Clean beauty, meaning free from toxic ingredients, is slowly penetrating the beauty industry. Some clean beauty brands that you may recognize are Bare Minerals, Summer Fridays, Biossance, Tata Harper, Supergoop!, Kosas, Honest Beauty, Tower 28, and Ilia. As the beauty industry is always evolving and new products from other countries (like K-beauty) are introduced in the US market, there are countries that have long roots in clean beauty, particularly in Southeast Asia.
As Women's Health reports, centuries before the clean beauty movement became a mainstream thing, holistic beauty rituals were already common in Ayurveda. Ayurvedic traditions relied on natural ingredients to health the body, mind, and soul. Applying the same approach to beauty was only natural. Miami-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Manjula Jegasothy says that by buying South Asian beauty brands based in Ayurveda, you eliminate harmful chemicals and toxic ingredients and will experience fewer allergies from their smaller and cleaner ingredient lists.
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Here are several clean South Asian beauty brands to check out.
BLUME
Founders and sisters Bunny and Taran Ghatrora wanted to create a safe space for young women to appreciate their bodies. BLUME products self-care essentials for your period like heat packs and skincare products. One of their most in-demand products is the Melt Down Oil for Acne-Prone Skin. Women's Health writes that one is sold every eight minutes. Maybe it's time to see why.
Byredo
Women's Health says half-Indian and half-Swedish Byredo founder Ben Gorham was mentored by some of the greatest perfumers of our time. This brand is known for its luxury perfumes and candles, and Who What Wear lists Gypsy Water, Rose of No Man's Land, Bal d'Afrique, Velvet Haze, and Rose Noir as their top scents.
CTZN Cosmetics
Pakistani sisters Aleena, Aleezeh, and Naseeha Khan founded inclusive makeup brand CTZN Cosmetics and produced a range of Allure-awarded mango butter-infused nude lipsticks that were designed to suit a wide range of skin tones. The Nudiversal is a double-ended lip product that has a hydrating lip gloss on one end and a corresponding shade of matte lipstick on the other. It has 25 stunning shades of nude, and you can find the right one with the matching quiz on their website. According to Allure, CTZN Cosmetics have also positioned their brand to be gender-neutral.
FARSÁLI
Farah Dhukai had millions of followers on YouTube, copying her DIY hair and skincare masks before launching her beauty brand. One of FARSÁLI's bestsellers is the Liquid Glass Radiance Serum, and you can find it at the Clean at Sephora aisle.
Rella Beauty
Founder Raisa Mirza created Rella Beauty to inspire Indian girls to "prioritize self-care" and gain confidence from that. The vegan and cruelty-free brand features lipsticks formulated for brown skin and the mixed undertones that South Asian women tend to have. One great incentive to patronize this beauty brand is that for every lipstick you purchase, a woman in need also gets one.
Stellar Beauty
Be camera-ready with Stellar Beauty, which was founded by former TV personality Monika Deol. The Limitless Foundation is a must-have for every Brown-skinned woman who's had difficulty in finding the right shade. It comes in an impressively wide range of 35 inclusive shades to suit every undertone.
Get to know other South Asian beauty brands here.
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