South Asian beauty brands you need to know about

Indian beauty philosophy runs more than skin deep. It's about achieving beauty from the inside out, with much of it rooted in Ayurvedic ingredients, like those found in many native plants—such as neem, saffron, moringa, and turmeric—that are said to have major skin benefits. It's all about a 360-degree approach to beauty, it's not just in the way you look, but your mental health too. Beauty expert Meera Estrada shared four of her favourite Indian beauty brands you need on your shelf.

Skincare

The radiant rani serum 

This product has been deemed the miracle elixir in Ayurveda. From the RANAVAT skincare line, it's infused with saffron and helps with brightening and anti-ageing. Other key ingredients include rose, which is great for cell repair, as well as turmeric root, which can help soothe the skin and even out complexion. 

Shop the Radiant Rani Serum, $195 at RANAVAT

Kansa Wand 

Kansa pre-dates the jade roller we all know and love. It's the ancient Ayurvedic tool used to bring balance to the skin through the mixture of copper and tin (also known as Kansa). Ancient wisdom claim this metal to be more healing than gold or silver and help's increase your skin's ability to heal. Use it with an oil like Radiant Rani for an easier glide. A great feature of this facial massage tool is that it will often grey the skin, showcasing where the detoxification is happening. This is normal and can be removed with a wet cloth. Compared to the jade roller, this wand neutralizes acidity in the skin. Glide the wand over your skin for 10 to 15 minutes, focusing on the forehead and under the eyes. You can add this to your skincare routine weekly to remove toxins from the skin through lymphatic drainage and increase collagen production for a radiant glow. 

Shop the Kansa Wand, $97 at RANAVAT

Sahajan's brightening mask 

This mask is from Sahajan, a clean and Canadian-based company founded by Indian-Canadian Lisa Mattam. This brightening mask contains turmeric to detox, purify and brighten, AHAs to exfoliate and renew skin, and hemp seed oil to balance hydration and redness. This product was inspired by the Indian pre-wedding ceremony (Haldi Ceremony) to give you that bridal glow every day. It's perfect for anyone looking to renew their glow and minimize the appearance of hyperpigmentation and acne scarring. Plus, anyone with maskne? Yes, this is for you too! 

Shop the Brightening Mask, $64 at Sahajan

Makeup 

Vasanti v02 concealer 

One of the first things you can do to brighten up your face is get rid of those dark circles. Founded by four Indian-Canadian sisters, Vasanti is dedicated to making products for women of all skin tones. Their V02 concealer is a dark circle eraser, featuring a unique colour corrector designed to neutralize darkness underneath the eyes while brightening at the same time! The product's formula mimics your skin with no cakey appearance nor any sign of ashiness. Meera recommends this product to anyone with middle skin tones.  

Shop the Liquid VO2 Concealer, $27 at Vasanti

Vasanti matte crush pencils 

These creamy matte lipsticks pencils from Vasanti are soft, smooth and long-lasting. Its rich and creamy formula will effectively moisturize your lips for a flawless and velvety matte finish. 

Shop the Matte Crush Pencils, $23 at Vasanti

LiveTinted multistick 

In 2018, founder Deepica Mutyala officially launched LiveTinted, a digital community focused on inclusive and diverse beauty. The community helps shape a storytelling platform focused on underrepresented people in the beauty industry and their journeys with culture and identity. They asked the community what their number one beauty concern was, and the most common answer was hyperpigmentation. Thus, the first product, the Huestick, an awesome four-in-one product, was born! Now the brand has branched out with even more products to meet the needs of melanin-rich skin. 

The multistick gives a creamy finish and the shades are flattering on all skin tones. You can use it as your eyeshadow, on the cheeks as your blush, and apply it to the lips with fingers for a subtle wash or directly on for buildable colour. 

Shop the LiveTinted Huestick Multstick, $24 at Ulta Beauty

Livetinted hueglow 

This innovative serum-meets-moisturizer highlighter was created for face and body, with a subtle, yet impactful micro-shimmer finish. Thoughtfully crafted with light-reflecting properties, this product features a superpowered blend of botanical extracts for a skincare-meets-makeup hybrid. You can wear it under, mixed in, and over your face makeup or slather it onto your body for an extra glow! 

Shop the LiveTinted HueGlow, $34 at Ulta Beauty