/Operations to ensure formulas are scalable, cost-effective, and manufacturable within existing production capabilities.

Liaise with Regulatory/QA on labelling, claims substantiation, and safety documentation.

Support packaging compatibility testing in coordination with the packaging development team.

Leadership & Process

Mentor and provide technical guidance to junior formulators and R&D associates.

Help establish and improve R&D processes, documentation standards, and lab protocols as the team and product range scale.

Contribute to long-term R&D roadmap and innovation pipeline planning.

Requirements

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Cosmetic Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Pharmacy, or a related field.

Hands-on formulation experience in cosmetics/personal care, with demonstrated ownership of products from concept through commercial launch.

Proven experience formulating with natural, naturally-derived, and/or essential oil-based ingredient systems is strongly preferred; aromatherapy or fragrance formulation experience is a strong plus.

Experience across multiple product categories (skincare, haircare, body care, and/or home fragrance) preferred.

Technical Skills

Strong working knowledge of cosmetic chemistry: emulsions, surfactant systems, natural preservation/preservative-boosting strategies, rheology, and natural emulsifiers/thickeners.

Familiarity with essential oil chemistry, blending, and safe usage levels (IFRA guidelines knowledge a plus).

Working knowledge of ASEAN Cosmetic Directive and/or Singapore HSA cosmetic product notification requirements; familiarity with international regulatory frameworks (EU, US, China) is an advantage.

Comfortable with stability protocol design, analytical/QC basics, and reading INCI/safety documentation.

Proficient with formulation costing and understanding manufacturing/scale-up constraints.

Personal Attributes

Strong sensory evaluation skills (texture, scent, colour, performance) and genuine passion for natural/botanical ingredients.

Detail-oriented with excellent documentation discipline.

Able to work independently and take ownership of multiple concurrent projects in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Strong cross-functional communicator, comfortable working closely with sourcing, marketing, and operations teams.

Interest in sustainability, ethical sourcing, and holistic wellness aligned with Hysses’ brand values.

What Hysses Offers

A senior, high-ownership R&D role at Singapore’s leading homegrown aromatherapy brand, with formulations developed entirely in-house.

Direct exposure to the full product lifecycle — from raw ingredient sourcing through to retail shelf across a growing regional footprint (Singapore, Malaysia, and beyond).

A close-knit, hands-on team environment with direct access to leadership and cross-functional decision-making.

The opportunity to shape formulation standards and R&D processes as the brand scales into new categories and markets.

Location & Work Arrangement

Based at the Hysses Singapore Headquarters / R&D Lab. This is an on-site, lab-based role given the hands-on nature of formulation and bench work.

Barn & Potter – Experience Nature through wellness

Barn & Potter is founded in Singapore in 2013. The brand was inspired by the rich history of both traditional folk pottery and aromatic medicine in the olden days. We focus on manufacturing high-quality aromatherapy, wellness and skincare products for retail brands.

We use only the finest ingredients from best plantations around the world. These include – USA, Brazil, India, Thailand, Egypt, Australia, Bulgaria, Italy and France. Our products are 100% naturopathic, that is, no form of petrochemicals and synthetic fragrances are used. From harvest to distillation, to design and innovation, we ensure devotion to detail and responsibility to Natural – socially and environmentally governed by goods manufacturing process (GMP).

Our aim is to research and develop innovative products using premium oils and exciting raw materials. Our RND work closely with our manufacturing facilities to produce customised aromatherapy products based on the specification stated by our customers.