I RECENTLY received a box of soaps from a brand called Madame Heng, and I remembered being in Bangkok for work and buying a bar of their soap because I had forgotten to bring one. I normally don’t use hotel soap.
I don’t recall which soap I first tried but I liked it and made a mental note to buy more before going back. I promptly forgot, of course, so this box of soaps was very welcome indeed.
That being said, I love beauty products from Thailand because they’re well-formulated. And I love how the Thais take a more natural approach to beauty. Madame Heng soaps are well-packaged and embossed, which gives them an expensive feel. The scents are very subtle, too. The soaps were brought to the Philippines by Rose Montenegro and Katherine de los Angeles, who are longtime fans of the brand.
Madame Heng started as a backyard enterprise. Heng Shui Hiu first made the soap for her family’s use. Later on, she would give samples to her neighbors, who loved them so much that her son decided to turn his mother’s soapmaking into a business.
The popular Thai brand, which has been around for over 50 years, takes pride in their soaps, which are made from pure and natural ingredients, with different variants specializing in various skin needs.
The Original Natural Balance Soap Plus Aloe Vera and Vitamin E can be used for the face and body. I normally don’t use soap on my face but for the sake of testing, I used this for a week and I had no problems with it. It gave the skin on my face that squeaky-clean feeling that you get from washing with soap. This would be perfect for washing your face after you’ve been outdoors for several hours and your face is grimy and oily.
Blue Ozean Sea Soap is formulated for older skin (ages 40 to 60). This is formulated from two kinds of essential algae rich in minerals and proteins: the blue-green algae (Phormidium Persicinum) and brown algae (Laminaria Digitata). It protects your skin against the damaging effects of dehydration, and helps revive, stimulate and return your facial skin to smooth glowing health. This was the soap I liked a lot and I would use it as a bath soap if only it wasn’t P450 a bar.
Clear Spot Soap Original is enriched with active ingredients that carry out a specific action of preventing black spots, and reducing the existing ones caused by sun damage. I’ve been using the soap for two weeks, concentrating on my elbows and knees. Let’s see how it works but so far, I love the subtle powdery scent of this.
I like how Madame Heng soaps are very low-maintenance because you can use them for your face and body. With prices starting at P250, they aren’t cheap but you’d be addressing several skin issues in one bar.
I gave the Ozzy Acne Clear Up Soap Original Formula to my daughter so she could try it. “Enriched with magical ozzy herbs that effectively deeply cleanse your skin while prevent growing bacteria, the soap also contains green-tea extracts that protects and nourishes your skin, naturally derived glycolic acid and willow Bark extract that reduces scarring from acne and helps unclog your pores, and nano vitamins C and E that help making skin become smooth, shiny and moist,” the brand said in a news release.
The other soaps are:
- The Vitamin C Soap, which comes in Rosemary, Pomegranate and Mulberry, are fortified with natural vitamin C and delicately selected natural herbs to make skin bright and supple.
- Baby Soap, which has vitamin E, chamomile and selected herbs for sensitive skin, skin asthma, eczema, rashes and other skin irritations.
- Teenage Acne Clear, which has tea tree for blemishes. Contains Tea Tree for teenage and adult blemishes.
The special soaps are Blue Ozean, Clear Spots and Ozzy are all priced at P450. Everything else is at P250.
Madame Heng is available in the following Beauty Bar branches: Central Square Bonifacio High Street, The Power Plant Mall, Greenbelt 5, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, Glorietta, Mall of Asia, Shangri-La Plaza, Estancia Mall, Robinson’s Magnolia and Robinson’s Cebu.
They are also available online at www.madameheng.asia or www.shop.beautybar.com.ph.