How Thai beauty brand Sudtana took family herbal remedies to Asia’s luxury hotels

As a child, Manusanun “Mew” Leelahongjudha did not welcome the herbal treatments prepared by her mother. When she and her brothers returned from playing outdoors with insect bites or irritated skin, their mother went to the family garden for yanang leaves and turmeric, following a remedy passed down by Leelahongjudha’s late grandfather, a village herbalist.

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We complained about the smell and the texture. As children, we did not fully appreciate it. We just wondered why we had to put this green herbal mixture on our skin when there were easier options.

“We complained about the smell and the texture. As children, we did not fully appreciate it. We just wondered why we had to put this green herbal mixture on our skin when there were easier options,” Leelahongjudha told CNA Lifestyle in an email interview. Years later, after studying in the United States, she began to see those childhood rituals differently.

Today, Sudtana makes hair, skin and body products inspired by Thai herbal traditions, with prices starting at US$14. Its products are used at hospitality destinations including Four Seasons Bangkok, Six Senses Samui and Soneva. Leelahongjudha said the company’s identity still comes from the family garden. “What felt like a simple family ritual was actually my first lesson in the connection between nature, well-being and self-care,” she said.

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What felt like a simple family ritual was actually my first lesson in the connection between nature, well-being and self-care.

She co-founded Sudtana with her two brothers in 2019, shortly after completing an MBA at MIT Sloan School of Management on a Fulbright Scholarship. She now leads the 20-person company, handling product development, brand strategy and international expansion, while her brothers continue to advise the business.

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The wisdom came from my family. Research and formulation helped give it a form that people beyond our home could use and trust.

Her time in the United States also exposed her to a growing interest in traditional wellness practices. Leelahongjudha noticed that Southeast Asia had little representation in that conversation, despite the region’s own heritage and remedies. “The wisdom came from my family. Research and formulation helped give it a form that people beyond our home could use and trust,” she said.

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I saw so many beautiful products from different parts of the world, each carrying its own heritage and story. But there was very little representation from Southeast Asia.