Origin Story

by Joanne Molinaro on Jul 15 2025
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    Halmeoni and Me

    When I was little, my grandmother or Halmeoni took me to the backyard and showed me to the corner of her garden. There, nestled in a thicket of tall grass, were a handful of small flowers. They were balsam blooms. She gently picked the petals, took them back to her kitchen, where she ground them into a bright pulp. She then wrapped them around each of my fingernails. The following morning, they were the color of persimmons. It was my first manicure. Halmeoni didn't call it a "spa day" or "self care." It was just a way to show love to her daughters and granddaughters. A ritual carried across borders, from North Korea to the South, then all the way to our home in Chicago.

    Joanne and her Halmunee

    Years later, after adopting a vegan lifestyle, I started to look more closely at the labels on my skincare bottles, shampoo, and even nail polish. I realized that even though I was making compassionate choices with my food, I wasn’t doing the same with what I put on my skin. And try as I might, I couldn’t find a brand that honored my Korean heritage while aligning with my values—so I created one.

    A Love Letter

    Korean Vegan Beauty is my love letter to the powerful women who raised me. It’s rooted in hanbang (한방), the ancient tradition of Korean herbal medicine, and powered by plant-based science. Every product we create is 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and formulated with intentionality—because your skin, your hair, and every part of you, inside and out, deserves care that’s as kind as it is effective.

    This isn’t just about beauty. It’s about reclaiming rituals, telling stories through scent and texture, and making space for a new generation of Korean beauty—one that’s deeply personal, radically compassionate, and unapologetically plant-powered.

    Welcome to Korean Vegan Beauty. I’m so glad you’re here.

    — Joanne

    I love this beautiful story of Halmeoni and the balsam flowers! 🌺

    Anthony | Jul 29, 2025

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