A different DIALOGUE

Dr Zeng Zhou Tan, one half of Trove, is on a mission to personalise your beauty regimen.

- By JOHN NG

You wouldn't expect a dentist to be at the helm of one of Malaysia's most thoughtful skincare and fragrance spaces. But Dr Zeng Zhou Tan doesn't do what's expected.

He started out in dentistry, a field that trained his eye for detail and precision. But over time, his focus shifted toward something more sensory, more intuitive. “Dentistry taught me to be meticulous,” he says. “But skincare and fragrance gave me a new kind of language. It brings together scientific logic with something softer — emotion, memory, connection.”

Fragrance, in particular, always held his attention. “I've always been fascinated by scent. How a few notes can take you somewhere else. It’s like bottling a mood.”

His move into skincare began from a personal place. “I struggled with my skin growing up,” he says. “So I started reading, researching, trying to understand how skin really works. That process helped me regain a sense of control.”

That search eventually evolved into something much bigger. Through Trove and Wellness Pot, Dr Zeng has created spaces that champion thoughtful beauty where science and storytelling work side by side.

He also holds a Diploma in Dermatology, which, while not a specialist qualification, is geared toward medical and dental professionals. “It gave me a much deeper understanding of skin,” he explains. “And it helps me cut through the noise. There’s a lot of fluff in beauty marketing. My clinical background keeps me focused on what’s real and what works.”