My AAPI-Owned Favorites
From beauty to home goods to pantry staples—plus other fun ways to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month!
Shitters! May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and in honor of the occasion, I wanted to use today’s letter to spotlight a few of my favorite products by AAPI-owned brands! As an Indian American, I love learning that a brand or product that I’m excited about was started by another South Asian or Asian American, and though the term “AAPI” encompasses so many more cultures than just my own, when it comes to who to support, the more really is the merrier in my opinion.
These brands range from skin and body care to home goods to pantry staples to accessories, and IMO, they really knocked it out of the park with these particular products! You’ll definitely recognize some from past editions of this newsletter—it makes me so proud that so many SIBAL favorites were created by these brands!—but there’s plenty of newness to be found below too.
Sachi Skin: I first heard about this clinical Ayurvedic skin care line from one of the most in-demand estheticians in NYC and I couldn’t have been more excited! (For those of you who are unfamiliar, Ayurveda is a 3,000 year old system of holistic medicine that started in ancient India, and several of the herb and spice remedies that have been used there for centuries have been increasingly adopted by the Western world in recent years.) The line combines clinical formulations with centuries-old wisdom and ingredients, and was formulated with particular attention to melanin-rich skin (though they work for anyone!). Their hero product is their hyperpigmentation serum (a must for anyone struggling with stubborn spots), but they have so many other gems. Their corrective retinal serum is my personal favorite—it’s just as effective as your prescription retinol (spelling is intentional there—there’s a difference!), but so much more gentle on your skin (this set combines the two products). This Saffron Cleanser is another favorite—it brightens and soothes at the same time, and smells incredible! The founder Farah is a wealth of knowledge, and is truly so kind. If you’re team nature AND team science, this line is for you.
LILIS: Holy WOW has LILIS blown up recently!!! But if you’ve tried their products, you are likely not surprised. I was connected with the founder, Helen, in early fall of last year, and within a minute and a half of trying her Instant Peel, I knew it was GOOD. When she says “instant,” she’s not lying—you rub this gentle peel onto your skin pre-shower, and immediately your dry skin is gently rolling off. I thought it was the texture of the product pilling at first, but no—that’s the peel in action! It takes all of a minute and a half to apply, you shower as usual, and then follow up with their body serum or your moisturizer of choice—three simple steps to feel like a supermodel/baby dolphin! This set with both the peel and serum is my pick to treat yourself or someone you love (Helen founded the brand to help her mom, who was born with a rare dry skin condition). PRIYANKA10 lets you save if you want to see what the hype is about!
EADEM: Le ChouChou is the single most essential lip product out of the 85 million I own, and it happens to be under $25 (see this past newsletter if you need a full review). It gently exfoliates the dry skin off of your lips while it hydrates, ensuring that your lips are never cracked or flaky. I use it just as much during the dry winter months as I do in my dehydrated summer ones—it’s truly never not in my bag. It’s also my go-to before bed at night. My favorites are the Butter Mochi (clear) and the Fig Sauce if you’re looking for a tinted version—each shade is named after a different street food snack, and I’m hungry just thinking about it!
Material Kitchen: I can cook for myself without Material Kitchen, but I don’t really enjoy it. These knives are my personal kitchen heroes—I never realized how different it felt to use high quality knives until I had a set of my own! They sell them individually and in a set with a sleek knife block if you’re looking to upgrade your collection. I’ve loved every single thing I’ve tried from them—it’s all really well-made and reasonably-priced for the quality—but this spatula deserves a special shoutout. It’s been the one I’ve reached for first ever since I got it in 2021, and if you cook, you know what a big deal that is. PRIYANKAMATERIAL gets you 20% off, which is a meaningful discount!
Raazi Tea: I will not shut up about this Brooklyn-based tea brand—it’s phenomenal. Their tea is SO unbelievably fragrant and vibrant (who knew the stuff inside tea bags was supposed to be anything other than the dull brown color of the grocery store stuff?)—it will put all your other tea bags to shame! I’m not even a chamomile person, but theirs blew my mind! If you’re in NYC, find it in person at Big Night or The Elk (which is also AAPI-owned!).
Blueland: When it comes to the stuff I’m using at home, I do try my best to pick better-for-you products. By my logic, these are things that you and the people you love most are wearing/ using/ eating and drinking out of/ sleeping on/ rubbing your faces into every single day, so if I can choose something that’s better for me in the long run, I’ll at least try. Blueland is a brand that has made that so much easier. Their dishwasher tabs are made with clean ingredients, completely plastic-free, and they actually work. Random, but I also love their toilet bowl cleaner—most others are that icky neon blue color, and smell like a chemical spill, but theirs smells like peppermint and eucalyptus. Their products are also refillable and designed to reduce waste. Wins all around!
Other favorites: I should’ve known that my favorite candle line was Asian-owned with a scent like “Chai Milk.” Shaz & Kiks took all those Ayurvedic ingredients and brought them to haircare—I love their hydrating turmeric shampoo, and the tub-style packaging is so easy to travel with. Paro makes it easy to whip up flavorful daals and South Asian comfort foods without the time/ingredients that it usually requires. The sister duo behind this swim/resort wear line makes my go-to versatile dress for summer/vacation (I wore it to a friend’s rehearsal dinner and got compliments from every other girlfriend who came). I own three of these hair clips in different colors, and would be genuinely lost without them. I have no idea what sorcery is behind them, but Rael makes the best self-heating adhesive patches for period cramps. This toxin-free air fryer/toaster oven combo is my new favorite kitchen appliance. I’m a broken record at this point, but I just gave a bottle of this fragrance to my mom for Mother’s Day—SO unbelievably good, as is this candle. (Update: We now have a code, PRIYANKA15!) D.S. and Durga’s collaboration with Crown Affair brings a cult-favorite fragrance to your leave-in conditioner (PRIYANKA15)—this set combines the conditioner with a bottle of the OG fragrance itself.
Supporting AAPI-owned businesses this month especially is a great way to acknowledge the occasion, but there are plenty of other things you can do too. If you like to dine out or cook, make it a point to try Asian restaurants/ cuisines (if you need a rec, I’ve been reaching for this cookbook’s easy recipes nonstop since I got it). Seek out AAPI culture via books, movies, and/or TV (here are some recs courtesy of the New York Public Library, and I have plenty of Bollywood favorites for anyone who wants to dabble!). Plan an outing to a specific exhibit or wing at a local museum. Watch a documentary. You have options (and the whole internet at your disposal)!
“Insert the Blank” History/Heritage months aren’t just for people in that particular group to celebrate themselves. The point is for all of us to learn more about other cultures, and there are lots of ways to do that beyond cracking open a history textbook (though Lord knows more people need to do that too!). Pick something that sounds fun or interesting to you, and go for it! And if you find something that you’re excited about via today’s newsletter, let me know—I’d love to hear from you!
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Okay I'm convinced to order some Raazi Tea!!
Awww thank you Priyanka, you are so sweet! Super grateful to see Sachi Skin here. x