Our Founder
Manusanun “Mew” Leelahongjudha founded SUDTANA in 2019 to honour the herbal wisdom passed down through generations of her family and bring that care into the modern world through scientific research at MIT.
Growing up in Thailand, Mew was raised around herbal care that felt naturally powerful yet gentle. When she came home, her mother would turn to her grandfather’s handwritten notebook to prepare soothing herbal blends that calmed and restored her skin and hair. Mew’s late grandfather, a respected village herbalist, believed in nature’s quiet ability to bring the body back to balance over time. This belief stayed with her for years to come.
Years later, while studying abroad, she found herself in a world that felt faster, harsher, and further removed from nature. The shelves were filled with conventional products, yet the more she used them, the more her hair and skin felt dry, reactive, and out of balance. It was a quiet but powerful contrast, one that drew her back to the remedies she had grown up with and to a deeper question: why had they always felt gentler and more in harmony with the body?
Guided by that curiosity, Mew began studying the science behind traditional herbs. During her studies at MIT under a Fulbright Scholarship, she explored how natural ingredients function, how formulations could be refined and how efficacy, stability and safety can be strengthened without losing the soul of the original traditional remedies.
From this union of ancestral wisdom and scientific research, SUDTANA was born.
Today, Mew continues to carry her family’s legacy forward through remedies designed to care for the body gently, restore balance over time and help each person rediscover confidence and feel more at home in their own skin.
Formulation Philosophy
Mew’s approach to formulation begins with two core beliefs: that true care starts with addressing the root cause of skin and hair concerns, and that nature’s healing power holds what the body needs to restore itself gently over time. This focus on root-cause care is important, as rather than chasing quick fixes or surface-level results, each remedy is created to work with the body’s natural rhythms and restore balance first.
Every ingredient is chosen with intention and handled with care, so its natural quality, vitamins, minerals and beneficial properties remain present in every bottle. The goal is never to overpower the body, but to support it with care that feels gentle, honest and deeply effective.
This philosophy reflects both the wisdom Mew inherited from her grandfather and her commitment to refining each formulation through thoughtful scientific understanding. It is the foundation of every SUDTANA ritual: nature-led, carefully crafted and made to support lasting wellbeing.
Professional Recognition
Mew is the latest to add to her family’s legacy through SUDTANA, and under her leadership, we have grown into a brand recognised for both its integrity and performance.
Over the years, the brand has been honoured by internationally recognised beauty awards and magazines, including:
- The Clean Beauty Awards Canada 2026 (First Place, Hair Treatment Category)
- The ELLE Thailand Best of Beauty 2025 (Best Pick, Hair Care Category)
- The ELLE Thailand Best of Beauty 2024 (Rising Star, Face Care Category)
- The Marie Claire UK Hair Awards 2024 (First Place, Natural Formula Category),
- The Marie Claire UK Skin Awards 2021 (Highly Commended, Natural Formula Category)
Our rituals are also trusted by some of the world’s most distinguished 5-star hotels and resorts such as The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, Siam Kempinski Bangkok, Four Seasons Bangkok, Rosewood Bangkok & Phuket, Six Senses Samui, Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, and more. SUDTANA can even be found in the Four Seasons Private Jet Experience flying between Cairns, Australia and Bangkok, Thailand.
Personal Practices
Outside of her work, Mew practices yoga and meditation as part of her commitment to balance and intentional living. These personal practices reflect the same philosophy that guides her formulations: supporting long-term wellbeing through thoughtful care and respect for the body’s natural rhythms.
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Mew’s experience at MIT helped shape the way she approaches formulation. It was never about replacing the wisdom passed down through her family, but about understanding it more deeply and refining it with care.
Through her studies, she learned more about how herbal ingredients work, how they can be thoughtfully combined in more scientifically calculated ratios to draw out their benefits, and how to enhance their efficacy and safety while delivering exceptional results.
This allows SUDTANA to honour ancient Thai herbal remedies while refining them for modern life, preserving their original essence while enhancing their purity, efficacy and performance.
For SUDTANA, root-cause care means looking beyond surface symptoms to understand and address the deeper imbalances affecting the hair, skin and body rather than relying on quick fixes that offer only temporary results.
We believe true beauty begins with balance. By caring for your body gently and consistently, you support its natural ability to restore and strengthen itself, allowing your natural glow to emerge effortlessly and reflect a healthier, more confident self over time.
Handcrafting in small batches allows us to preserve the purity and potency of every ingredient to give you the highest quality self-care.
Working in smaller quantities enables us to carefully control each step, from extraction to blending, ensuring that the ingredients’ beneficial properties remain intact.
It also allows us to keep our remedies closer to their natural state. This means the care that reaches your hair, skin, and body feels fresher, purer, and more nurturing, while supporting a more mindful and responsible way of producing our rituals.
It begins with studying the natural compounds found in herbs and understanding how they support the body.
From antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties to their ability to calm, protect and strengthen the skin barrier, Mew carefully studies herbs long valued in Thai herbal traditions and explores how they can work together within a formula.
These insights are then used to create remedies in which ingredients are chosen with intention and work in harmony, supporting both safety and lasting results.
The farmers and growers we work with are at the heart of SUDTANA.
Over the years, these relationships have grown far beyond sourcing partnerships. Many of the farmers and growers we work with have been part of our journey since the early days of the brand, and over time they have become trusted collaborators and close friends who share our dedication to purity, quality and care.
Shop Mew's Favourites
Sacha Inchi Ginger & Turmeric Nourishing Facial Oil
Nourishing Hair Set & Moisturising Body Oil
