As Hong Kong moves agonisingly slowly towards opening up to the world, a flurry of founders are launching beauty businesses, from spas to skincare brands. We love to see it! Here are just a few of our favourites that have passed our desk in the last few months.
Minimis
Formulated in Canada by two sisters from Hong Kong who wanted to simplify their skincare routine, Minimis offers a simple four-step routine that’s packed with natural ingredients that are known for their nurturing ingredients. Think algae, blue chamomile, meadowfoam and jojoba, to name just a few of their active botanicals. Start with the cleanser, before moving onto the water serum, a face oil and finally a light but nourishing face cream to lock in all that goodness.
Available at cabaneeorganics.com
Skreen
This new Hong Kong skincare brand is on a mission to reduce the number of single-use cosmetics containers that are sent to our landfills every day. They offer a bottle return and refill service and really try to make it easy for you to make a green choice. Every product you buy comes with a pre-paid return envelope that you can just drop off at the post office, and you’ll even get a $20 discount off your next order.
The products themselves are reasonable – ranging from $120 and $190 for rose toner, hyaluronic acid, blue chamomile moisturiser, or grapeseed cream cleanser. They even donate 2 percent of their net profits to Green Peng Chau Association for even more eco feels. Want to try before you buy? You can also pick up products at Green Bitch in TST.
The Chaless
Tucked away on Aberdeen Street, The Chaless is a petite but perfectly formed pampering haven. Founded by Anna Trier of Sense of Touch, The Chaless provides a full range of pampering treatments at a wallet- friendly price point. The spa itself feels like your most stylish friend’s living room, while the vast spa menu covers just about everything, from machine-driven treatments to intense facial massage; sleep-promoting therapies to sinus relief.
16 Aberdeen St., Central, 2997-6389, thechaless.com
Zerrin
A sustainable shopping platform headquartered in Singapore and serving southeast Asia, Zerrin wants to share amazing eco-friendly products with the world. It has recently expanded its clean beauty section and has hand-picked brands from Singapore, India, the UK and New Zealand, looking at both the products’ effectiveness and and the brands’ green credentials, cutting through greenwashing and making sure that each brand truly walks the talk before bringing them onboard. Highlights include the reef-friendly SPF50 sunblock from Quick Screen; the microbiome-friendly cleanser from Sage & Ylang; and the certified organic and fair trade hair oil from Want Skincare.
Baesix
This brand new Hong Kong skincare line was created by entrepreneur Danielle Poa, who struggled to find products for her sensitive, highly reactive skin. With just six products, Danielle has created a simple skincare routine: face wash, toner wipe pads, face and eye serum, SPF 35 CC moisturiser, and overnight mask. Made in Korea, the entire Baesix line is hypoallergenic, vegan, cruelty-free and certified organic. We also heart their eco-credentials: all packaging is compostable or recyclable, and the brand is soon to launch a refill service.
Elpis Green
A socially responsible company, Elpis Green distributes a hand-picked selection of the best clean and eco-friendly skincare brands from Poland. Their two signature brands are Alkemie and Mokann. Alkemie is inspired by ancient wisdom and traditional herbalists, and combines passion for sustainability with the latest skincare technologies to create multi-award-winning products, beloved by the likes of inStyle and ELLE, to name a few.
All the products are vegan and the packaging is fully recyclable. Mokann, meanwhile, develops effective vegan skincare, with fully recyclable packaging. What’s even cooler is that their headquarters and factory eschew fossil fuels and are fully powered by renewable energy.
Elpis Green has counters at The One and Lab Concept. You can also shop online at elpis-life.com
High Society Skin Clinic
With a dedicated following of loyal clients and a new flagship location in the heart of Central, High Society Skin Clinic is making waves in the city’s skincare scene. With 11 treatment rooms, their new 3,500-square-foot space provides cutting-edge treatments using the latest machines for maximum effect. Whether you want a HIFU to lift and smooth the skin, a NEO Emsculpt session to burn fat and tone muscle, or a Vital Dome treatment to promote sleep and aid recovery, High Society has it all and more. We recently tried the Hollywood Cream Bagel facial – the first spa to offer the treatment in Hong Kong. Their Wishpro Plus machine uses a capsule system and magnetic pulses to deliver products deep into the skin.
22/F, Car Po Commercial Building, 18-20 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, 2799-0800, highsocietyskinclinic.com
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