7 impactful beauty brands owned by Asian women you should know

Stephanie Tan created her TCM-inspired supplement brand, Nooci, following the success of easing her chronic nasal issues. While living in the US, she relied on conventional medications to manage symptoms, and wanted to tackle the underlying root of her allergies via a more natural route when she moved back to Hong Kong.

Having grown up around TCM—she often took her grandmother’s complex and pungent herbal recipes—Tan wanted to create a supplement brand that provides simple and accessible offerings.

Tan launched Nooci in April 2022, initially offering three supplements: Noo Air for nasal relief, ReNoo for boosting energy and Noo Moon for menstrual support. In late 2023, she released Noo Gut, a pro and postbiotic, which provides a holistic gut solution that can aid digestion, minimise bloating and enhance skin health.

Hong Kong-born, UK-based Ada Ooi founded 001 Skincare London, which focuses on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and operates a clinic in the British capital, in 2014.

“Chinese medicine is rooted in me; I helped out at my grandfather’s pharmacy in Macau, where I learnt that we need to look at our body as a whole,” says Ooi. “Our skin is the biggest organ and is a visible reflection of our internal wellbeing and state of mind. If we pay more attention to our body, we can join the dots to our skincare concerns and make changes to improve our skin condition from the core.”

001 Skincare London’s products include gua sha tools and cooling bulbs, as well as exfoliating masks and serums that incorporate vitamins and popular TCM ingredients such as chamomile, ginseng and licorice root to build a healthy skin barrier.

The clinic’s treatments combine acupuncture and reflexology with LED lights and microcurrents. Fans of 001 Skincare London’s products and clinic include actress Rooney Mara and supermodel Kate Moss.

Growing up, Hong Kong-raised Indian make-up artist Natasha Moor struggled with feelings of insecurity about her appearance. It was through being becoming a bridal make-up artist that she discovered how it could positively impact one’s confidence. “Working with [women] globally was so much more than giving them a look for their wedding day—it was about supporting them through their journey,” says Moor.

In 2013, she launched Facetools, which in 2018 rebranded to Natasha Moor Cosmetics. It offers a lineup of concealers and lip products, which have names like “freedom”, “gratitude” and “unstoppable”—a reflection of Moor’s ethos to empower women through the use of make-up. The brand is available at Sephora Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, as well as various US online retailers. In her spare time, Moor gives makeovers to victims of human trafficking.

“I work with women who have been through the worst to try and help build back their confidence and to empower them,” she says. “Through that experience, I found so much joy in bringing them happiness, and the joy that it brings them is priceless.”

On a trip to the Himalayas in 1998, Indian-born, Hong Kong-based Kavita Khosa discovered the agriculture and beauty rituals of the area. The trip also inspired her to reconnect with her Indian heritage. She quit her job as a lawyer to learn about Ayurveda and advanced cosmetic science.

In 2012, Khosa founded beauty brand Purearth, which offers products that incorporate ingredients like Himalayan sea buckthorn berry, Indian senna and nigella, with the goal of raising awareness of Ayurveda and bringing it into the mainstream beauty space. Purearth also operates as a social enterprise in support of marginalised communities in India. The brand’s initiatives include Afforestation Drive, an environmental conservation project that enlists members of women’s communities in India to plant medicinal herbs, which are used in Purearth products; the Eco-Pot Project, which provides safe sanitation to women and girls in India; and Project Red, which raises awareness of sustainable sanitary waste.

“With every Purearth purchase, you make a conscious choice of what you are buying and who benefits from it,” says Khosa.

Filipino Stefanie Walmsley launched Prim Botanicals in the US in 2015, using ingredients sourced from the Philippines.

The brand works with charitable organisations in the Philippines, including Tiny Blessings in Manila, whose mission is to support homeless children by providing a nurturing environment and essential resources. It previously partnered with Yellow Boat of Hope, an organisation that helps children in flood-affected areas get to school, and collaborated with Glory Reborn to support underprivileged pregnant women. 

The company’s mission to give back to the community comes from the entrepreneur’s personal experiences. Walmsley’s brother was born with Down’s syndrome. In 1991, her father established the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines. 

“I remember my father telling me that once you were in a position of privilege...you had to share it,” Walmsley says. “This lesson has really stayed with me—can I help? If so, I must.”

Glow Recipe, which offers products inspired by Korean beauty routines and employs environmentally friendly production practices and packaging, was founded in the US in 2014 by Korean Americans Sarah Lee and Christine Chang. The two met while working at L’Oreal and bonded over their love of K-beauty.

The majority of the brand’s award-winning lineup of watermelon and avocado products come in packaging created with 20 per cent recycled glass and FSC-certified paper. The packaging is recyclable through a partnership with TerraCycle, an organisation that recycles waste that would usually end up in landfill. “We believe we have an immense responsibility to do our part in creating a better planet for future generations to come,” says Lee.

In April 2022, Glow Recipe became carbon neutral certified through a certification programme operated by the US-based non-profit Climate Neutral. Efforts towards creating a greener future will continue, says Chang. “We plan to continue to reduce our emissions year after year, with the goal of ultimately becoming a carbon positive company.”

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