LOS ANGELES — With line names like Solitude, Leading Light, Awakening and Beyond Self, Thailand skin care line Panpuri is hoping to tap into the trend in holistic and Eastern-inspired beauty.
The brand, which was created in Thailand in 2003, has been available in 50 spas and resort properties there, as well as a few key international retailers. Now, it is about to make its U.S. debut.
“We have just begun introducing Panpuri to luxury destination resorts and spas as well as retail buyers,” said Randy Boba, vice president of sales for Alcanz International Inc. in San Francisco, the U.S. distributor of Panpuri. “So far, the response has been very positive. We also want to focus it on the luxury department store category.”
By the end of 2007, he expects the line to be in about 50 to 100 retail doors nationwide, and between 25 and 50 destination resorts and spas.
The brand was created “in response to wanting to utilize a lot of the indigenous botanicals, but to combine them in a way that was really unique,” said Boba.
“The idea was to build on the Buddhist and holistic traditions of Thailand,” he said. Panpuri means “palace of wisdom” in Thai.
Boba is initially introducing four lines from the collection — 91 products for professional use and 30 for retail — of head-to-toe treatments, from body masks to foot scrubs.
Solitude has lemongrass as its core ingredient, and Beyond Self is for the hands. Awakening covers facial products. Clove, coconut and sandalwood are key ingredients of the brand, which is rich in essential oils and paraben-free.
“There was a lot of thought behind each line,” said Boba. “And we saw a move in the U.S. toward holistic trends and Eastern philosophies. We did a lot of research on Thailand and on the different companies producing products there, and felt that Panpuri delivered the most superior product available.”
Alcanz is also the distributor for an Indian Ayurvedic line called Kama, which is in about 25 spas and resorts in the U.S., and Boba said he was targeting similar destinations for Panpuri. Internationally, the line is available at Harvey Nichols in Dubai and Printemps in Paris, as well as in Mandarin Oriental and Four Seasons spas.
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Prices range from $15 for a lip balm to $65.50 for a seaweed salt and butter scrub in the Leading Light category. Boba said the average price was around $35.
“The packaging also harkens back to the Thai philosophy and is clean and simple,” said Boba of the glass jars and delicate product lettering.
“What has really created a lot of buzz around the product is the unique combination of fragrances and essential botanicals, as well as the breadth of the product line. The line is very deep in what it can offer — including five different herbal compresses for professional use.”
In addition to the four initial collections, Boba will be offering a few new lines in the summer under the Panpuri name, including A Path Less Ordinary, herbal creams, cleansing masks and salt baths for the feet.