After learning from Thai folklore of the benefits of local herbs like White Kwao Krua and mulberry leaf, Torchak Pinyosinwat, an engineer-turned-businessman, employed his talent for innovation to use the herbs to create a new range of toiletries under the brand name I-rashi.

He discovered that White Kwao Krua, or Pueraria Mirifica by its botanical name, is popular among Japanese people and is an important ingredient in many Japanese toiletries, while Thai people don't seem to realise its real value. So he saw the opportunity to start a business and launched a company 10 months ago.

"Kwao Krua not only enhances breasts, but also works like the female hormone oestrogen, to help the skin to appear lively and young. It would have been popular 10 years ago if some academics had not sent out wrong messages [about it] publicly. It is actually not dangerous if it is used in the proper quantities," Torchak says.

Despite registered capital of only Bt1 million, I-rashi products are carefully produced under the latest research and development techniques and according to an international standard called Good Manufacturing Product (GMP).

Torchak claims this makes I-rashi products unique among Thai and even premium foreign toiletries.

For example, its deep-cleansing fluid is created from microemulsion, a new type of liquid created from water and oil. With particles as small as nano-particles, the liquid can deeply wash away dirtiness in facial skin that water cannot remove. Mulberry leaf extract is also added to the fluid as a skin-whitening agent.

Genius Water is water moisturiser developed to suit the skin of people living in tropical countries because moisturiser creams and lotions developed for temperate climates make the skin "gooey". Kwao Krua and Mulberry leaf extracts are included to reduce wrinkles and brighten the face, respectively.

However, life is not a bed of roses. Torchak's company fell short of its sales targets this year, recording revenue of about Bt20 million when the target was Bt36 million.

He attributes this to the slowdown in consumption caused by political uncertainty and the flooding disaster. High advertising costs and a 30-per-cent discount for selling in shops also had an influence on the balance sheet.

Moreover, he says, he found difficulty finding loan finance and new partners because the gloomy economic conditions made banks and businessmen more cautious. He remains concerned about the political situation and consumers' confidence, believing these factors can affect his sales.

But the show must go on.

He intends to increase the products in the I-rashi range, including a Nano sun block, and will expand his target group to include men. He wants to expand his distribution channels from the current herbal and cosmetics shops, drugstores at Lotus Tesco and Tang Hua Seng, to include The Mall's supermarkets.

Torchak says his company will also begin exporting to neighbouring countries like Vietnam next year in a bid to reach sales of Bt36 million. He also hopes I-rashi, meaning lively, pretty and charming, will be exported to Japan in the near future.

He believes the government should launch active campaigns if it wants to promote Thai brand-name products. It should also impose high production standards on manufacturers of cosmetics and toiletries in order to protect consumers and should control sales mark-ups by "modern-trade" shops.

"Thai toiletries can currently be sold without any permission, so the government should amend related laws to control this. Otherwise, bad producers will take advantage of consumers and good producers will be unable to exist," he says.

Anoma Srisukkasem

The Nation