During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, TODAY is sharing the community’s history, pain, joy and what’s next for the AAPImovement. We will be publishing personal essays, stories, videos and specials throughout the entire month of May.
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage month (AAPI) and in honor of celebrating the community's traditions and triumphs, we're highlighting Asian American-owned brands that you'll want to know about.
To help you get started, lifestyle expert Amy E. Goodman stopped by the 3rd hour of TODAY to share some of her favorite AAPI-owned brands across different categories, from travel to home to beauty. Below, you can shop essentials inspired by the Hawaiian Islands and Astrology-based skin care that might make the perfect gift for your horoscope-loving friends.
Read on for a rundown of Asian American–owned companies that you can support all year long.
Seen on TODAY | More Asian American-created brands to shop | How we chose
Asian American-created products seen on TODAY
Crystal Candy Treasure Box
"Silky Gem Crystal Candy is the brainchild of Gia Huynh, who reimagines traditional candies from her youth in Vietnam as exquisite, handcrafted gems," Goodman explains.
With a crisp outer layer and a jelly-filled inside, these candies are as tasty as they are pleasing to the eye. Decorate your dessert tray for your next get together or pair them with tea while winding down.
My Drink Bomb Cocktail Bombs
With 50 flavors to choose from, these cocktail bombs will liven up any party.
"Owned by Chloe Tran Di Leo, this is the original My Drink Bomb, where she dehydrates the ingredients of a cocktail into a powder so that it can easily dissolve in alcohol and sparkling soda. The best part is? It uses natural flavors like cane sugar, dry fruits, bitters and edible flowers and has no artificial ingredients," Goodman explains.
Just choose your flavor — margarita, bellini, cosmo and more — and the number you want, and you're all set for your next gathering!
Etoile Vanity Case
Owner Michelle Hu, a former banker, transformed her side hustle into a multi-million dollar business.
"One thing I love is that they tested the bags over-and-over to make sure they would always have that new look feeling…so even if your makeup spills inside the bag, it should be removable using a makeup remover!" Goodman adds.
Use code TODAY20 to get 20% off sitewide.
BonBonWhims Initial Lucky Ring
Just choose the color, size and initial for this personalized ring that adds a pop of color to any outfit.
"This AAPI-founded brand BonBonWhims is a whimsical jewelry brand founded by Clare Ngai. Her iconic choose-your-initial Lucky rings scream a 90s kawaii vibe. Fun and playful, they’re made from reworked acrylic and resin," Goodman says.
Kulfi Beauty Brow Gel
After working for five years in the corporate side of beauty, Priyanka Ganjoo realized how underrepresented South Asians were in it. That's how Kulfi Beauty was born.
"This is a clear gel that works with your natural brow to give them that same, trending 'groomed brows' look," Goodman says.
The gel holds brows in place for up to eight hours, according to the brand.
The Sill Potted Plants
Eliza Blank created The Sill after moving to New York and feeling homesick.
"Her Filipina mother suggested she buy some houseplants to cheer herself up. And that’s essentially how The Sill was born out of her family’s generational love for plants!" Goodman shares.
With plenty of houseplants to choose from, The Sill offers something for everyone to liven up the house.
More Asian American-created brands to shop
From the world’s first low-carb, high-protein instant ramen to bras designed for smaller chests to exceptional stationery straight from Taiwan, these are the small businesses that are defining markets, improving our lives and that we’ve been recommended over and over.
The Aloha Collection
The Aloha Collection was founded by two native Hawaiian women, Heather Aiu and Rachael Leina'ala Soares, who had a dream of starting a business. According to the company, the brand started with a single bag and grew into a thriving business of travel essentials. Goodman loves the bags for their functionality, water resistance and fun prints. The newest collection, "May Day," is inspired by the Hawaiian tradition of Lei Day and features patterns that represent each of the Hawaiian islands, says Goodman.
Aloha Collection Lanaʻi Kaunaʻoa Reversible Tote
This tote bag is inspired by the island of Lana'i and features the native vine that grows near the coast, says the brand. Whether you're packing for a beach day or looking for an everyday tote, this reversible bag comes with an interior pocket and will hold all of your essentials.
Aloha Collection He'e Dopp Kit
The men's collection also features a variety of options, from small pouches to duffle bags to this toiletry organizer. Featuring a nautical theme print, the brand says this dopp kit is perfect to store all of your travel essentials and will keep anything from leaking onto your other belongings.
Gr8nola
Former US Olympic Trial swimmer, "ex-techie-turned-food-entrepreneur" and Asian-American Erica Liu Williams founded this superfood business because she says she was passionate about finding the balance between health and fitness and eating delicious food.
Gr8nola The Original Superfood Granola
According to the brand, Gr8nola offers different flavors of all-natural-made granola, from original to peanut butter to cinnamon chai. And they say all of the ingredients are 100 percent natural and made with coconut oil, ground flaxseed and omega-3s to support digestion, heart health and more.
Material
Goodman says this Korean and Vietnamese friend duo, Eunice Byun and David Nguyen, founded this modern kitchen accessory company that can be used for any occasion. And according to the brand, they wanted to bring their cultural and family traditions of cooking for and eating with family into their own homes.
Material The reBoard
Coming in five colors to choose from, Goodman says this cutting board is one of their standout products, plus it's BPA-free and made of recycled plastic and renewable sugar cane. It even comes with a non-slip option and a smaller version that's perfect for smaller fruits or cheeses.
Simitri
The sister-in-law duo, Simran Kaur and Gayatri Chopra launched this accessory brand, which features playful handmade bags, clutches, and hair accessories that are inspired by their Indian heritage. Goodman says the pair live between the United States and India, which is a huge part of their design process.
Simitri Headbands
Goodman loves these beautiful headbands as a statement piece to your outfit, which come in tons of options including sequins, beaded designs and embroidery. According to the brand, it's meant to have a light fit on your head so you won't feel any discomfort.
Pink Moon
Pink Moon founder Lin Chen has worked in the sustainable beauty and wellness industry for nearly a decade and grew up with the ancient practices of Traditional Chineses Medicine and astrology. When founding Pink Moon, Goodman says she wanted to incorporate her passion for sustainable and 100 percent plant-based products and ancient holistic rituals.
Astrology Skin Care Collection
According to the brand, the Once in a Pink Moon Astrology Collection was developed with an expert Astrologer and is meant to be a way to align your skin care regimen with your personality. The collection features hydrating cleansers, essences and moisturizers for each star sign, which in our opinion, will make a great gift for that friend who is always reading their horoscope.
Fable & Mane
This AAPI-owned brand is founded by sisters Nikita and Akash Mehta, who created this hair care brand, which is inspired by cultural roots in ancient Indian beauty fables and rituals. The products are made with plant root ingredients to help boost healing in the hair roots, and it happens to be a top-selling product at Sephora, says Goodman.
HoliRoots Hair Oil
According to the brand, this hair oil can be used weekly and is meant to promote healthy hair roots and scalp circulation with ashwagandha, dashmool and castor oil. And using it is easy, the brand says to apply a few drops to a dry scalp, gently massage using a circular motion and leave on overnight or for five minutes as a pre-wash treatment.
SahaScalp Amla Soothing Serum
According to the brand, this scalp serum is formulated with ancient Indian super berry Amla, vitamin C and Bakuchi, which can help relieve a dry and itchy scalp.
HoliRoots Hair Mask
If your hair needs an extra boost, the brand says this hair mask is for you. It has a creamy texture and is suitable for all hair types. Formulated with coconut cream and banana, it can have your dry and damaged hair feeling moisturized in no time.
SahaScalp Wild Ginger Purifying Scrub
This scalp scrub is a gentle exfoliant that's meant to help remove product build-up and relieve a dry and flaky scalp, says the brand. Goodman says it contains the ancient healing ingredient Neem, which she says contains antifungal properties.
Kulfi
Priyanka Ganjoo created Kulfi because she was tired of waiting for a brand that centered South Asians in its narrative. “Kulfi Beauty puts the South Asian community at the forefront: our skin tones, undertones, and skin concerns,” said Ganjoo.
Kulfi’s feature product is their eyeliner, whose formula draws from the original Kajal (Kohl) made by burning almonds and mixing them with ghee — and whose colors complement the undertones of South Asians. “Most black liners can appear gray when applied to tan and deep skin tones. That's why I formulated our black, Nazar No More, to be more warm-toned and highly pigmented," Ganjoo said. For many of us who’ve been struggling with ill-fitting makeup tones, Kulfi is a small product that’ll make a huge difference.
Lovefool Clothing
Trixie Encomienda and Lalene Leav’s clothing brand began with a survey entitled, “Do u love or hate getting dressed? LOL” sent out to a hundred friends and family members. The answers confirmed what they’d been envisioning: that Lovefool should only showcase versatile, high-quality pieces sold at an accessible price and with inclusive sizing. “Yes it costs us more to be size-inclusive, but we felt strongly that this should have already been an industry standard,” Encomienda and Leav said.
Just like their name, their pieces are a playful mix of nostalgic and romantic, inspired by community feedback. Take a look, for example, at their Button Party Cardi, which features two middle buttons that are sewn down, to “prevent boob gaps.” (They just know!)
Pepper
Inspired by her personal experiences with “#smallboobproblems,” Pepper CEO Jaclyn Fu set out to create a lingerie brand that would help people “embrace the 'flat' in flattering” and address the misconception that “if you're small-chested, you're petite,” said Fu.
Pepper’s bras seek to address a hole in the market for people who have AA, A, and B cups, and represent the whole spectrum of bra-wearers, including trans women, athletes, grandmothers, people with disabilities and beyond. One of their most popular fits, the Classic All You Bra eliminates gaps, uncomfortable push-up padding and “feeling like your body’s not enough.”
Blueland
Blueland is the brainchild of Sarah Paiji Yoo, whose research while transitioning from breast milk to formula led her to some harrowing discoveries about microplastics in tap water. She channeled her new knowledge into creating Blueland, whose household products seek to eliminate single-use plastic packaging.
And as an added bonus, Blueland’s products pair superb cleaning agents — such as hand soap tablets and powder dish soap that work just as well as the industry-leading stuff — with calming, pastel-hued glass bottles that you’ll be proud to show off all around your home. Their bestselling Hand Soap Starter Set will last you well beyond the pandemic.
Yoseka Stationery
Based out of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, this quaint stationery shop does the big job of stocking the finest stationery from Taiwan and Japan. “Our goal is to introduce and work with independent artists to feature their work in our shop,” says Daisy, who owns Yoseka with her husband, Neil.
From traveler’s notebook made with washable paper to the most beautiful fountain pens out there, you get the feeling that Daisy and Neil have done a superb job of seeking out stationery with a story — that is, products made for the romantic in each of us.
Three Gems
In an industry as archaic and confusing as the wine industry, Three Gems Tea aims to make tea good, simple and fun — even if you’re new to the world of loose-leaf brewing. In designing an accessible space, co-founders Diana Zheng and Ayumi Takahashi drew inspiration from the unfussy tea breaks they’d enjoy with family on return visits to China or Japan, where tea appreciation is woven into the fabric of daily life. “In tea-obsessed regions like Chaozhou, everyone drinks tea all day long, and you can easily pick up knowledge just from sipping tea together and chatting,” Zheng said.
In that same vein, you’ll notice the site is extremely easy to navigate and make decisions off of. But if you’re still unsure of where to start, try out their bestselling Duck Shit Oolong, known for its “juicy, fruity flavor, counterbalanced with a little bit of bassy funk.”
immi
Co-founders Kevin Lee and Kevin Chanthasiriphan started immi to pay homage to their favorite Asian American food, reworking it with high-quality ingredients and added nutrition. The result? The world's first low-carb, high-protein instant ramen that’s retained all the convenience of your favorite cup ramen.
Each packet comes with one serving of shelf-stable noodles and a flavor-packed packet of soup powder you’ll want to tap every single particle of into your bowl. Pro tip: Check out their bestselling black garlic “chicken” flavor.
Diaspora Co.
When turmeric-spiced things started gaining popularity a few years back, founder Sana Javeri Kadri noticed one thing: “Most of the turmeric sold in the United States was labeled as ‘Alleppey’ turmeric, but it wasn’t actually a varietal. It was simply a name for all turmeric that met a certain size and shade,” said Kadri. So in 2017 she created Diaspora Co. with the goal of reintroducing heirloom varietals and “putting the power back in the hands of Indian farmers.” Diaspora Co. does this by cutting out the middleman and paying their farm partners, on average, six times the commodity price.
And those intimate relationships pay off: The 16 spices she sells on her site are guaranteed same-year harvest to ensure the highest potency and freshness. Check out their bestselling heirloom Pragati Turmeric and taste the difference for yourself.
How we chose
The Shop TODAY editors and writers search the internet to find the best products out there. We interview expert sources and use our own personal experiences with the product and brand to make shopping easier for our readers.
As an editorial team, we independently create content and determine coverage based on research, reporting and what we think TODAY.com readers would like to read about. The goal of our content is to provide a service and inform readers who are on the hunt for the latest products to help make their life better. Items are sold by retailer, not TODAY. Pricing and availability are accurate as of publish time. Learn more about Shop TODAY.
