“I’m glad we did take the slow approach because we’ve moved beyond that,” Ayesha Curry said of her tripling the time it took to launch her beauty line. Today, after three and a half years of preparation, planning and testing, her vitamin C-rich skincare brand, Sweet July Skin, is officially launching a set of three products inspired by her Jamaican roots. It’s the natural next step for her lifestyle brand Sweet July, and the self-proclaimed “beauty junkie” has tried everything, including every one of her grandmother’s beauty tips.
Photo: Peter Ash Lee for Sweet July Skin
“Growing up, I just remember them always having these little old lady tails about their skincare, like, ‘Rub this tomato on your face like it’s good for you,’ or ‘put this aloe on it’ and continue after the sun,” Curry said. When she started noticing her mother’s skin was “smooth as butter,” she started paying more attention to her mother’s advice, even as the years passed. While tomatoes may not have made it into the final lab sample, Caribbean ingredients like guava, papaya and soursop did. Each product is formulated with “a little bit of vitamin C and niacinamide,” she told me. “Everyone needs these three products,” Curry says of designing formulas that work for all skin types (while the industry’s perception of “clean” beauty is changing, they do fit the bill of retailers like Sephora and Credo). standard of cleanliness).
Pava Exfoliating Cleanser (titled “A Blend of Papaya and Guava”) uses microfine lychee seed powder to polish skin, and Curry promises nothing like “” Scratch your skin that way drugstore brands. “I’m also one of those girls who uses those harsh tactics,” she admits, assuring that her gentler choices won’t strip your face. Then there’s the Pava Toner, which contains natural fruit extracts, and the Irie Power Face Oil, which is scented with tea tree, neem seed, and rosemary oils, to help tackle hyperpigmentation and uneven texture, which she notes she’s been using all her life. deal with these issues. “I’m also a victim of adult acne,” Curry shared. “What I love about this oil is that it’s not greasy, if that makes sense.” She now uses it as a makeup base and mixes it with other products for extra hydration. “It really is multipurpose.”
