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Precious Gemstones or Soaps?
The philosophy behind the unique Unna soaps
By: John Phanthoupheng
I am building the ultimate fragrance brand of Asia - say the Annick Goutal, Hermes, Laura Tonatto or what you will. This is being done first via soap, a unique concept made from the 18 minerals, vitamins, organic ingredients and wild orchids only found in the Royal Kingdom of Thailand.
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I have always not surprisingly been drawn to the beauty of that country. On my many visits I have always been intoxicated by its exotic and rich culture. This is a magical land filled with an abundance of the finest organic, all-natural ingredients that feed the skin and soothe the senses. Three years ago I had the good luck to meet Dr Jarun Unnafakung, a herbalist and pharmacist who has 35 years experience of practising traditional Thai herbal medicine. He immediately motivated me to learn about and savor the unique benefits of Asian healing and therapeutic remedies.
We have been working together to produce the most distinctive soaps ever made, the Unna & Co Exotic Herbal Soap Collection (we called it Unna in honor of my business partner, and also it means, in Thai, warmth and harmony).
Our soaps are made of 100% natural and organic ingredients, including herbs, grains, fruits, flowers and botanical essential oils. You also find green teas, and wild honey. Everything comes from Thailand. We have our plantation and we also buy from the Royal Project, the highly-respected production overseen by His Majesty. The ingredients are cured for a full five weeks, and then the soap is hand-cut and hand-molded into the shape of a stone. Because of every stone-shape is formed of natural colors, aromas and textures, each is unique. We package them in a beautiful box made of hand-woven and hand-dyed Thai silk.
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Only a few months after launching, Unna won best product at the Bangkok International Gift Fair. Now, headquartered in Vancouver, we are seeing numerous additional awards and you will be reading about us in Time, Wallpaper and many other publications. We are co-sponsor of Time's 100 Event in New York, this May, and, with Audi and Chanel, we will co-sponsor the Toronto International Film Festival in September. After that, who knows? My ultimate dream is to have, by the year 2015, at least one Unna destination resort, perhaps starting with something in
British Columbia.
John Phanthoupheng, founder and ceo of Unna & Co Ltd, was born in
Vientiane (though his mother is Thai) and brought up in Canada and
Asia. Details of the Unna collection, www.unnaco.com Details of the
Royal Project, www.doikham.com
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