15 AAPI-Founded Skincare Brands to Shop Now

May 04, 2023
Caitlyn Martyn
By: Caitlyn Martyn | skincare.com by L'Oréal
Picture of the Meow Meow Tweet Rose Geranium Baking Soda Free Deodorant Stick, Savor Beauty Manuka Honey Mask and the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm on a graphic purple background
In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we’ve rounded up 10 AAPI-founded and owned skincare companies with products that deserve a spot in your routine. Shop our picks below, from glow-enhancing serums and essences to healing masks and body oils. For more AAPI-owned and -founded beauty brands, check out our roundup on Makeup.com, too.

AAPI-Owned and -Founded Skincare Brands to Shop 

Glow Recipe

Founded in 2014 by Christine Chang and Sarah Lee during a mask and wine date, Glow Recipe has taken the world by storm with its natural, fruit-powered skincare designed to help you get naturally glowing, lit-from-within skin. If you’ve never tried Glow Recipe’s cult-favorite Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, this is your sign to give them a go. 

Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops

Juara

Started by friends Metta Murdaya, Yoshiko Roth-Hidalgo and Jill Sung, Juara is a skincare brand rooted in the age-old Indonesian healing tradition of Jamu. We’re partial to the brand’s Candlenut Glow Body Oil, which gives skin a luminous sheen and smells like a tropical vacation.  

Juara Candlenut Glow Body Oil

Good Light Beauty

David Yi, founder of beauty website Very Good Light, pushes binary boundaries with Good Light, a gender-inclusive skincare line featuring the We Come in Peace Probiotic Serum, Moon Glow Milky Toning Lotion and the Cosmic Dew Water Cleanser

Good Light Beauty We Come in Peace Probiotic Serum

Peach & Lily

Founder and CEO Alicia Yoon struggled with eczema throughout her life. In an effort to take back control of her skin, she began practicing as an esthetician in Korea. Because of her knowledge of Korean beauty techniques and ingredients for sensitive skin, we can now flaunt seemingly poreless skin thanks to Peach & Lily products like the Glass Skin Refining Serum

Peach & Lily Glass Skin Refining Serum

Hero Cosmetics

After acne treatments left Hero Cosmetics co-founder  and CEO Ju Rhyu’s skin red, inflamed and unable to be covered up by makeup, she discovered the power of hydrocolloid acne patches. Since then, she has graced us with the little patches that we use on the daily to cover and treat our blemishes. Shop the cult-favorite Mighty Patch

Hero Cosmetics Mighty Patch

Mount Lai

Founder Stephanie Zhang founded Mount Lai in homage to her grandmother, who has been using a jade roller and gua sha for over 50 years. Opt for a classic, like The Jade Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool, or The Stainless Steel Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool, both of which are carbon- and plastic-neutral.

Mount Lai The Jade Gua Sha Facial Lifting Tool

Meow Meow Tweet

Founded by Tara Pelletier and Jeff Kurosaki, Meow Meow Tweet is a natural, vegan apothecary committed to creating pure, all natural, plant- and mineral-based formulas. From natural insect repellent to a deodorant cream to a complete skincare regimen, Meow Meow Tweet’s products are ethically sourced and low-waste. Oh, and have you seen the adorable packaging drawn by Kurosaki? If not, check out the Rose Geranium Baking Soda Free Deodorant Stick for an illustration that’ll brighten your day. 

Meow Meow Tweet Rose Geranium Baking Soda Free Deodorant Stick

Cocokind

Priscilla Tsai started Cocokind with the mission of finding simple, quality ingredients that were consciously and sustainably sourced and turning them into affordable products that work. Today, Cocokind offers exactly that: superfood-based, non-toxic products, like the bestselling Oil to Milk Cleanser.

Cocokind Oil to Milk Cleanser

Then I Met You

Soko Glam co-founder Charlotte Cho brought the best of the best Korean beauty practices to the forefront of the skincare space with her range of products rooted in the Korean concept of jeong, or deep meaningful connection. We love the Living Cleansing Balm for its luxurious texture and ability to melt away makeup, sunscreen and excess oil.

Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm

Beia

Beia is a vegan, pleasure-forced line that offers a range of skincare and personal intimacy products, including the silky Body & Intimacy Serum and the pH-balanced Refresh Wipes. Founder Brittany Lo nails the intersection of sustainability, wellness and skincare in this line.
Beia Body & Intimacy Serum

ESW Beauty

Founded by Elina Wang, this vegan and cruelty-free skincare line gives you an at-home spa experience with its nourishing sheet masks and jade roller. The milk- and green juice-inspired sheet masks have won our hearts with their clever packaging and moisturizing ingredients.  

ESW Beauty Green Reset Mask

YENSA

Each YENSA product is infused with eight superfood blends — the number that represents prosperity in Chinese culture. Jennifer Yen founded skin and makeup brand YENSA as a way to bring superfood and traditional Chinese medicine into the U.S. beauty market, with products such as the Pink Lotus Peptide Renewal Eye Cream and the Pumpkin Turmeric 2-in-1 Radiance Polishing Mask

Pink Lotus Peptide Renewal Eye Cream

Sachi Skin

Rooted in Ayurvedic clinical science, Sachi Skin was founded by Farah Bashir, an esthetician with more than 20 years of experience in cosmetic product formulation and education. Standout products from the line include the Pro Resilience Serum, which addresses signs of aging and provides antioxidant protection, and the Triphala Pigmentation Corrector, which targets hyperpigmentation.

Sachi Skin Triphala Pigmentation Corrector

Savor Beauty

Founder Angela Jia Kim was inspired by her Korean heritage when she created the natural skincare brand Savor Beauty. All of Savor Beauty’s products are handmade in small batches with organic ingredients and are used in the brand’s namesake holistic spas. Grab the new Hyaluronic Acid Serum and the Manuka Honey Mask to recreate a luxurious spa experience for yourself at home. 

Savor Beauty Manuka Honey Mask

UMA Oils

This “farm-to-bottle” skin- and body-care collection harnesses founder Shrankhla Holocek’s knowledge of Ayurvedic practices and essential oils. We’re in love with the brand’s latest launches, the dreamily scented Rose Rapture Rejuvenating Body Oil and the Rose Rapture Body Balm.

UMA Oils Rose Rapture Rejuvenating Body Oil
Visual Designer: Juliana Campisi Additional Reporting By: Ariel Wodarcyk

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