Believe it or not, "Cha Cha Noi" wasn't our first choice for our Thai-inspired luxury skincare brand. This phrase—which means "slow down a little"—is typically used when someone is rushing and needs to take a breath, or when they're speaking too quickly and need to pause.

Looking back, we couldn't have found a more perfect name to embody our mission. Every product in our collection centers around holistic wellness and creating intentional self-care rituals, encouraging you to slow down in our rushed world. The name has become the heart of our brand identity, and the journey in finding it taught me lessons about patience and intention that I definitely didn't expect. 

What I Thought I Wanted

When I started this naming journey, I had specific criteria in mind:

My heart was initially set on "Sabai" or "Sabai Sabai," which means "relax" in Thai. Max came up with it and we both loved it. However, a basic trademark search revealed it had been taken (not to mention by a celebrity who definitely has an army of lawyers that I have no interest in interacting with). I went through a brief state of denial and tried to find some workarounds (e.g. an alternative play on words like "Say Bye") but we ultimately decided it just wasn't the right fit for us and we should move on.  

I was able to dig up some of my first attempts at developing a logo around this new Thai skincare concept I had back in 2021 / 2022... I thought it was so tasteful and funky but a dear friend told me it looked like early 2000's clip art and I should hire a professional. I'll write more about developing our logo and color palette in my next blog post  

What I Actually Did

We looked at alternatives like "Suay" (meaning "beauty") and straightforward options like "Thai Botanics," but nothing clicked the way "Sabai" had.

Max and I spent many evenings going through Thai phrases that matched our values while still trying to meet most of the criteria I listed above. During one of these sessions, Max brought up "Cha Cha Noi."

While "Sabai" simply describes the state of relaxation, "Cha Cha Noi" is actually a reminder to slow down. Max pointed out that "Sabai" is about the feeling of relaxation itself, but "Cha Cha Noi" feeds into a broader mindset of practicing intentionality and being present in the moment.

This was a subtle but important difference to me. We’re not just selling products to inspire relaxation; We are encouraging a more intentional approach to beauty and self-care. It was this everyday intentionality and holistic perspective of "Cha Cha Noi" that made it feel right for what we are building.

What I Learned

As someone who has spent many years working in fast-paced environments, I found a great lesson in resisting the urge to rush a decision and being intentional every step of the way. 

We received plenty of advice to "just pick something and move on" since we'd likely change it later anyway. That's not what we're about though! I see brand name as an important part of a creative process, and it's through this intentionality we embody our values of slowing down and making something meaningful for our customers.

As we prepare to launch our collection of Thai-inspired luxury clean beauty products, I invite you to join us in examining parts of your life you can slow down in. Please be sure to sign up for our email list to know when our products launch and to see more behind-the-scenes insights on building a mindful beauty brand from scratch.

What else do you want to know about our business? I'd love to hear your thoughts at erika@chachanoi.co