Support these Asian American beauty brands right now
Let’s get one thing straight: The American beauty industry would be nothing today without the help of Asian beauty. Imported Korean and Japanese brands like Hera, Shiseido, and others have given rise to beauty fads such as glass-skin primers, popsicle-stain lip tints, mochi skin, and more. In fact, sheet masks, BB creams, facial rollers, and fermented beauty products are all influenced by Asian heritage.
We should give a shoutout in particular to Asian American beauty brands whose cosmetics, serums, scrubs, and more are the product of amazing entrepreneurs who draw diverse inspiration from their heritage. Without their ingenuity, the beauty world wouldn’t be what it is today. Here are some of our favorite Asian American beauty brands that you should go out and support ASAP:
1. Tower 28
Tower 28’s mission is all about designing cosmetics for sensitive skin. Their cream blushes, bronzers, and lip glosses are made with skin-soothing ingredients like aloe vera and rosehip oil. Founder Amy Liu has suffered from severe eczema her entire life, so she wants to ensure that beauty products are accessible to everyone, including those with skin issues.
2. ManiMe
ManiMe creates custom-fit stick-on manicures by using 3D modeling technology. They send these stick-on manicures in the mail that are ready to be applied in just a few minutes. Jooyeson Song founded ManiMe, and she created it to allow her to switch up her nails without running to the salon every time to get a manicure.
3. Mango People Cosmetics
CEO Sravya Kalyanapu created Mango People Cosmetics because she was frustrated by the lack of inclusive lipstick shades in beauty stores. She decided to form her own makeup line that would suit all skin tones, especially deeper ones. While developing Mango People Cosmetics, Sravya experimented with different clays and pigment-rich fruits and flowers often used in South Asian beauty, which has become a staple for many of the products her company offers.
4. Cle Cosmetics
While founder Lauren Jin started her career in fashion, she ended up turning to beauty because she wanted to create vegan, cruelty-free, and ethically made beauty and skincare products for women of color, which she noticed was severely lacking in the market. That’s when she created Cle Cosmetics. Many of the ingredients that Lauren likes to use in her products include pearl powder, bamboo extract, blueberry, and snow lotus flower, which are ingredients found in traditional Asian skincare.
5. Skylar
Beauty guru Cat Chen noted that she was inspired by her dad’s entrepreneurial endeavors in Taiwan growing up, which led her to start her own business, Skylar. Cat’s goal was to develop fresh, sophisticated scents that didn’t include allergens and harmful chemicals. In fact, all of her perfumes are free from parabens, phthalates, SLS, synthetic dyes, and animal-derived ingredients.
6. Orce Cosmetics
Orce Cosmetics specifically caters to Asians of all skin tones and backgrounds. Founder Yu-Chen Shih is passionate about ending colorism within the Asian community and longstanding notions that “light skin is better.” Her brand’s foundations have been carefully crafted to match undertones commonly found in Asian skin — which many other beauty companies don’t cater to specifically.
7. Good Light Beauty
Founded by former journalist David Yi, Good Light Beauty stands for inclusivity and the idea that beauty products have no gender identity. The brand is known to feature products that are anti-inflammatory and pH-balanced with the goal of strengthening the skin’s moisture barrier.
8. SLMD Skincare
Celebrity dermatologist Dr. Sandra Lee, AKA pimple popper extraordinaire, recently launched her own skincare line, SLMD, which is designed to combat oily, blemish-prone skin. Products include body wash, acne body spray, cleansers, treatments, sunscreens, and more.
