Honouring the hibiscus
With National Day around the corner we celebrate our national flower, the hibiscus that is not only a beauty but offers its goodness in skincare products.
FONDLY known as the national flower of Malaysia, the hibiscus is a flower with large petals and grows all year long.
While the hibiscus or Bunga Raya in Malay that is emblematic to Malaysia is red, there are other colours and petal shape variations of this beautiful flower.
The Hibiscus rosa-sinensis beat out other flowers that were nominated by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1958 and was declared by the Government of Malaysia as the national flower.
The word bunga in Malay means “flower”, while raya in Malay means “celebratory” or “grand”, so it literally means the “celebratory flower” in Malay.
The red coloured petals symbolise the courage, life and rapid growth of Malaysia, and the five petals represent the five Rukun Negara of Malaysia. The flower can also be found imprinted on the notes and coins of the Malaysian ringgit.
Aside from its beauty, the hibiscus is used to relieve a variety of mild medical conditions and in some instances its flowers and leaves are used as ingredients in beauty products.
To celebrate Merdeka Day, Malaysian beauty brand Elianto has specially designed and introduced its limited edition Hibiscus Seduction EDP fragrances in two variations and cleansing tissues.
In other brands we also see the hibiscus being tapped for its skincare properties as a moisturiser, face mist and even a firming face mask.