Faculty of Science and Food Technology - Top student Le Van Bien with a unique entrepreneurial journey

Graduating as the top student from the Department of Food Science and Technology, Le Van Bien chose his own path in entrepreneurship.

With a promise to create a beautiful and safe lipstick using natural ingredients as a gift for his mother, coupled with a passion for research, after more than 3 years of working on the idea, Le Van Bien - an alumni from the class of 2018 - successfully researched and brought to the market the lead-free lipstick line, The Manacos.

Choosing a Unique Path

Upon leaving university, while most of his peers from the same department, including Bien, opted to work in food processing factories, nutrition research institutes, and related agencies, he took a unique path. Instead of following the conventional route, he delved into exploration, research, and entrepreneurship, creating a beauty product for women – the lead-free lipstick named The Manacos.

He graduated in June 2022. Throughout his four years at the Department of Food Science and Technology at Lac Hong University, Bien received knowledge from dedicated instructors and had the opportunity to access modern laboratory facilities, providing a fertile ground for his creative passions. Beyond classroom hours, Bien spent a significant amount of time in the laboratory, experimenting and researching to formulate a lipstick made from natural ingredients, aiming to enhance beauty and protect lips, with a particular focus on being non-toxic.

Seeing Bien diligently researching and creating lipstick, at that time, teachers, colleagues, and friends thought he was doing it for fun to satisfy his passion. They believed that creating a competitive lipstick brand for the market would be challenging given the presence of well-established lipstick brands. However, when they heard the seemingly gentle student express his desire to produce lipstick with pure natural ingredients such as avocado oil, honey, olive oil, and extracts from various herbs, especially without harmful substances like lead and mercury, people were pleasantly surprised and very supportive.

When he was in the 12th grade at Thanh My Tay High School (Thạnh Mỹ Tây commune, Chau Phu district, An Giang province), Bien always struggled with choosing a major for his university application. At that time, he had the opportunity to read the traditional Southern medicine book titled "Danh y Tư Tĩnh," which featured many beauty recipes for women using natural ingredients. However, he decided not to pursue a medical field but opted for the Department of Food Science and Technology at Lac Hong University.

The driving force behind Bien's decision to focus on researching and inventing lipstick rather than other products was his mother. "My mother worked hard, almost her entire life without much time for self-care. I promised to create a beautiful and safe lipstick for her to use. My mother supported my idea and always encouraged me to pursue my dream," revealed Bien.

As his dream grew and urged him on, when given the opportunity to explore a favorable environment, Bien quietly researched the properties and components of various flowers, herbs, and natural fruits. The results led to the creation of a "clean" lipstick formula. The Manacos lipstick not only enhances beauty but also has excellent moisturizing properties for the lips.

"During my research, Ms. Phan Kim Anh, Head of the Cosmetics Technology Department, passionately guided me in terms of expertise. She assisted me greatly in techniques such as extracting nutrient content, formulation, blending, and shaping lead-free lipstick formulas. To bring The Manacos lipstick brand to the market, it took me almost 3.5 years to complete the formula and nearly a year to promote, distribute, and deliver it to users. I received a lot of support from teachers, friends, and especially Mr. Nguyen Minh Son, Deputy Head of the Information Technology Department of the university," shared Bien.

From a simple promise to his mother, Bien has turned a modest dream into an entrepreneurial opportunity. His eyes light up as he speaks to us about the future of The Manacos: "I had to explore for a long time to create a special, purely natural lipstick formula that brings true value to users. I hope to make The Manacos the leading natural lipstick product in Vietnam in terms of quality and safety for users, not only in Vietnam but also in the international market, competing with other cosmetic brands worldwide," expressed Bien with hope.