Ever wondered what happens to the CEO outside of those dramas? What about those highly productive influencers outside of social media? How do they achieve what they have in their lives? We have one such CEO-cum-influencer who has managed to balance his two work lives and be productive in both! Let’s discuss INGU.
The Beginning of the INGU Brand
Being an influencer is not an easy job. Becoming a “Brand-starter” is even harder. How does one transition from one phase to another? Mr. Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai, the founder of Inguskin and Inusupplement, started his journey as a CEO after being an influencer for quite some time.
When asked about the moment when he decided to start his own brand, he said, “There isn’t a lack of product in the market. There’s a lot of products, but there’s a lot of confusion as well. More than ever because of the amount of products out there. What I tried to do with my content is use my knowledge and experience in the industry to make people see beyond the marketing and choose based on the ingredients and what’s best for their skin.
“When I decided to start my brand, the main focus was this, ‘How do I make the brand an extension of the message that I’ve been sharing in my content?’ instead of just a brand trying to push more products.
“We wanted to be a brand that differentiates based on our messaging. An honest, transparent brand that wants what’s best for the consumers. So I came up with a brand based on messaging rather than just introducing a new product to the field.”
And so, INGU began and gradually grew. Now, how does a person manage a brand?
Life of a CEO
Video editing, brand deals, boardroom meetings, and inventory tracking: a content creator must not stop their job at just content when they begin a brand. But all this together? How do people mentally disconnect? Mr. Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai shared: “I am wearing a lot of hats. There’s not a lot of time to do hobbies or anything else other than work these days.
“But I also believe you reap what you sow, and so I love what I do and I am very fortunate to be doing a job that I am excited to wake up for and do every single day.
“I think if you find that, then you find contentment in your work, but not a lot of time to disconnect at all”
The demanding schedule, however, has also brought significant rewards.
Amidst all the hardships, one of the proudest milestones so far, Mr. Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai notes, was the first pop up and first livestream outside of Thailand. “In Singapore, there was a Thai festival pop-up and a Shopee Live event. There was also a fan meet with about 8,000 people signing up. It was an unexpected crowd for us in Singapore, but it also serves as proof that our message resonates with other people in other countries as well.”
When The Brand Calls
Skincare is an important part of our daily routine. But have you ever thought about its creation or production phase? Those SPF numbers that attract more users, what product would be the hardest to make trying to get that balance right? Mr. Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai explains: “Sunscreen is the hardest one to formulate in terms of skincare because you need to balance a lot.
“Everyone wants a light texture but protection is also important. Usually when the textures are light, you have somehow compromised on the quality of the product. Sunscreen filters are very oily, and so they leave a thick and heavy feeling on the skin. So sunscreens have to balance having a light texture and have an SPF of 50+ and PA++++ , ISO 24442, 24443, 24444 , and 23675 certifications.”
Click here to check out top 10 INGU products of 2026.
A brand creator must never compromise on quality while catering to public demands. That is arguably the hardest part of being a brand owner. As the founder and a content creator, how does one balance being the relatable, public “face” of beauty content with the responsibilities of a CEO? Mr. Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai shares:
“I think it comes down to the team you are able to build. Around 30–40% of my time goes into content creation, so scaling a business without the right people to fill in the gaps simply isn’t possible. Fortunately, I have a team of people who are more talented than I am in areas such as accounting, HR, operations, and finance, and I trust them to handle those responsibilities. That way, I get more time to do something I am good at—content creation.”
INGU and India
As we all know, the climate in both Thailand and India, for the most part, is super similar. When asked about the suitability of INGU products for Indian skin, Mr. Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai replied: “I think so! All of our formulas are water-based. A lot of European and Korean skincare have oil-based formulas because of their dry climates. But for us, we would want to stick to water-based formulas which do not use that much oil but still hydrate the skin.
“Formulation-wise, a lot of humectants to draw in moisture from the air, but not much heavy emollients that add oil to your skin.”
On prospective plans to expand INGU here in India, Mr. Chayadhorn Kitiyadisai admitted: “We have (had) a lot of Indian retailers contact us in the past few months.
“Our top 5 viewers are Indians. We get a lot of Indian customers in Thailand too. We also have Hindi marketing materials coming soon. India is very interesting for a long-term plan, maybe from 2027 onward.”
An INGU Baton to Pass
What is one piece of brutal, unvarnished advice you would give to a young beauty influencer who wants to follow in your footsteps and launch their own cosmetic brand?
“Becoming a brand owner is very different from being a content creator. Looking back, I feel like I have contemplated the fact if I left the influencer life too soon. Some people might think of this as an exit strategy. But I want them to know that it’s not for everyone. It requires a different skill set, a different team, and a whole different lifestyle.”
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