South Asian-Owned Beauty Brands To Support Now And Always

By now, a curiosity in "clean," or plant-based beauty solutions might have led you to either sip some golden milk (traditionally known as haldi doodh) with the goal of brighter skin, mist your face with some refreshing rose water, experiment with coconut oil for thicker hair, or all of the above. But centuries before the current clean beauty movement, there was Ayurveda—which literally translates to “knowledge of life.” One of the world’s oldest approaches to holistic healing, Ayurveda is based on the belief that full health is dependent upon balancing the mind, body, and spirit using only our bodies and ingredients from the earth.

In most South Asian households, evenings are often spent watching our grandmothers dig through the pantry to mix homemade face, body, and hair elixirs with ingredients like chickpea flour, coconut oil, jasmine, and lemon. One night a week is also reserved for hair oiling and DIY face masks (my family's go-to anti-inflammatory acne-fighting mask is a turmeric, antibacterial honey, and rose water concoction).

Board-certified, Miami-based dermatologist Manjula Jegasothy, M.D. touts the benefits of a clean, Ayurvedic approach to your beauty regimen. “Products only have long ingredients lists and chemicals in them to act as preservatives,” she says. “By buying products based in Ayurveda, you’re eliminating all of those ingredients. No matter what skin type you have, you may experience fewer sensitivities, allergies, and clearer skin because of the smaller, cleaner ingredient list.”

“South Asian-owned brands have always had an implied Ayurvedic foundation,” adds Nikita Upadhyay, bestselling author of Indian beauty tip bible Roots To Radiance. “South Asian-owned brands have been doing clean beauty since before brands were even using the term ‘clean beauty’. We are, by nature, the authority on all things clean beauty because we grew up having fewer resources that led us to DIY Ayurvedic beauty rituals out of necessity,” Upadhyay says.

Yes, I love my CTZN Cosmetics lipstick, because they make the only true nude I can rely on for my brown skin. Ranavat’s Jasmine Tonique is the one toner I always keep stocked on my vanity at all times, and Live Tinted’s Hue Glow is like IRL Photoshop on my medium-toned legs. Buying these standout products from the below brands is putting your hair and skin—and your money—in the hands of the original authorities on clean beauty.