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The rise in popularity of yoga, meditation and turmeric-laden recipes is one of the undeniable ways the global wellness movement has long borrowed from Eastern practices. So, it made sense to Arati Sharma when she saw traditionally South Asian beauty hacks go viral on TikTok.
“It’s both jarring and exciting,” says the Toronto-based co-founder of skin-care line Ghlee, which she runs with her brother, Varun. “Growing up, I was sometimes embarrassed by all the hair oiling, turmeric masks and multani mitti,” says Sharma, referring to a powdered clay for masks. “But the effectiveness never ceased to amaze me.”
These roots are inspiring the next wave of breakout South Asian-owned beauty products, which offer treatments for softer, soothed and glowing skin, stronger hair, plus “holistic” benefits. Many of them present a modern take on Ayurveda, the system of ancient Indian medicine that focuses on physical and mental well-being, says Anita Bhagwandas, a London-based beauty journalist and author of Ugly: Why the World Became Beauty-Obsessed and How to Break Free.
“Things are rarely just for beautification in Ayurveda, so that’s influenced how I engage with beauty,” she says. “I see it as a ritual, and more than skin-deep.”
This is echoed in Ghlee, which launched last year and is anchored by balms for dry lips and a versatile hero ingredient: ghee. The clarified butter commonly used in South Asian kitchens as a cooking oil and condiment is rich in fatty acids, such as Omega 3, 6 and 9, plus vitamins A, D, E and K.
“In Ayurveda, ghee is prescribed as a cooling food that lowers the body’s temperature, is a digestive aid and designated as a salve to soothe burns,” says Varun Sharma, the company’s co-founder and CEO, who realized its skin-healing benefits after his mom suggested it for use on his severely chapped lips. Now, he hopes to pay homage to his ancestors, creating “an ode to the tried-and-true beauty rituals of the past while bringing them into the future for the next generation.”
With an eye on innovation, the Sharma siblings have formulated their shelf-stable ghee-based products with olive squalane (an olive extract with protective properties) as well as kahai and camellia oils for enhanced moisturizing.
Live Tinted is one of the bigger skin-care and cosmetics lines paving the way in this space. Its founder and CEO Deepica Mutyala posted a video using red lipstick to cover her dark undereye circles, which went viral in 2015 and has since racked up more than 10 million views.
“It called attention to the lack of options for people with my skin tone and started a conversation around inclusivity while making colour-correcting a growth category,” she says.
Three years later, Mutyala launched her brand as a community platform to empower racialized women. “I wanted to create a world that I wish existed when I was growing up as a brown girl in Texas.”
An award-winning colour-correcting stick soon followed, and the brand continues to release formulas that support common concerns, such as dark circles and hyperpigmentation, while championing representation and pushing back against narrow definitions of beauty.
Bhagwandas hopes the evolution toward a greater inclusiveness can override Western beauty standards and lean more toward accepting and embracing natural beauty. “Having ‘sideburns’ or dark circles is part of our heritage. We don’t need to cover them to be beautiful – that’s entirely optional.”
Six buys to try
From skin and hair-care essentials to makeup must-haves, the best South Asian-led beauty finds cover all the bases.
Highlighter drops Available in four shades and designed to deliver a natural-looking glow while also moisturizing, its microshimmer pigments are infused into a serum of squalane and hyaluronic acid. Live Tinted Hueglow liquid highlighter drops in Dawn, $54, sephora.com
Lip balm Ghee blended with cardamom seed, cinnamon bark, anise, ginger root and clove bud oils creates a soothing lip balm that mimics the warm, spiced scent of chai. Ghlee lip balm in Chai, $16, ghlee.com
Leave-in treatment For use on wet or dry hair of all types and textures, a lightweight conditioning cream leads to stronger strands, less frizz and protection against heat styling. Ranavat Renewing leave-in treatment, $78, ranavat.com
Lip oil A hybrid of a lip gloss and a lip stain that’s loaded with moisturizing mango and coconut oils. Expect glistening colour with staying power. Kulfi Lassi lips staining long-lasting hydrating lip oil in First Sari, $32.50, sephora.com
Eye balm Made to reduce signs of fatigue and diminish dark circles, this eye treatment is a mix of antioxidant-rich ghee, gotu kola (a staple herb in Ayurvedic medicine) and rose oil, which improves firmness. Sahajan Golden Glow eye balm, $70, sahajan.com
Hair spray A multitasking styler that adds volume without a sticky residue and provides long-lasting hold, you can use this heat-activated spray with hot tools up to 450 degrees. Fable & Mane volumizing hair spray, $38, sephora.com