Herbal Mask that Creates Business Results

Herbal Mask that Creates Business Results

Barami Laboratories Co., Ltd. has been in the cosmetics manufacturing business for more than 10 years and has witnessed the facial mask market constantly grow. Consequently, they have decided to invest in developing their own cosmetic products, with emphasis on research from RMUTT’s Thai Traditional Medicine College. Two years later, “Matuli” was produced and received the Special Award on Stage and Gold Medal from this year’s 4^th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, Switzerland, the world’s largest exhibition to showcase inventions, despite the fact that the product has not been officially been sold in the market yet.

Ms. Sansanee Kongchai, Director of International Marketing and Sales at Barami Laboratories Co., Ltd. said that although the company currently has a research and development team, collaborating with research specialists such as Dr. Chanai Noisaeng from RMUTT’s Thai Traditional Medicine College resulted in an extensive leap forward in the product’s success.

“Barami Laboratories’ core business is manufacturing cosmetics and spa products for renowned brands, but the Matuli mask is our first product especially developed to be exported under our own brand. The Matuli mask is a product under another company we created for clear marketing and distribution purposes” said Ms. Sansanee.

Furthermore, Ms. Sansanee said that Barami Laboratories developed its own brand in order to compete in the rapidly growing facial mask market. The Chinese market has witnessed a surge in demand and has spurred further demand in European and American markets as well. However, the Matuli mask was developed to meet the needs of consumers in Japan and Korea, before distributing it in Thailand. The selling point of the Matuli mask is not its skincare characteristics. It is a product that is psychologically desirable as it comes with meditation music that is soothing and relaxing.

Moreover, the company also places importance on the online community and was able to penetrate the wider consumer market. At the same time, the product is also sold in high-end stores such as the King Power duty free store and Siam Paragon shopping complex.

“We positioned the product in the premium category, targeting adults aged 35 years and above with a B+ income. Furthermore, we expect to officially launch the product in the global market early next year” said Ms. Sansanee.

Dr. Chanai Noisaeng from RMUTT’s Thai Traditional Medicine College said that he had already developed a facial mask prior to collaborating with the private sector, but the mask did not meet the market’s needs yet. Thus, he decided to integrate his knowledge with Barami Laboratories’ research team by adapting the quality of the product, which included selecting herbs as raw materials for the mask.

Barami Laboratories’ stakeholders’ objective was that the mask should be natural. The consumer should be able to experience actual herbs. Herbs that contain optimal beauty benefits were used to develop six formulas as follows: whitening formula made from turmeric, tanaka formula to meet the needs of the Japanese market, Fah Thalai Jone (Andrographis paniculata) formula to treat acne, tamarind formula for skin refinishing and peeling, charcoal bamboo formula to absorb dirt from the skin’s pores, and gac fruit formula for anti-aging.

From a research perspective, Dr. Chanai Noisaeng realized that working with the private sector enabled him to gain more knowledge about meeting the needs of consumers. Previously, the manufacturing industry was not bounded by limited time and steep competition unlike other businesses. Product offerings had to be clear and align with the market’s needs, which will affect the direction of research. The aforementioned experience is one of many experiences that Dr. Chanai gained from the Talent Mobility (TM) program, policies that enable public sector researchers to facilitate research and development for the private sector.