Cocokind’s Priscilla Tsai On Being A Beauty Outsider

It’s October 3rd, or as some people call it, National Mean Girls Day. While we won’t be showcasing any “cold, shiny, hard plastic,” we are sharing what’s shiny and new on our site—our favorite street style looks from Paris Fashion Week to a couple of September beauty launches on our radar—plus, a new newsletter exclusive series, “The Close-Up.” – Samantha

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THE CLOSE-UP

Cocokind’s Priscilla Tsai Speaks to Building a Business & Being a Beauty Outsider

Welcome to “The Close-Up,” Coveteur’s newest talent-led newsletter series, where we’ll be indulging in conversations with tastemakers, entrepreneurs, designers, and others paving the way in their respective industries. Focusing on the people at the forefront of new, innovative, and diverse brands, join us as we uncover their style ethos, guiding principles, challenges, and insights that have made them successful in the worlds of fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and beyond.

This week, I had the pleasure of speaking to Priscilla Tsai, founder of the conscious skincare brand, cocokind. Ahead, we talk about how she got her start in the skincare business, how cocokind leads with authenticity in the beauty space, and, of course, the skincare lineup she can’t get enough of.

Samantha Wu: I'd love to hear how you went from a career in finance to starting your own skincare business.

Priscilla Tsai: It's funny, I was never really interested in skincare. I had a lot of acne throughout my late teens, college years, and early twenties, so it was something I was forced to learn about. It was a big insecurity of mine, I wouldn't even go to daytime parties or activities because I believed my acne would be such a spotlight. I’ve tried so many things, spending $60 on a cleanser thinking it would help, or going back and forth to the dermatologist because I kept struggling with my skincare routine.

My journey to starting a business is separate from my skincare journey, as it was inspired by my mom’s small business in Michigan. She and my dad immigrated separately and met here. She then started working at a company as a clerk and ended up being able to buy it eight years later, now running it for 38 years. I grew up going to her office, stuffing flyers, and packaging stuff sometimes.

Since a very young age, I wanted to be in business. No one in my life was surprised that I started a business, but starting a skincare business was a surprise because my family and friends knew how brutal my journey with skincare has been. [This desire] to be a business owner merged with this major problem that I had in my life, which was my biggest insecurity.

SW: How did working in such a male-dominated industry impact the values that are woven into your brand?

PT: I quit my job at JP Morgan about 10 years ago, so I don't know what it's like today. It was not an easy environment, and I don't think I realized it at that time. Today, I look at it and I'm like, “Wow.” I feel bad for myself as a young woman. It was uncomfortable, point blank, whether it be conversations about acceptable behavior or what to wear to work, or having to work a lot harder. I made a couple of really close girlfriends—there were only a few of us, so we would cling to each other—many of whom are still some of my best friends.

At cocokind, you can show up however you want. You can wear whatever you want. You can be yourself and really embrace your authenticity. It’s a very different world than where I was, where I had to pretend to be someone else.

SW: Where do you gain inspiration for developing new formulas?

PT: I get inspiration from cocokind’s customers and from outside the industry. I’m not a founder who’s passionate about beauty in the way a lot of beauty founders are. I’m not testing the newest and latest from all these brands; that’s just not how I consume. I like to protect my status almost as a beauty outsider because it’s my belief that there are a lot of people the beauty industry still doesn’t speak to.

SW: Can you expand more on who you think is left out of the beauty conversation?

PT: In an amazing and equally negative way, both the beauty and the fashion industries are very inspirational, and there’s a lot of emotion involved. Despite all these new brands that are changing the industry in a really positive way, I still feel like it’s the same playbook: show them a beautiful image and evoke emotion. There are people who are unmoved by that, and having experienced skin insecurities, body insecurities, et cetera, I actively fight against that aspirational culture. I feel like we’re the band of outsiders that are very large in force and large in numbers, but just a bit quieter.

SW: What is your go-to cocokind combination?

PT: The morning routine I’ve been using lately, after splashing my face with water, has been spritzes of the Rose Water Toner; then I use our chlorophyll discoloration serum, followed by our ceramide barrier serum, then our resurrection polypeptide cream, and daily SPF. That’s my tried-and-true everyday routine.

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