After living in Thailand for one year, I have grown accustomed to several personal care products from Thailand that I can no longer live without. Coming from Hong Kong where there is no import duty, I first found imported skincare and body care products to be pricey. I also made the mistake of ordering them online and ended up having to pay import duties after having to complete complicated paperwork and overcome logistics barriers. A couple of months later, I began to search for locally produced personal care products. Luckily, Thailand is the kingdom of abundant natural ingredients! After some trial and error, I soon found local produce of superb quality and at very reasonable price points.
I am sure my readers are familiar with HARNN, as premium spa products from Thailand. HARNN has opened its own heritage spas in Thailand, but well before that, their products have been adopted by luxury spas in various 5-star resorts, as well as some of best spas Thailand has to offer. I remember I used to buy as many HARNN soaps as my suitcase could possibly carry without being overweight, as souvenirs from Thailand that I could gift to my friends in Hong Kong. Rice soaps were my go-to gift. They had this distinctive natural fragrance of rice, something we ate everyday as Chinese but never used it on our skin, was totally exotic and addictive. The texture of that thin layer of rice applying on skin was heavenly, reminded me of how Japanese using rice water for their skincare, but with an added bonus fragrance of jasmine or lemongrass— two famous natural Thai ingredients.
When I used up the facial cream I had brought with me in my suitcase, I went on a quest for a decent local facial cream brand that could calm my sensitive skin, while supplying it with enough moisture and nutrients. That was when I converted from being an occasional tourist HARNN shopper to a full-time face care consumer.
Natural Ingredients Combined with Thai Self-Care Wisdom Passed on Through the Generations
Our skin is our biggest organ, so when it comes to which skincare products I would use, the first and foremost criteria is that the ingredients must be natural and free of harmful chemicals. Not only HARNN face care products check this point, I also love the fact that its collections celebrate the abundance of nature in Thailand.
I fell in love with brand’s Water Lily collection for face care. The whole line aims at detoxing and at the same time, nourishing. I adore its gentle and natural fragrance. I apply a pea size portion of its water lily facial wash on my face as a morning mask while doing a wake-up yoga flow. It has become a ritual that I find energising and packed with some pampering.
A Retail Experience for the Senses
Indeed, I love going to the HARNN shop, its heritage theme décor makes it a joy to visit. The fragrances result from their natural product immediately transported me to fond memories from past holidays. HARNN’s retail experiences truly feed all our senses, and I never get bored of HARNN’s Thai heritage decór. Just entering a HARNN shop you are immediately welcomed by a wave of Jasmine and rice soap fragrances. Since HARNN has its own spa, it also developed its tisane from different plants. Visitors to a HARNN shop are also encouraged to try on their products. Hence if you enter with a pair of dry hands, it’s guaranteed you will walk out of the shop with them thoroughly moisturised!
My current favourite HARNN products to collect and to gift to my friends are HARNN’s naturally fragranced sachets. I love how the brand pays homage to different cities in the form of scents. These beautiful sachets are named after cities around the world such as Beijing, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mumbai, and all feature carefully curated scents that will stir up memories of those places. They are retailed at 420 baht (at time of writing, the USD is trading at 35.19 THB) which makes them really reasonable and light to carry gifts that I can bring on my overseas travels or bring back as souvenirs from Thailand.
Where Can You Find HARNN Products?
There are beautiful HARNN shops across Thailand with multiple points of sale in Bangkok, Phuket, Chiangmai, Pattaya, as well as the numerous 5 to 6 stars luxury resorts and Thai spas that have chosen HARNN as their product of choice. Having HARNN products in your home is like having easy access to the best spa in Thailand, every day.
Visit Harnn’s website for their full line of products. Its offers has largely expanded since my days of HARNN soap shopping. I truly believe one day the brand would become as popular as one of those famous French brands as it invests much into researches to develop a wide range of products that are natural, respecting the Thai traditions and delivering results, as well as a wonderful journey for our senses. I have already tried their skincare care and home enhancing products such as candles and deed infusers. I look forward to trying their new lines such as hair care and surprisingly, even include dental care! I already have my eyes on HARNN’s jasmine and peppermint toothpaste when my current toothpaste runs out. I have sensitive gums so I am always looking for toothpaste that is made of natural ingredients, and gentle on the gums while effectively keeping my teeth clean and healthy!
Also, don’t forget to follow HARNN on Instagram to see their stunning product photo shots.
