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The LA skincare brand guide

Half the hot brands on Sephora's shelves in LA are LA brands; the founder might live a few blocks over. One brand per page: the story, how to pick, where to buy in LA. All benefits are the brands' own claims, not medical advice.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. Learn to read it first: 5 keywords

    Clean beauty is defined by each brand, with no single US standard; vegan, fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, skinimalism. When you see 'clean,' flip it over and read the ingredients first.

  2. rhode: the lip balm that moved into a phone case

    Hailey Bieber launched it in 2022 with just three products; the $20 Peptide Lip Treatment blew up alongside its phone case, e.l.f. acquired the brand in 2025, and it hit Sephora that September, so now you can swatch it in LA.

  3. Summer Fridays: sold just one mask on day one

    Two women who moved to LA from the Midwest launched the Jet Lag Mask in 2018, and it was a bestseller within two weeks; the Lip Butter Balm is $24. Taiwan isn't on its official authorized retailer list.

  4. Tower 28: named after a lifeguard tower

    Founder Amy Liu has sensitive skin herself, and the brand is named for a real lifeguard tower on an LA beach; the SOS spray is $28 on the website, with a travel size, so remember 100 ml or less for flights.

  5. Kosas: chemistry meets painting

    The founder studied organic chemistry and fine art, and started in 2015 with four lipsticks; the Revealer concealer is $32, with a $17 mini, so buy the small one to test your shade.

  6. Youth To The People: grandma's formula

    Founded in LA in 2015 by two cousins, inspired by Grandma Eva's plant-based skincare line; its signature is the kale and green tea Superfood Cleanser, and L'Oréal acquired it in 2021.

  7. Kate Somerville: the clinic came before the skincare

    She's run a facial clinic on Melrose Place for over 20 years; ExfoliKate won a 2025 Allure Best of Beauty, the Signature Facial starts at $250, and the clinic is closed Sundays.

  8. Rare Beauty: blush and mental health

    Selena Gomez launched it in 2020, headquartered in El Segundo, with the Rare Impact Fund aiming to raise $100 million over ten years. The Soft Pinch liquid blush is pigmented with just a dot, so buy the $16 mini first.

  9. Moon Juice: from a juice bar to those jars of powder

    Started as an LA juice shop in 2012, then shifted its focus to powders you add to drinks; Magnesi-Om is $44 on the website, and the brand says it helps you relax. That's the brand's claim, not medical advice.

  10. LA's old guard: Dermalogica

    It opened an esthetician school in Marina del Rey in 1983 and only launched skincare in 1986; headquartered in Carson in LA County, it's been owned by Unilever since 2015.

  11. Brands people think are LA, but aren't

    ILIA started in Vancouver in 2009, Saie is a New York brand, and so is Starface. Very California packaging, 'but not necessarily California-raised.'

  12. Where and when to buy in LA

    rhode, Summer Fridays, Tower 28, Kosas, YTTP and Rare Beauty are all at Sephora; Sephora's sale seasons are April in spring and November in fall, and Ulta's 21 Days is in March and September.

  13. What to know about bringing it back to Taiwan

    Sephora left Taiwan in 2023, and a lot of these brands are hard to get there; liquids in your carry-on must be 100 ml or less, big bottles go in checked bags, and ask about the person's skin type before gifting.

  14. Two-city mirror

    In Taipei you get Japanese and Korean drugstore skincare all in one stop at the pharmacy chains; in LA you buy LA's own brands at Sephora. 'In Taipei you're looking for something light; in LA you're looking for a story.'

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).