Tibet Pomade: A winter staple unchanged for seven decades

Scents often carry sweet, honeyed memories. Sometimes they take us back to childhood; at other times, they bring back the face of someone long lost. A familiar fragrance can make the past feel suddenly vivid, as if every forgotten scene has come alive again behind closed eyes.

That is exactly the kind of memory forty-something Mashiur Ahmed was describing.

"After her afternoon bath, my mother followed a strict routine," he said. "She would first pray, then sit by the window facing the sunlight. She would let down her knee-length hair and dry it in the sun, put a paan in her mouth, and then carefully apply pomade to her hands and feet. There was such a sweet fragrance coming from her body. Whenever I got the chance, I would sit close to her just to smell."

The pomade that features so prominently in Mashiur's memory is Tibet Pomade. For countless people across Bangladesh, the scent of Tibet Pomade is inseparable from deeply emotional memories. From villages and marketplaces to cities and small towns, the small yellow glass jar was once a common sight everywhere. 

In today's world of glossy, modern packaging, Tibet Pomade may look outdated to some. But for those who have used it for decades, it remains a premium product.

Another long-time user, Sabina Ahmed, grows emotional when speaking about it. For her, the fragrance brings tears to her eyes.

"Every winter, my mother used this pomade," she said. "She passed away more than ten years ago. But even now, if I see someone applying it or suddenly catch its scent, I can't help but think of her."

For others, Tibet Pomade simply marks the beginning of a winter morning. Urmi Rahman still remembers her mother carefully applying the pomade to her feet, face and lips before school, and again before bedtime.

"Because it happened every day for so long, I grew used to it," she said. "Now I use it not just in winter, but throughout the year."

In Urmi's family, three generations have used Tibet Pomade. Her mother began the tradition; Urmi continued it, and now her daughter does too. For the nearly 50-year-old, winter still means that familiar yellow glass jar sitting on the shelf.

Scented creams like this were considered luxury items when they first appeared on the market in the mid-1950s. At the time, such products were not commonly used for everyday care and were primarily associated with beauty and grooming. Yet, more than seventy years later, Tibet Pomade continues to endure.

The story began in 1956, when Kohinoor Chemicals was established in Tejgaon, Dhaka's industrial area, by a group of foreign entrepreneurs.

After Bangladesh gained independence in 1971, the company was nationalised. In 1972, as part of post-war reconstruction, Kohinoor Chemicals was brought under the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) and remained under state management for many years.

In 1993, the Orion Group took over the state-owned Kohinoor Chemical Company Limited. The shift from government control to private ownership gave the company new momentum. From that point on, the name "Tibet" became even more deeply embedded in everyday life.

Although many pomades are available in the market, none have managed to establish themselves the way Tibet Pomade has, said Kohinoor Chemicals' brand executive Rabbi Ahsan.

"Tibet Pomade's popularity isn't the result of a year or two," he explained. "It's built on nearly seven decades of history and long-standing consumer trust."

Ahsan said people often ask him why the packaging has remained unchanged for so many years, without any visible modernisation.

"Those who have used the product for a long time don't welcome even minor changes," he said. "For them, pomade means a glass jar, orange colouring, and that familiar scent. A large portion of our customers are traditional, so we've kept both the packaging and the product quality exactly as they remember it."

No new variants have been introduced either, as long-time users want the product in its original form.

That said, the pomade has not remained entirely untouched by time. The changes have simply been minimal. Paper stickers on the bottle have been replaced with plastic labels, and some additional information has been added. But these alterations are so subtle that they are barely noticeable unless closely examined.

The aim, Ahsan explained, is to ensure that long-time users' emotional connection remains intact. While the old packaging style has been preserved for nostalgic reasons, these small updates were made with newer generations in mind—without compromising quality.

The company has also introduced security measures to prevent counterfeiting. According to Ahsan, genuine products feature QR codes, monograms, seals and special security markings that are difficult to replicate.

He claims that in its seventy-year history, no successful counterfeit of Tibet Pomade has emerged—largely because regular users can immediately identify the real product by touch alone.

As a result, despite the abundance of competing products, sales have not declined. In fact, they continue to rise. The price has also been kept affordable, with the pomade selling for between 60 and 70 taka at most shops.

Sumaiya Ahmed, junior brand executive at Kohinoor Chemicals, said sales have increased significantly in recent years. While long-time users remain loyal, younger consumers are gradually adopting the product as well. Each year, sales surpass those of the previous year, leading to increased production.

Rabbi Ahsan attributes this growth primarily to loyal customers.

"People who are satisfied with the product themselves naturally encourage the next generation—their children or other family members—to use it," he said.

Although commonly known as a lip balm, Tibet Pomade continues to be used in diverse ways: on lips, hands, feet, face, the entire body, and even as a hair styling product.

Times have changed. Lifestyles and grooming habits have evolved. The market is now flooded with international skincare brands and an endless array of cosmetic products. Yet, amid this modern skincare boom, Tibet Pomade remains as popular as ever during the winter months.

Surrounded by countless domestic and foreign alternatives, the small yellow jar has survived—anchored in trust, habit, and above all, memory.