Beauty, the history of beauty care and jewelry at the Riihimäki City Museum's summer exhibition at Riemu museums starting on May 23rd

The exhibition Beauty – Some Women Don't Know This (May 23–September 13, 2026) at Riihimäki City Museum focuses on the world of beauty and beauty care through the museum's collections of Teka and Havi objects and advertising originals, jewelry and other beauty care-related material. Also on display are jewelry designed by the finalists of the Jewelry of the Year 2026 competition, Jusli Maunula's small bags and some works from the Riihimäki Art Museum.

Teka and Havi products as part of Finnish everyday life

Teka and Havi have been an important part of the history of Finnish beauty and healthcare, as well as Finnish technochemistry and Riihimäki's industry. The Teka and Havi factories were a central part of the Riihimäki cityscape and identity, and they brought jobs to the area in their time. The companies' factories operated in the city center area between 1911 and 1970.

The factories manufactured beauty products, hair and perfumes, soaps, hairdressing products and technochemical products. The range included, among others, the well-known Saba skin cream and the popular Ilona soap. After the outbreak of the Winter War, the Havi factory moved to Riihimäki to the property of its sister company Teka. With the transfer, Riihimäki gained factories manufacturing a wide range of products, from candles to beauty products. In 1970, Teka Oy Ab was merged into Havi's technochemical department. The companies complemented each other: Teka continued to manufacture cosmetics and household chemicals, Havi detergents and candles.

In 2002, the Riihimäki City Museum received a donation of the historical collections of the Havi Candle Factory. As a result of the donation, the museum's collections now include, in addition to candles, a significant number of cosmetics and soaps manufactured at the factory, health care-related materials, and, among other things, original drawings and advertising originals from the company. All of these are also on display in the exhibition.

In addition to original advertising, the exhibition also includes soaps, shampoos and hair care products, perfumes, theatrical makeup, powders and lipsticks, creams and gift boxes for products. The exhibition also features old price lists from Teka and Havi.

Ilona soap commercials and award-winning jewelry design

The exhibition features Ilona soap, which was one of Oy Teka Ab's most popular products. Ilona soap advertisements were illustrated from 1926 onwards by Lauri (Lassi) Tokkola (1899–1975), a painter and graphic artist born in Keuruu, who also worked as an illustrator and advertising designer. The exhibition features original advertisements advertising Ilona soap.

The advertising language and imagery of Ilona soap advertisements largely corresponded to the ideals and other advertising imagery of the time. The advertisements promised the user beauty, youth and admiration from others: “velvety, soft and smooth skin”. Ilona soap was marketed to the modern woman as a modern product that was also suitable for the harsh northern climate and cold winter.

The exhibition also features jewelry, such as the Solina jewelry set by Janna Kalamaa, winner of the 2026 Jewelry of the Year, and the Kesäsade jewelry set by Mari Syrén, winner of the 2025 Jewelry of the Year. Other jewelry, hair combs, small bags and hat pins on display belong to the collection of the Riihimäki City Museum. The exhibition includes a few Scrunchie bags by Jusli Maunula.