Ayesha Curry's New Skincare Brand Honors Her Caribbean Roots

Ayesha Curry has etched a lane for herself in the cooking world—and has done it exceptionally well. She’s written two New York Times best-selling recipe books, opened buzzy restaurants in San Francisco and Las Vegas, and launched a lifestyle empire, Sweet July. Under this enterprise, Curry has become known for producing chic kitchen essentials, ranging from decorative towels to serving platters.

Having established herself as a culinary connoisseur, one might think Curry's next venture would have something to do with food. However, the multihyphenate has decided to break into a new category: skincare. While food and skincare may seem worlds apart, she believes her brand, Sweet July Skin, bridges her interests seamlessly. As she puts it, "Coming from a culinary background, I look at this line as recipes for the skin."

The Process

Curry says she began contemplating entering the beauty industry nearly three and a half years ago. She drew inspiration from her lifelong skincare struggles and Caribbean roots (her mother is Jamaican) to create the framework for the brand. "I have always had acne-prone skin, but my mom and grandma never [dealt with it]," Curry says. "Growing up, they would tell me about all these superfoods for the skin, like papaya and guava. As I got older, I realized I should have listened to them and used those ingredients on my skin sooner [because they've been a game-changer]."

Leveraging her matriarchs' wisdom, Curry decided to infuse her products with a stable of Caribbean-derived ingredients—including papaya, guava, soursop, and lychee. However, she says developing and perfecting the formulas was an incredibly slow and steady process. "I came into this so green and bright-eyed," she says. "I thought it would be a fast process—and it could have been. But, when you care about what you're doing, you want the ingredients to work. It took three and a half years because we wanted to make sure we tested everything again and again."

The Products

Sweet July Skin is making its debut with three products. The brand's Pava Exfoliating Cleanser ($39) is powered by glycolic acid, lactic acid, fermented papaya, guava extract, and lychee seed powder. Curry is particularly excited by the latter ingredient because it levels up your exfoliating experience. "When I was talking to the chemist, I wanted to know how we could effectively incorporate lychee," she recalls. "They told me about a new way to use the seed of the fruit. They're able to grind it into a super fine powder, so it's not a harsh irritant, and we were able to incorporate that into our cleanser."

The Pava Toner ($32)—infused with glycolic acid, fermented papaya, guava extract, and lychee extract—is the second step in your Sweet July Skin regimen. "In the morning and night, I like to apply [a few drops] in my palms and pat it onto my skin," Curry shares. It's formulated to help resurface and smooth the skin. In a four-week consumer test with 100 participants (between the ages of 28-55), 98% agreed their skin's impurities, dirt, and oil were fully removed, and 96% agreed they had smoother skin.

The Irie Power Face Oil ($60) rounds out the brand's starting lineup, featuring a blend of salicylic acid, squalene, neem seed oil, and turmeric root oil. It's formulated to clarify the skin and boost your natural glow. According to a six-week consumer test with 40 individuals (between the ages of 28-55), 100% agreed their skin felt nourished, and 95% noted it left their skin with a healthy glow.

"Having such acne-prone skin, I was always so afraid to use an oil," Curry says. "I thought they would add to the problem, but this oil is packed with bacteria-fighting ingredients, and it really works. It is also a great base for makeup. I wear a lot of makeup when I'm working, and I love that this oil dries down but still locks in moisture." In the morning, Curry says she likes to mix a few drops of the oil with her moisturizer before applying sunscreen (her favorite brand is Black Girl Sunscreen).

While there are already two more products in the pipeline, Curry was set on launching with this trio for a few reasons. "These are three core products everyone can use— there's no guesswork involved," she says. "I also know that these three products are super effective. We went through consumer testing, and the proof is in the numbers."

It's clear Curry wholeheartedly believes in what she's created with Sweet July Skin. However, the days leading up to the launch haven't been without mixed emotions. "I'm excited, nervous, and scared," she admits. "The team and I have worked so hard on this, and I just want people to love it."

My Review

I received samples of all three products a month ago and have been testing them since then. The Exfoliating Cleanser is a warmly-welcomed addition to my routine, as an esthetician recently told me I need to exfoliate more (especially around my nose). Upon first glance, the creamy cleanser's texture and black-and-white speckled color reminded me of the inside of a dragon fruit. Each time I've massaged it onto my face, I've been pleased by how non-abrasive the product feels on my skin. Even though I vigorously scrub my T-zone, I'm never left with any redness, burning, or sensitivity (unlike other exfoliating cleansers I've tried). But despite it being a gentle exfoliant, I still feel like it thoroughly cleanses and sloughs away dead skin. Once I rinse it off, my skin always feels refreshed. One note: Since this cleanser has fine grains, washing it off is a more involved process (i.e., a couple more rinses and wipes than usual), but that's to be expected with this type of product.

The Pava Toner lives up to its claims. It does a great job of wicking away any excess dirt or oil left on the skin and helps create a smoother, fresher base. I apply this using a cotton pad and swipe it all over my face and neck, and like Curry, I apply it in the morning and night. However, since this formula contains alpha-hydroxy-acids, I make sure to apply sunscreen in the morning to avoid increasing my skin's sensitivity to the sun. I've yet to experience any irritation from using this toner.

The Irie Power Face Oil is my favorite product out of the three, and that's saying a lot because face oils haven't been a regular part of my routine as of late. I love that this one has an invigorating scent (likely due to the turmeric root oil), making the application experience feel like aromatherapy. I've used the oil mixed with my moisturizer, and I've used it on its own. Either way, I've enjoyed the results it delivered. The formula isn't greasy at all—it absorbs into the skin quickly, leaving you with an appropriate amount of dewiness. My skin feels thoroughly nourished and cushioned whenever I slather it on.

Overall, my skin has responded well to Sweet July Skin. I have noticed my skin has a sustained glow, and it feels noticeably softer and smoother in more textured areas like my nose. I'm eager to keep using this lineup of products—and I can't wait to get my hands on launches coming in the future.

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