Revolutionary herbal care for hair and scalp

By Citylife | Fri 6 Jun 2025

Apaiphan (AK) wore a tight buzz cut for over four years. Sure, it looked good, but the reason wasn’t fashion; it was because he suffered from lupus and was fed-up with waking up each and every morning with a pillow-full of hair and an itchy scalp. He was already on an entire regiment of herbal products to combat the various symptoms of lupus, but with no non-chemical hair products available, the shave was the the go-to easy and quick solution.

Today AK wakes up next to his wife, combs his fingers through his hair—yes, hair!—before styling it for the busy day ahead of expanding the couple’s rapidly growing empire. He and his wife had found an innovative solution to his lupus challenges and today they are providing a number of natural hair and related products to people suffering similar problems not just across Thailand, but as far afield as Russia and the United States of America.

A great number of people around the world suffer from itchy scalp, dandruff, oily skin or thin and shedding hair. Most of the solutions available are either the placebo that is a mint-based hair product to help cool the sculpt, or a full-on medical product which may work, but is laden with chemicals such as the addictive steroid while also lacking in purchasing appeal.

It was when a relative sent them a little bottle of home made cold pressed kaffir lime shampoo, that AK’s life changed. Having already tried many different types of herbs up until then, AK wasn’t holding his breath, but since it was a gift from a relative, he decided to persevere. After three months of continuous use, he began to notice that the red splotches on his scalp had disappeared and that his pillow was no longer covered with his hair each morning. Startled, the couple wondered whether this was just a fluke. So they reached out to friends and family members who also had various hair complaints and after a few months heard from all of them of great improvements.

Et, voila! A business idea was born.

First off, the couple had to find out whether their empirical success was in anyway rooted in verifiable fact and science. Just because a source from nature is touted as good, they didn’t know how it worked, what dosages to use, how to apply it, how it is absorbed, what was the best way to extract it or even which part of the plant itself to use. There were more questions than any simple personal research or successful anecdote could account for. Fortunately a relative was a lecturer at Chiang Mai University and helped the couple get in touch with Associate Professor Dr. Panee Sirisa-Ard who specialises in traditional Thai medicine and ethnomedicine at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Chiang Mai University. Their dream now in good hands, they studied alongside Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pranee as she worked to develop a formula for optimum effectiveness of their product. The aim was to have a fast-effecting product, so that people didn’t lose faith too soon, which would also be good for long term usage.

The development of each product took years, said the couple. The first to launch were the kaffir shampoo as well as treatment conditioner. The shampoo, while important, was immediately rinsed out, which meant that for something more effective, it had to be used alongside a conditioner which would be left on for a longer period of time.

Hydraulic cold extraction, otherwise known as cold pressing, is a super efficient method of extracting oils from fruits and vegetables, its use today widely applicable to a multitude of industries and products. The kaffir lime plant—the hero of this story—is a native here in Thailand, and this method was deemed the best to extract all its goodness without losing any essence to heat which can reduce enzymes and antioxidants. Used in traditional Thai cooking, the tough peel of the kaffir lime plant as well as as its aromatic leaves have long been boiled, fried, roasted or steamed to enhance the flavours of Thai cuisine. The kaffir lime’s health benefits include vitamin C and antioxidants as well as proving to help reduce inflammation and indigestion, has been used in healing hot compresses and herbal teas for centuries. Fortunately much research has already been done into how best to enhance the efficacy of kaffir lime, such as the knowledge that the post-rains limes are better from the skin, or which region of the country provides the most suitable limes for extracts. The antiseptic factor of kaffir lime essence has also been long proven, therefore Assoc. Prof. Dr Panee had a vast amount of verified research from which to draw upon.

The shampoo that was developed uses between 8-10 kaffir limes per bottle. Requiring the product to be easily and thoroughly rised, the foam is reduced and no perfume is added—the only scent coming from the natural extracts. This means that the shampoo can be applied directly to the scalp without harm. In fact, the kaffir extracts help to strengthen the roots of the hair while also soothes the skin.

The soothing nature of this product was not enough for some customers, however, who wished to stimulate hair growth. Those with greasy scalps often suffered from slow hair growth or even hair loss as not enough blood and nutrients circulated to stimulate the roots. Ginger and galangal are known properties for halting the growth of DHT male sex hormone which prevents the healthy growth of hair as well as leading to hair loss. The good doctor was then tasked with finding a product to meet these needs and this soon lead to even more years of research and development until a new product was born: ginger and galangal essential hair products for hair loss.

Next, some people asked about how to slow down the whitening of their hair. Since the Indian gooseberry was already widely used to help with premature greying, a new product was soon on the shelves.

And so the development continued, from one year to the next, each product met the needs of an ever-growing customer base.

The young couple may have looked to our traditional and natural resources for inspiration, but they are modern people and understand the need for products to meet needs of today’s younger generation. Aiming to appeal to the burgeoning middle class in Thailand, they developed an attractive branding which allowed their products to be proudly shown on any bathroom shelf. These easy-to-use products come in pretty packaging, and they even work with local artists they admire to develop seasonal packaging for special occasions.

Since the inception of Kaff & Co. In 2014 there have been a great number of heartening stories which have kept the couple determined in their venture. They have heard from cancer survivors who swear by their hair products, helping them to return to their vibrant selves not just in the body but with their hair. They have received thanks from people who previously suffered from itchy scalps or dandruff, who now proudly boasts big black manes of hair. They have helped educate people in how to apply hair and sculpt products healthily, holding workshops and educating their clients along the way.

And of course, they have thoroughly enjoyed their personal success. The handsome couple, heads full of hair, launching one successful product after anotherand taking home a number of awards such as the Cleo Beauty Hall of Fame 2018’s Best Hair Tonic and Chevajit Awards 2020 GURU’s Pick Natural Products.

You can visit their web site to purchase all of their products or learn more about this exciting venture. They have even recently developed accessories such as the microfibre hair turban towel, a sculp massager and a bamboo hair brush.