Mindful Skincare Made From Plants

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in skincare but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Hana Lee, founder, and CEO of Melixir Skincare, located in San Francisco, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Melixir is a cult beauty brand rooted in Korean skincare rituals backed by science. Inspired by Eastern philosophy, we believe that nature is the purest form of beauty. Our brand inspires sustainable and healthy lifestyles through vegan products. Customers of Melixir resonate with our vegan, Korean, and minimalistic values.

Tell us about yourself

While at a K-Beauty startup in San Francisco back in 2014, I discovered that most cosmetics brands at the time relied primarily on animal testing to make their products. After hearing the voices raised by the beauty community, I decided that I wanted to put an end to the unhealthy status quo of the industry and create a skincare brand that both helps and inspires people to be more mindful of what they put in their bodies every day.

I was 27 when I started Melixir. As I reflected over my life, I didn’t want to have any regrets when I was 40 or 50. I wanted my life to be meaningful, so I decided to start a business. It was one of the biggest decisions in my life. I told myself that if I started a company, it should be something that I could be passionate about for the next ten years.

What motivates me the most are the people on my team and Melixir’s customers. My team works together to create good results. When the results of our efforts are good, it is the biggest motivation. Reading reviews from customers who recognize how much effort we are putting into our products also motivates me.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

Melixir is nearing four years since its launch, but we’ve already made huge accomplishments, including winning awards like the “Superstar Global Seller Award” from Amazon for achieving 1,575% growth in just one year and becoming the #1 bestselling brand in all of Sephora Korea. In terms of accomplishments, I can’t say that I did this alone. Other than seeing the sales go up (haha), I think the biggest gratification comes from talking to our customers and hearing how much they love our products and why Melixir has become such a big part of their everyday lives. We invite customers to our office every month to conduct focus group interviews, which I very much look forward to each time.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I think about how we can become a more creative organization. The most important part of my role is to create an environment where everyone is focused on impactful work. I think about what culture we should create and how to embed our mission into our daily work. Small companies have limited resources, so the team should find a way to synergize. I believe that startups like Melixir must be more flexible than larger corporations in order to create new values and new customers. We are always thinking about how to grow without losing our original mission of “making healthy and sustainable products,” from which Melixer started.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

First, never hold yourself back. It is okay if someone or something lets you down.

Second, find something that you can be passionate about for a long time and dare to take on the challenge. Have ambition and work hard to achieve your goals.

Lastly, have fun! Enjoy the difficult process of starting, running, and growing a business.

Believe in yourself because we all have great potential.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://us.melixirskincare.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melixirskincare

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/melixirskincare/
https://www.instagram.com/melixirskincare_kr/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/melixirskincare/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.