The History of Tiger Balm
Tiger Balm was developed somewhen during the 1870s in Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar), by herbalist Aw Chu Kin. According to the story his father had sent him to Rangoon in the 1860s to help in his uncle’s herbal shop. After a while Aw Chu Kin eventually set up a family business by himself and called it Eng Aun Tong what means “Hall of Everlasting Peace”. When he died in 1908 he asked his sons Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par to perfect the product that he left behind. Around 1920 the sons had turned it into a successful business empire in Myanmar with Tiger Balm being it’s most successful product.
The name is a reference to Aw Boon Haw whose name means “Big Tiger” and the product itself has been developed for external pain relief. Tiger Balm is available in several varieties, with the most famous ones being the “cold” Tiger Balm White (recommended for use with headaches) and the “hot” Tiger Balm Red (for muscle ache). More varieties are being produced though.
Tiger Balm is made from a secret herbal formulation that dates back to the times of the Chinese emperors. The Aw brothers, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, inherited the formulation from their herbalist father who left China. They called it Tiger Balm, after Boon Haw, (whose name in Chinese meant “Tiger”) who was instrumental in devising the remarkable selling strategies that made Tiger Balm a household name in many East and South-East Asian countries today. In the 1920s Aw Boon Haw travelled to Singapore in order to find new markets and set up a shop there. During the 1930s the Aw’s even founded the Tiger Balm Gardens in Singapore and Hong Kong in order to promote the product further.
The Tiger Balm story: how ointment for every ailment was created, fell out of favour, then found new generation of users
The Tiger Balm story begins several generations ago in rural Fujian province, in southern China. That’s where, in the late 1860s, Aw Chu Kin, the son of a herbalist, set off to join his uncle in the Burmese city of Rangoon.
It was a long journey that took him through Singapore and Penang, in Malaya, where he earned more in a day selling herbal remedies to dock workers than he did in a month back home. By 1870, Aw had made it to Rangoon. He set up an apothecary named Eng Aun Tong (the Hall of Eternal Peace) and had three sons: Aw Boon Leong (“Gentle Dragon”), Aw Boon Haw (“Gentle Tiger”) and Aw Boon Par (“Gentle Leopard”). Boon Leong died young, and father Aw died in 1908, leaving the family business to Boon Par and Boon Haw. Together, they delved into their father’s recipes and adapted them to produce an analgesic balm to treat any manner of ills. When it launched in 1924, Boon Haw named it after himself: Tiger Balm.
The product spread quickly through the world’s Chinese communities. While Boon Par focused on managing the business, Boon Haw aimed to gain influence. He donated money to charities and schools, and founded a string of newspapers in Singapore, Malaya and Hong Kong, including Sing Tao Daily and the Hong Kong Tiger Standard – which is today known simply as The Standard. He also built mansions in Singapore, Hong Kong and Fujian, with adjoining theme parks known as Tiger Balm Gardens. Their pathways were lined by bizarre and morbid concrete statues in scenes from Chinese mythology.
Everything You Need to Know About Tiger Balm
Tiger Balm is said to help with a range of issues, including stretch marks, muscle aches, and nasal congestion, but clinical research about these benefits is limited.
Tiger Balm is a brand-name topical medication used to alleviate pain. Its primary ingredients include camphor and menthol, which help relieve muscle and joint discomfort while providing a cooling sensation. Tiger Balm itself has been around for over a century. Its current offerings in the United States include topical creams and gels. The company makes four formulas:
- Classic
- Balance
- Junior
- Active
There are also subsets of these formulas intended for different body parts and issues. While Tiger Balm isn’t intended to cure any type of chronic pain-related disease, some research does support the efficacy of its key ingredients. Talk to your doctor before using Tiger Balm, especially if you’re already using other prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) products to manage pain.
WHAT IT TAKES TO SURVIVE OVER 100 YEARS IN BUSINESS? LIKE TIGER BALM
t is a product you may have used many times and probably sworn by it for its effectiveness. Haw Par Corporation promoted Tiger Balm has been an effective remedy for aches and pains for years. Founded in China in the 1870s, the brand today is well known across Asia and the US. YourStory recently met A K Han, Executive Director of Haw Par Corporation, to understand what it takes to become a success in the healthcare space and how Tiger Balm has survived for so many years. Tracing the brand history Over 100 years old, Tiger Balm was developed by Aw Chu Kin and perfected by his sons Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par. Though the founder belonged to China, his sons shifted base to Singapore to build the company. A K Han says Singapore was the perfect destination to do business even back then, just as it is today.
As an entrepreneur, you have to be relevant and look at what your customer wants. This truth was recognized by the founders a long time ago. One of the earliest promotional methods they employed was sample testing. They would travel in carts and urge people to use the product and give their feedback. They incorporated the customer feedback to improve their product. “In those days many people were poor and didn’t have money to buy English medicines. And this product was a panacea. This can cure everything from headache to toothache to stomach ache and even flatulence. So it became very popular,” says Han.The ever-growing loyal cutomer base helped spread the word and neighboring countries like Indonesia, South China, Hong Kong and Malaysia became the first markets to be conquered. Today Thailand, Hong Kong and USA are the big markets for the brand. “Tiger Balm has gone through many upheavals and survived. That's because the product delivers on its promise. It is called Tiger Balm after Aw Boon Haw, whose name means Gentle Tiger. The founders understood the importance of trademark very early. So you will not find any other product by the same name or even names like leopard balm or cheetah balm. Be sure to protect your creation,” advises Han.
Fast forward today, in countries where Tiger Balm expanded, local partnerships have helped it grow. However, wrong partners have also cost the company dearly. “We do local partnerships in most countries we enter, including India. These partners help us grow and distribute the brand,” he says. Han was in India to review their recent partnership with Chennai-based FMCG giant CavinKare. He says many new products like neck and shoulder rub, heat patches, joint rubs will be launched to expand the product portfolio in India. “Tiger balm has 80% conversion rate. Out of 10 people who try it eight will repurchase the product. All we need to do now is offer products in different forms which will cater to the modern customer,” explains Han. Most users of the product today are from the older generation and in order to connect and bring the youth into its fold Han says they are leveraging social media. Contests and prize distribution has been the favoured route for engagement with them so far. “We are modernising our image with the help of our new products. Anyone who wants to compete has to be up to date,” he advises.
Tiger Balm Uses
An Over-The-Counter Topical Pain Reliever
Tiger Balm is a topical over-the-counter pain reliever. It is often used to relieve back pain, joint pain, stiffness, sprains, and arthritis pain. It is applied to the area that is in pain and absorbed through your skin. You can buy it as a cream, gel, or liquid.
Most forms of Tiger Balm contain camphor and menthol. Tiger Balm products may also contain other ingredients like cajuput oil, clove oil, and others. Camphor works by increasing blood flow to the surface of the skin and creating a warming sensation. Camphor and menthol may also help improve circulation and reduce inflammation.
Tiger balm is used to relieve both deep and superficial pain. It is also sometimes also used to treat other conditions. Some of its most common uses include:
- Muscle pain - Tiger Balm is traditionally used to treat muscle aches and pain from overuse and minor injury.
- Joint pain - Tiger Balm is often used to treat joint pain from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions that affect the joints.
- Back, neck, and shoulder pain - Studies have found that topical menthol is superior to a placebo for treating pain and improving range of motion in the back and neck.
- Headaches - Research has found Tiger Balm to be as effective as Tylenol (acetaminophen) for headaches.
- Pain from shingles - Shingles can cause long-lasting pain, including neuropathic pain. Camphor and menthol may help relieve this type of pain. However, Tiger Balm should not be applied to shingles blisters since these can break open and crust over.
- Stomach pain - Anecdotally, camphor and menthol are sometimes applied to the abdomen to help treat stomach pain, but this is not yet supported by research.
- Colds and cough - Applying this medication to your chest may help cough and cold symptoms. Do not apply directly under the nose or use for cold symptoms in children under the age of 2.
- Discomfort from insect bites - Some people use Tiger Balm to relieve the itching or sting of insect bites. It is also sometimes used as a mosquito repellant.
- Toenail fungus - There are anecdotal reports that Tiger Balm might help treat toenail fungus, but there isn't any research to support this use.
- Neuropathic pain - Some studies suggest that camphor and menthol may help relieve neuropathic pain.
- Poor circulation - Because the active ingredients in Tiger Balm help increase blood flow, this medication may help treat circulation problems, though more research is needed before it can be recommended for this purpose.
- Stretchmarks - Tiger Balm's ability to increase blood flow is thought by some to help improve the appearance of stretch marks, but this is not supported by research.
TIGER BALM - HERITAGE WE ARE PROUD OF
Tiger Balm has risen from the ancient courts of Chinese emperors to worldwide prominence.
It all began when Aw Chu Kin, a Chinese herbalist working in the Emperor’s court, left China and set up a small medicine shop called Eng Aun Tong in Rangoon in the late 1870s, where he would make and sell his special ointment that was effective in relieving all kinds of aches and pains. When Aw Chu Kin died in 1908, he left his business to his two sons Aw Boon Haw (meaning ‘gentle tiger’) and Aw Boon Par (meaning ‘gentle leopard’). They took the business to Singapore and successfully sold their ointment to surrounding countries like Malaya, Hong Kong, Batavia, Siam and various cities in China. Aw Boon Haw was the marketing genius who named the product Tiger Balm.
Tiger Balm has since been immortalized as one of the world’s best-known pain-relieving formulations. The rest as they said, was history.
Tiger Balm
Tiger Balm 1930s
Tiger Balm (Chinese: 虎標萬金油; pinyin: Hǔbiao Wànjīnyóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hó͘-phiau Bān-kim-iû) is an analgesic heat rub manufactured and distributed by Singaporean company Haw Par Healthcare. It is used for external pain relief.
A precursor to Tiger Balm called Ban Kin Yu (Chinese: 萬金油; lit. 'Ten Thousand Golden Oil') was developed in the 1870s in Rangoon, Burma, during the British colonial era by the practising Chinese herbalist Aw Chu Kin, son of Aw Leng Fan, a Chinese Hakka herbalist in Zhongchuan, Fujian Province, China. His father had sent him to Rangoon in the 1860s to help in his uncle's herbal shop. Eventually, Aw Chu Kin himself set up a family business named Eng Aun Tong ("Hall of Everlasting Peace"). On his deathbed in 1908, he asked his sons Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par to perfect the product. In 1918, the product was renamed "Tiger Balm" in order to gain broader appeal. By 1918, the Aw family had become one of the wealthiest families in Rangoon. By the 1920s, the brothers had turned Eng Aun Tong into a very successful business empire that produced and marketed pharmaceutical products, including the Tiger Balm medicinal ointment. Tiger Balm sold well in Burma, and was exported to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
The brothers moved to Singapore in the 1920s due to problems with the colonial British government. They set up a branch first at Amoy Street then moved to Cecil Street and finally to 89 Neil Road between 1924 and 1926, at the junction of Neil and Craig Road. The Aw family founded the Tiger Balm Gardens in Hong Kong in 1935, Singapore in 1937 and Fujian Province in 1946 to promote the product. Boon Haw also established newspapers in China and Singapore; his daughter said that he spent so much money on advertising that "he thought it would be cheaper to just open a few newspapers". In 2013, a lawsuit filed by Haw Par against the Indian company Rangoon Chemical Works, asserting that the latter's "Flying Tiger" balm with similar branding infringed on the Tiger Balm trademark, reached the Supreme Court of India.[8] As a result, Rangoon Chemical Works made changes in the branding of its product. In 2018, there were 10 products being sold under the Tiger Balm brand, in over 100 countries. Tiger Balm generated S$152 million (US$110.56 million) in revenues in 2015. Haw Par's revenues from Tiger Balm sales in India were ₹85 crore (US$12.43 million) in 2018. The product sold in India is manufactured in Hyderabad by Makson and marketed by Alkem Laboratories. Between 1993 and 2011, it had been manufactured and marketed by Elder Pharmaceuticals.
