Haw Par Corporation describes Tiger Balm as its flagship consumer healthcare brand, noting that it is trusted by millions of consumers worldwide.3

The origins of Tiger Balm lie not in modern pharmaceuticals but in traditional Chinese medicine. In the 19th century, Aw Chu Kin (胡子钦), a Chinese herbalist originally from Fujian, China, relocated to Rangoon, Burma. There he established a medical practice and apothecary named Eng Aun Tong (永安堂), generally translated as the “Hall of Everlasting Peace”, where he prepared and sold traditional remedies including an ointment for aches and pains.4

Aw Chu Kin’s sons were instrumental in transforming this family remedy into an international commercial brand:

• Aw Boon Haw (胡文虎) — “Boon Haw” is associated with the meaning “gentle tiger”.
• Aw Boon Par (胡文豹) — “Boon Par” is associated with “gentle leopard”.

Born in 1882 and 1888 respectively, the brothers continued and developed the family business following their father’s death in 1908.5

Before being named Tiger Balm, the product was known as Ban Kim Ewe (万金油), described by the company as “Ten Thousand Golden Oils”. The brothers refined their father’s ointment into a commercially successful product by combining traditional herbal knowledge with ingredients that produced a characteristic cooling and warming sensation.6

Modern descriptions identify camphor and menthol as the principal active ingredients in most Tiger Balm products. Depending on the specific formulation, other ingredients may include:

• Cajuput oil
• Clove oil
• Cassia/cinnamon oil
• Dementholised mint oil
• Eucalyptus oil
• Other essential oils

The exact formulation varies between products and markets.7 Consequently, “Tiger Balm” does not refer to a single chemical formula today; the classic ointment, patches, muscle rubs, liniments, and newer wellness products can have substantially different ingredient combinations.

The brand name is intrinsically linked to Aw Boon Haw. According to official company history, Boon Haw registered the name Tiger Balm in 1909, using his “Tiger” nickname as the basis for the brand. This origin story became closely associated with the tiger imagery that remains one of the brand’s most recognisable characteristics.8

The tiger is therefore not merely a marketing mascot created by an advertising agency but is embedded in the personal name and identity of the founder.

Aw Boon Haw eventually looked beyond Rangoon, expanding southward into Malaya and Singapore. He moved to Singapore in 1926, where the family established a significantly larger production operation. According to Haw Par’s historical accounts, the factory on Neil Road had a production capacity many times that of the earlier Rangoon facility.9

Singapore became pivotal to the brand’s development. From this base, the business expanded into markets including Malaya, Hong Kong, China, Thailand/Siam, and Batavia/Jakarta. The brand consequently developed an identity that was simultaneously Chinese in its medicinal heritage, Southeast Asian in its commercial history, and increasingly international in its distribution.10

A significant factor in Tiger Balm’s success was the aggressive marketing strategy employed by Aw Boon Haw. Historical accounts describe him travelling through towns in Malaya in a specially designed automobile featuring a tiger’s head and a roaring horn to attract crowds and distribute samples.11

This approach transformed a traditional medicinal ointment into a mass-market consumer brand. Tiger Balm served as an early example of a business strategy combining product quality, distinctive packaging, a memorable mascot, sampling, aggressive distribution, and storytelling to build household recognition.

The hexagonal jar is as central to Tiger Balm’s identity as the tiger itself. This compact container became an instantly recognisable visual symbol of the product across Asia. The classic ointments are distinguished by two principal variants:

Tiger Balm Red

Tiger Balm Red contains the classic ingredients found in the white formulation plus cassia/cinnamon oil, which contributes to its characteristic reddish-yellow colour. The company recommends the red formulation particularly for muscular aches and pains in markets where these indications apply.12

Tiger Balm White

Tiger Balm White shares a similar basic analgesic formulation but lacks the cassia oil responsible for the red variant’s colour. In some markets, it is particularly associated with tension headaches and nasal congestion, subject to local labelling regulations.13

The distinction between Red and White has become part of the brand’s global vocabulary.

Tiger Balm is primarily a topical product rather than an oral medicine. Its familiar sensation derives largely from ingredients such as menthol and camphor.

• Menthol: Produces an initial cooling sensation followed by warmth. It is used in topical analgesics to provide temporary relief from minor aches and pains.14
• Camphor: Contributes to the characteristic cooling/warming sensation and is a major active ingredient in many formulations.
• Essential oils: Oils such as cajuput, clove, and cassia/cinnamon contribute to the characteristic aroma and formulation of the classic ointments.15

When applied, the sensation is not caused by the balm physically heating the body like a hot pack. Rather, the ingredients interact with sensory receptors in the skin to produce cooling, warming, and soothing sensations associated with topical pain relief.

The modern Tiger Balm portfolio has evolved considerably from the original ointment and now encompasses several categories:

Ointments

Classic products include Tiger Balm Red Ointment, Tiger Balm White Ointment, and Regular/Extra/Ultra Strength variants in certain markets. The company describes Ultra Strength Ointment as one of its strongest ointment formulations in the U.S. market, containing 11% camphor and 11% menthol.16

Patches

Topical patches and plasters are designed to provide targeted relief without requiring the user to rub ointment onto the skin. Formulations may use ingredients such as menthol, camphor, and capsicum extract, depending on the market and product.17

Creams and rubs

Modern formulations target specific needs including muscular aches, neck and shoulder discomfort, back pain, joint pain, and sports-related soreness.18

Oils and liniments

Tiger Balm Liniment extends the original topical concept into a liquid format.

Sports and Active products

The Active line includes muscle rubs, gels, and sprays positioned towards physically active consumers and athletes.

Wellness products

Tiger Balm has expanded beyond conventional pain relief into Sensorial Therapy, including aromatherapy-oriented products with peppermint, sandalwood, ginger, and lavender variants. Haw Par describes this as a move into aromatherapy and on-the-go wellness.19

Historically, Tiger Balm’s value proposition was essentially “apply Tiger Balm for an ache”. The modern brand has broadened this proposition to encompass pain relief, active lifestyle, everyday wellness, and sensory experience. The current catalogue spans ointments, patches, creams, lotions, gels, sprays, oils, inhalers, and wellness products.20

This expansion allows Tiger Balm to compete not only with traditional analgesic balms but also with sports recovery products, muscle creams, pain patches, massage products, aromatherapy items, and broader wellness brands.

The corporate history of Tiger Balm is inseparable from Haw Par Corporation Limited. The name Haw Par is derived from the two founders: “Haw” (tiger) and “Par” (leopard). Haw Par Brothers International Limited was incorporated in 1969 and listed on the stock exchanges of Singapore and Malaysia. It was subsequently renamed Haw Par Corporation Limited in 1997.21

Today, Haw Par’s principal business interests include consumer healthcare, with Tiger Balm as its leading healthcare brand, alongside other investments.22

In the early 1970s, Slater Walker, a British investment group, gained control of Haw Par. During this period, the company underwent substantial restructuring and asset sales, and Tiger Balm’s Asian markets were temporarily out-licensed to the Jack Chia Group under a long-term arrangement.

The situation deteriorated, and Haw Par experienced a near-collapse in 1975 following the discovery of accounting irregularities from the Slater Walker era. The company was subsequently reorganised and rebuilt.23 This episode highlights that Tiger Balm’s survival as a global brand was not inevitable.

In 1992, the 20-year licensing agreement with Jack Chia Group expired. Haw Par regained worldwide control of Tiger Balm and initiated a major effort to rebrand the product for younger consumers and expand the range.24

This period established the modern strategy: heritage combined with a recognisable identity, new formats, and international distribution. Rather than abandoning the traditional ointment, the company used it as the foundation for a broader portfolio.

Tiger Balm maintains a particularly strong connection with Singapore. The Aw family’s local history produced one of the country’s most unique landmarks: Haw Par Villa, originally known as Tiger Balm Gardens. Created by the Aw family, the gardens featured elaborate representations of Chinese mythology, morality, and folklore. Now a cultural attraction, the site links Tiger Balm to Singaporean Chinese business culture, early mass advertising, traditional medicine commerce, philanthropy, and urban heritage.25

Tiger Balm has transitioned from a Southeast Asian household product to an international consumer healthcare brand. Haw Par states that Tiger Balm is distributed globally through a network of partners, with international materials describing the brand as available in over 100 countries.26

Unlike many Western pharmaceutical brands, Tiger Balm’s branding continues to emphasise the tiger, Chinese and Southeast Asian heritage, herbal ingredients, the distinctive aroma, the traditional jar, and the story of the Aw brothers.

Tiger Balm products are manufactured in multiple locations depending on the market and product type. The company’s U.S. FAQ states that products are made in China, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan.27

Haw Par confirms that Tiger Balm and Kwan Loong products are manufactured in GMP-certified facilities, with quality systems including ISO 9001 and GMP certifications.28 Therefore, production is not confined to a single factory or country.

Tiger Balm possesses a distinct visual and sensory identity:

• The tiger: Represents Aw Boon Haw and provides the brand name.
• Red and gold: The traditional colour scheme communicates warmth, energy, traditional Chinese cultural associations, potency, and medicinal heritage.
• The hexagonal jar: Acts as a physical logo; many consumers recognise the product by shape and colour alone.
• The scent: The distinctive medicinal and herbal aroma, attributed to camphor, menthol, cassia oil, and other essential oils, is integral to the product’s identity.29

Tiger Balm represents an early example of Asian entrepreneurship creating a globally recognisable consumer brand. Its trajectory combines traditional Chinese medicine, Southeast Asian Chinese entrepreneurship, early mass production, aggressive sampling and advertising, Singapore-based expansion, international licensing, corporate restructuring, and evolution into a global consumer healthcare brand.

Tiger Balm occupies a hybrid position between traditional medicine and modern consumer healthcare:

This hybrid positioning has contributed to the brand’s longevity.

Product formulations, indications, and regulations differ by country. A Tiger Balm product sold in Singapore, Malaysia, the United States, or the United Kingdom may have different active ingredients, concentrations, permitted claims, directions for use, classifications, packaging, and regulatory status.

For example, while U.S. products identify camphor and menthol as major active ingredients, other ingredients may be categorised differently under local regulations. Claims regarding efficacy should always be interpreted according to the specific product’s local label.

1870s

Aw Chu Kin establishes a traditional medicine practice and apothecary in Rangoon.30

1908

Aw Chu Kin dies; his sons Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par take over the family business.31

1909

The Tiger Balm name is introduced according to the company’s official heritage account.32

1920s

Boon Haw expands the business into Malaya and Singapore.

1926

The Aw family establishes a major operation in Singapore.

1937

The Aw family builds the original Tiger Balm Gardens, later known as Haw Par Villa.33

1944

Aw Boon Par dies.

1954

Aw Boon Haw dies at age 72.

1969

Haw Par Brothers International Limited is incorporated and listed.

1971–1975

Slater Walker gains control of Haw Par; the company enters a severe corporate crisis.

1975

Haw Par approaches collapse amid the fallout from the Slater Walker period.

1992

Haw Par regains worldwide control of Tiger Balm following the expiration of its long-term licensing agreement.

1997

Haw Par Brothers International is renamed Haw Par Corporation Limited.

2000s–2010s

Tiger Balm expands into additional formulations, markets, and consumer segments.

2020s

The brand continues expanding into patches, sports products, sprays, gels, and wellness/aromatherapy products, including Tiger Balm Sensorial Therapy.

Today

Tiger Balm remains Haw Par’s flagship consumer healthcare brand and is sold internationally.

1. Heritage – Tiger Balm
2. Product Types – Tiger Balm
3. Product Types – Tiger Balm
4. Wisdom Of Generations | Tiger Balm History
5. Heritage – Tiger Balm CA
6. FAQ – Tiger Balm
7. Products Overview – Tiger Balm
8. FAQ – Tiger Balm SG
9. Tiger Balm White Ointment – Multi-Symptom Relief
10. FAQ – Tiger Balm
11. Sore Muscle Relief and Remedy Tips – Tiger Balm
12. The Complete Guide to Tiger Balm Pain Relief – Patches, Balms, and More – Tiger Balm
13. The 100-Year Legacy of Tiger Balm that Continues to Gain International Recognition – Tiger Balm
14. Tiger Balm – Wiki.sg
15. About Us | Tiger Balm UK
16. よくある質問 – Tiger Balm JP
17. About Us | Tiger Balm UK
18. Het Verhaal van Tijgerbalsem | Oorsprong en Geschiedenis
19. 歴史 – Tiger Balm JP
20. Home – Tiger Balm US
21. Where to buy – Tiger Balm
22. Tiger Balm Relief – Fast & Effective
23. Tiger Balm Neck and Shoulder Rub | Neck Pain Cream
24. Tiger Balm Red Ointment – Warm Pain Relief
25. Tiger Balm White Ointment – Multi-Symptom Relief
26. FAQ – Tiger Balm SG
27. Tiger Balm CA – Effective Body Ache and Pain Relief
28. History | Tiger Balm
29. Haw Par Corporation Limited – Profile
30. Haw Par Corporation Limited – 医药保健
31. Homepage | Haw Par Corporation Limited
32. Haw Par Corporation Limited – Annual Report 2023 – Page 10
33. Tiger Balm