Driven by a desire to create a skincare line that was both effective and environmentally conscious, Hana Lee founded vegan brand Melixir in 2018 with the launch of a face oil.
Lee’s philosophy was simple: To create cruelty-free products using plant-derived ingredients, and formulations backed by science.
Melixir has since introduced serums, toners, moisturisers, sunscreen, and hand and body wash, which first launched in the US. In 2022 the brand opened Melixir House in Dosan Park in Gangnam, Seoul, its first international outpost and also a homecoming of sorts given Lee’s roots in South Korea. Today, the San Francisco-headquartered company has earned B Corp certification and is eyeing continued expansion into Asia following its launch in Sephora stores in Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.
“When I was working for a beauty tech start-up in San Francisco in 2014, I realised there weren’t many cruelty-free options for skincare after a client came looking for more ethical beauty options. That’s when I decided to start Melixir and made a promise to provide skincare that is 100 percent vegan and sustainable. At the time, I knew the core values I wanted to uphold in Melixir were honesty, purity, and sustainability, and everything that we’ve developed since then is reflected in that initial promise,” explains Hana Lee, Founder of Melixir.
