Skincare and dessert do not usually share a shelf, but a new Malaysian collaboration is putting them side by side. Secret Recipe, the local cake cafe chain, has teamed up with Korean acne-patch brand SimplyHeal and homegrown cat character Bichi Mao on a range of cat-themed acne patches, unveiled at the Watsons Beautopia Beauty and Wellness Expo 2026.
What the collaboration is
The collection pairs Secret Recipe’s cake-shop identity with Bichi Mao’s cat artwork on a hydrocolloid acne patch made by SimplyHeal. The individual patches carry the Bichi Mao characters, and the packaging borrows Secret Recipe’s dessert-counter look, aiming the range at shoppers who like a bit of personality with their self-care. According to the brands, each box comes with limited-edition free gifts.
What is in the patch
SimplyHeal describes the range as a premium hydrocolloid patch with tea tree oil, designed to sit over a blemish while it heals. On the box, the brand lists a “5X Action” claim covering reduced redness, acne healing and pus absorption, and markets the patches as waterproof and breathable. The patches are ultra-thin, described on pack as 0.01cm and 55 percent thinner than usual, and are meant to be worn day or night. As with any acne product, how well a patch works will vary from person to person.
Where to get it
The range made its debut at Watsons Beautopia, the retailer’s beauty and wellness expo, and the packaging carries an “Only at Watsons” mark, pointing to the drugstore chain as the place to pick it up. The brands did not announce a retail price at launch.
Why it is worth a look
Character-led beauty tie-ups have become a reliable way for brands to stand out on a busy shelf, and this one leans on two names Malaysian shoppers already recognise. For Secret Recipe, it is a step out of the cafe and into the beauty aisle. For Bichi Mao, it is another mainstream partnership for a local character brand. If you already reach for a spot patch, the cat designs and the free gifts are the hook here, and the practical claims sit in familiar hydrocolloid-patch territory.
Images courtesy of SimplyHeal, Secret Recipe and Bichi Mao.