Finland is known abroad for its nature, wideness, forests, lakes, its small population, tranquillity and creativity. There is one brand that sums up every great aspect of Finland: Hetkinen.
The Turku-based company produces innovative natural cosmetics and minimalist interior design products. Finnish forests and trees are the source of inspiration. The product line is made from 100% natural and responsible ingredients and is completely vegan. You can feel the richness of the forest in every product: they use the best of the forest in their ingredients, such as lichen, pine needles or vitamin-rich berries, and the packaging is mostly made of Finnish pine. The aesthetics, the great smell and the sustainability aspect make the products a must-have in every home.
Hetkinen's philosophy can be divided into two main sections: "Buy less but better" and "Take a moment for yourself". The first touches on the sustainability aspect: The products are long-lasting thanks to their cleverly designed consistency (speaking of cosmetics, most of them are waterless, which means they are very sufficient because a very small amount of the product is enough per use). Many of the interior products are also designed to last a lifetime.
I also like the second aspect very much: For me, Hetkinen products are a moment of self-care. I like to take a spa day every week and spoil myself with great products - life is short and there should be plenty of nice moments, and if you can make them for yourself, even better!
Product reviews
Over the past few months I have had the privilege of being a brand ambassador for Hetkinen for the third time and have received some product samples to try out. You can read my Hetkinen blog posts from 2021 and 2022 here:
Hetkinen candles
A scent is often connected to a story and is something you will always remember. I've been to Lapland once, in the depths of winter at -20 degrees. As we trudged through the snow, my sister and I noticed that someone had heated up a smoke sauna and, along with the cold, there was a wonderful smell in the air that I'd never smelled before. When I smell the Hetkinen Veggie Smoke Sauna Candle, it immediately takes me back to that moment. I would describe the scent of the candle as dark, woody, but also slightly sweet. This candle was actually the first product I ever bought from Hetkinen. It feels like the scent has evolved over time, the new candle smells a bit sweeter - it would also make a great men's scent if you ask me. It's a scent you can surround yourself with all day.
Also worth mentioning is the colour of the candle - it has such a beautiful creamy colour and even after lighting it, the texture reminds me of caffe latte when you pour in the milk and it combines with the coffee, so beautiful!
The Hetkinen DIY / Refill Candle Set is the perfect gift for any creative person. It comes with small vegetarian wax flakes, a wooden candle wick, a scent button, a label and short instructions in a paper box. All you need is an old jar and preferably a microwave to heat the wax flakes (a stove will do it too). In a few minutes you have created your own candle and the feeling of having made it yourself is incredibly rewarding! The process is very simple, the most difficult part is applying the label straight onto the jar. If you want to make the candle even more personal, you can add some special text, a little poem, some wishes or stickers to the label. It also makes a great gift if you want to give something personal or homemade.
The DIY kit is also a great Hetkinen starter product - it's an inexpensive alternative to the vegetable candles in the shop - if you want to try the brand, it's a great opportunity to get the same quality at a cheaper price.
Hetkinen cosmetics
If you take a look at my bathroom cabinet, you will see that I only have a few basic products for my daily routine. I like to keep it simple and use everyday essentials like soap, cream, shampoo and nothing fancy. At first I wasn't sure if I really needed a sense oil, but over the past few months it has become one of my favourite Hetkinen products. I really like the versatility of the oil, you can use it literally anywhere from your face, lips, legs, elbows, feet and/or hair. I have chosen the Hetkinen Spruce-Cranberry Sense Oil, which smells amazing and strengthens the skin. It brightens and protects against free radicals, UV rays and premature ageing. I love using it on my legs as a reward after using the exercise bike and I also use it on my hair - especially when it's looking a little dry or matt. It is such a nice extra treat that I can highly recommend it.
Hetkinen lip balms make my lips feel soft and silky. The secret of the Pine Lip Balm is a combination of cold-pressed vegetable oils that soften and nourish the lips, two different types of pine oil and Finnish pine needle oil extract. I have never seen another brand put so much effort into creating a sustainable packaging for a lip balm. I also like to call it a little pocket wonder because you can use it not only on your lips but also on any other dry area of your skin. My favourite Hetkinen lip balm is Coffee-Pine because I am a huge fan of the smell of coffee beans. It's one of my daily essentials that's always in my bag because I don't like the feeling of dry lips.
The Hetkinen Cranberry Cream is one of the products that will last a long time due to its more solid, waterless texture. You only need a pea-sized amount to apply. It is a face cream with a slightly pinkish and yellowish colour and a mild and sweet scent that reminds me a little of a subtle natural rose scent with a citrus note, but it is obviously cranberry, geranium essential oil and a few other key ingredients. The cream nourishes the skin and protects it from UV rays. As I already have a face cream from another brand, the Cranberry Cream is a product that I only use on special occasions. I probably won't buy it again because I've already found the perfect everyday cream. What definitely speaks for it is the natural formula, the amazing subtle scent and the moisturising and smoothing effect on the skin. It has also received some really great reviews on the website, so it is definitely worth a try.
Hetkinen Home
It's great to see the Hetkinen product line growing and I've been looking forward to the Pine Vessel Diffuser as an addition to the home fragrance section. The Hetkinen pine diffuser is designed to last a lifetime - the only thing that needs replacing are the fragrance bottles, which are currently available in three different scents. The diffuser is a useful everyday item that could also pass for a design object thanks to its great shape. I chose the Hiljaisuus fragrance (Hiljaisuus is Finnish and means 'silence') - a harmonious scent with notes of neroli, vanilla and plum - and the Metsä fragrance (also a Finnish word that can be translated as 'forest'), which reminds me of a walk in the forest with a pine-covered path.
Hetkinen also has a large selection of (round) soaps. Since our tiles and taps are grey, I chose Hetkinen's Crowberry-Spruce Salt Soap, which looks a bit like the moon. Crowberry is rich in vitamin C and contains many antioxidants and anthocyanins. The salt soap gently disinfects the skin, which we all know is very important to keep all kinds of bacteria away. I use one in the kitchen and one in the bathroom - it makes my hands feel smooth and clean.
Hetkinen collaborations
Hetkinen is also known for great collaborations, such as the one with Finnish natural cosmetics company Laponie. Together they have created a light facial spray that leaves the skin feeling hydrated, calm and comfortable. It is a skincare product for sensitive skin with no added fragrance. It reduces irritation and redness and comes in a beautiful wooden box that can also be used to store make-up or other items. Happiness Birch Mist is one of my sister's favourites - she likes to include it in her mourning routine.
One collaboration I was particularly looking forward to was with Aarikka, another Finnish company known abroad for the round (wooden) shapes in their jewellery. Aarikka and Hetkinen have created a mini diffuser in the shape of a tree, which comes with a small bottle of pine essential oil. It is such a beautiful and great item that you can also use as a scented tree in your car, as a diffuser on your desk or as a charm for your bag. I would recommend getting the pine tree in the natural colour as I had a few problems with the black one when letting the scent drop into the hole: It can happen that a little of the colour of the tree comes off due to the oil, which you can avoid by choosing the natural coloured one.
All in all, it has been a really great ambassador season and I can highly recommend all the products mentioned. Also keep an eye on Hetkinen's social media channels, they have recently launched Hetkinen Scent Labs where you can create your own personal summer scent - they are currently touring Finland visiting festivals where you can buy a bottle of your own summer scent. It looks like they will also be opening the first Hetkinen concept store in October 2024!
Thank you Hetkinen and all the other ambassadors for the great community and the chance to be part of this project!