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Once you remove the fallacy that veganism requires a dogmatic adherence to an impossible standard, you have the agency to determine–with honesty–what “doing better” looks like for you.

Around here, it starts to get a little warm (for running) at around 8:30. When the sun is out, it can be even earlier. By the time 10 am rolls around, you're baking. And that spells trouble not just for your heart, but also for your skin and hair.

In honor of Mother's Day, I'll share how my mom, Sunbee, found out she was going to be a mother.

Believe it or not, Korean Vegan Beauty has been alive, now, for EIGHT months. WOW!!! I honestly can't believe that we are now coming up on a full year of existence, because it feels like just yesterday that Anthony and I were freaking out at my mom's dining table in Chicago over business permits, coupon codes, and the best photos to use for our website. 😅 It was also during that time that I seriously considered bribing every single one of my family members, including my very taciturn uncle, to leave reviews for our products because I was worried no one else would!!! LOL. (We now have SO many reviews and that also feels TOTALLY surreal!!!) Anyhoot, for today's Beauty Journal, I thought I'd list out four random things I've learned as a baby entrepreneur (I mean, 8 months is still an infant!). These are truly random and not terribly thought out, but I want to encourage anyone reading this to feel like they, too, can take a leap of faith because if I can do it, anyone really can! Sometimes you have to do things even if you'd rather eat sludge. One thing I've learned is that no one is going to tell you what to do when you own your own business. You have to be your own boss and that sounds great, at first, but it becomes really hard to stay motivated. For example, I'm not gonna lie--sometimes, I don't want to write another Beauty Journal entry. Sure, I could have AI do it, but I absolutely and utterly REFUSE to sell my soul to that particular devil, so here we are. I have to think of what to write and then write it and then add pictures every single week. Today, things got rocky in the US with birthright citizenship on the line and I was very distracted. So, I was tempted to just say, "Hey, you've had a rough morning. Maybe skip this week's blog post?"  And there'd be NO ONE to tell me otherwise. Except for me! Community doesn't happen overnight. And community can't gel around inconsistency. This is my one chance, every week, to touch base with you and that is a privilege--one I should never take for granted. Hence, the Joanne who is grateful for you reminds the Joanne who is a little distracted: write about something you care about, even if it's not polished. And that is why I'm writing about this! Working with your life partner has its ups and downs. The major "up" is that I get a lot of free labor!! 🤣 My husband is an incredibly talented website developer and as a result, I get a free BEAUTIFUL website. Anytime I need to make so much as a tweak to it, he's right there, on the second floor of our house! I can literally holler, "BABE CAN YOU FIX THE THING ON THE THING PLEASE?" And it gets done in like 15 minutes. But that's the other thing... It's easy to take your life partner for granted when the separation between personal and professional grows inevitably blurred. I have to constantly remind myself that I need to treat him with the same respect I would've treated one of my colleagues at the law firm. Otherwise... fireworks (of the not fun variety) typically ensue. This is way easier said than done--trust me. But it's a lesson worth learning. Your Community is the lifeblood of your business--no matter what you're selling. You can have the BEST product in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD (and KV Beauty truly does), but it won't mean diddly squat if you treat your community poorly. I've seen this time and time again--a brand neglects or even disrespects its community and they will pay dearly for it. We've seen the opposite (thank God)--KVBeauties are loyal, joyous, and fiercely devoted to compassion. I like to think that the KV Beauty family mirrors the values I personally hold, which is why, again, I'm here in your inbox, relaying a small snippet from my everyday life. I want you to know that I'm not just grateful for you, but that I am very much like you. I'm an ordinary gal who wanted to start a business because she saw a gap in the market: a K-beauty brand owned and run by a woman who grew up using Korean beauty products, who also believes that animal suffering isn't necessary to achieve optimal skin and hair health. I had very little idea about what I was doing (hence the literal 11th hour fire drill on how to obtain a business license in California ...), but I did it anyway.  You can't do everything on your own. And that's ok. The idea here is that if I can do it, then maybe you should ask yourself, what do you want to do that's maybe a little off the beaten path? And what's stopping you? I'll bet if you take a good look at all the things in your way, you'll figure out a way to get around a lot of them. And for those things that seem impassable, try and identify someone who might be able to help with those. That's what I did--I didn't know the first thing about manufacturing beauty products, so I found someone who could help. The last time I tried writing "code" for my website, I ended up nearly breaking it. Thank God Anthony is here to help with that. And I'm not good at comedy videos, but those seem to do really well for our IG account. Luckily, our creative director goes viral 7 times a day for his comedy videos! Anyhow, I hope this little journal entry was illuminating and even inspiring. Till next week, make sure to put a little of the skin cream on your neck!! <3

What used to be a niche request from Western vegan consumers is now being driven from within — by native Korean Gen Z shoppers who care deeply about what goes on their skin and what it costs the planet.

I love the idea that these women helped to build the country that birthed the women in my own family. And, not gonna lie, reading up on their stories makes me want to get knee-deep in a K-drama RIGHT NOW!!

Back in the late 2000s, I started taking photos of myself using my laptop's webcam. I'd just joined Facebook and perfecting the profile pic became a fun little obsession. I soon became acquainted with the crude editing functions that came with "iPhoto"—the self-installed app on my computer that helped to brighten, sharpen, and saturate the images I captured. Eventually, I upgraded from my webcam to a small point-and-shoot camera, and then to a proper DSLR (my first was the Nikon D90). I was the subject of 90% of my photography, partially because I was too shy to ask anyone to pose for me. But also because, by that time, I'd developed a bit of narcissism around my physical appearance, which ultimately led to a number of plastic surgeries (which I won't get into here). I grew very adept at "editing" my perceived flaws out of existence. I could get rid of moles, an unfortunate wrinkle, or even some cellulite with a few clicks of my mouse. I could make my teeth extra white, my skin even, and my arms taut with a wave of my cursor. But, I hated doing it this way. I felt like I was lying to myself and to everyone on Facebook by utilizing a computer program to make me look "better" than I actually did. So, I made a bargain with myself—I could only edit away those things I was actively  (undertaking the cost of) changing in real life. If I didn't want people to see my sagging belly, then I needed to get rid of it in real life—even by plastic surgery. If I didn't want people to see the mole on my right cheek, then I needed to visit my dermatologist.  These are the strange deals we sometimes make with ourselves. I say "strange," but, in actuality, they are toxic. I won't get too into the weeds on why I grew so obsessed with my appearance, but let's just say, I grew up in a house that overvalued a girl's physical "beauty." Instinctively, I measured my worth in metrics that resembled vanity. Was I pretty enough? Was I sexy enough? Did men fall in love with me? Did women envy me? Unless I could answer "yes" to these questions, I harbored an anxiety that I couldn't quite extinguish, one that seemed to echo: No one will ever love you, because you're too ugly. Once I finally started taking photos of things other than me—a beautiful building in Chicago, a young man I fell in love with right after I separated from my first husband, the aunt who was diagnosed with breast cancer right before she went in for her first chemo treatment, the friend who laughed so hard and loud I often refused to go into quiet restaurants with her—I began to realize that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder. With my camera, I could make anything and anyone beautiful. Correction: through the eye of my camera, I could see the beauty in anything and anyone. Suddenly, the challenge was no longer finding beauty in them, but finding it in me.  Wouldn't you know it? The answer was so obvious. My beauty—the thing that makes me truly beautiful—was just that: the ability to see the absolute best in everyone. To see what truly makes them outstanding, spectacularly brilliant. It wasn't the menial task of photo-shopping crow's feet or brightening complexion or erasing a blemish. It was seeing beneath someone's skin, straight through to their intentions, their fears, their safeties, their loves. Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Even if you have a sweetheart you plan to celebrate, I'd like to remind you to celebrate yourself too. Ask yourself, What makes me beautiful? And be sure to go back to that thing the next time the world tries to make you feel like you're not. <3<3<3  

Did you know that on average, it takes roughly 66 days to develop a habit? Thats roughly two months. But some habits can take much less time to form--as low as 18 days. That's less than 3 weeks! I mention this because I think it can be really intimidating, sometimes, to set seemingly unattainable goals, especially as we usher in a new year. It's helpful to remember that will power, discipline, and motivation, while important, may not always be the dispositive factor when it comes to sustaining a desired behavior.

This is the part about being a "beauty brand founder" that no one ever talks about...

A nasty comment on a YouTube video inspires Joanne to get real about aging.

I knew the minute I even thought about starting a Korean vegan beauty brand that we would need to get PETA certified.

Growing up, my hair was my super power. It was the one thing about me that everyone uniformly praised as beautiful and strong. When my parents introduced me to their friends or church goers, they'd exclaim, "Oh my, just look at her pretty hair!" But here's the thing: I really hated my hair. It was so long and so thick and so tangle-y and MY GOD THERE WAS SO MUCH OF IT!! I hated brushing my hair almost as much as brushing my teeth at night. It hurt when my grandmother combed through it. It hurt when she divided them into braids. It hurt when we washed it at bath-time. And just the thought of repeating the entire choreography all over again the next day...? Well, that hurt too. I remember one night, I literally tried sleeping face down to keep my hair from re-adopting its nest-like features by the time I woke up. It didn't work. There I was, in my young 40s, and my hair was still as unmanageable as ever. I tried so many things--braiding it when I went to bed, super expensive hair masks that my posh Beverly Hills hair stylist recommended, fancy brushes that were GUARANTEED not to hurt, brushing my hair every single night. And nothing worked. My hair was always tangled, it was always dry and brittle, and, worst of all, it seemed it was coming out in clumps in the shower. I needed a shampoo that wasn't going to break the bank and was going to actually help my hair. So although K-beauty is known for glass skin, I wanted to launch a product that would go viral for strong, lustrous hair. Why shouldn't all the tradition and the powerful ingredients of K-beauty be as effective at promoting healthy, vibrant hair? ENTER KOREAN VEGAN BEAUTY SMOOTHING SHAMPOO.  Why "smoothing" shampoo? I needed something that would hydrate my hair, while also strengthening it--so much so that I wouldn't need to use a daily conditioner. Daily conditioning often left a residue and heaviness that I didn't like, so I wanted to create a shampoo that cleans, heals, and hydrates. But don't you need a conditioner? I really wanted to focus on creating the PERFECT shampoo before worrying about a conditioner. I think marketing has gotten a little carried away with conditioners and I wanted to return our attention to the first thing we put into our hair when we shower--that's the shampoo.   That said, yes, I do use a conditioning mask 1 to 2 times per week. And since many of you have asked, The KVBeauty Team is HARD at work developing our own formula to pair with our shampoo. We hope to have that ready for you in the next few months! How much shampoo do you use? One of my favorite things about our shampoo is how little you actually need to use. I use about a nickel-sized portion of Korean Vegan Beauty Smoothing Shampoo every time I shower. That's more than enough to get a full lather on my hair and y'all--I've got a LOT of hair. It goes all the way down to my lower back!  Is KVBeauty's Vegan Collagen Shampoo safe for children or people with allergies? Many of our customers with sensitive scalps, or those who have children with allergies, have credited Korean Vegan Beauty's Smoothing Shampoo for having already made them a "customer for life." As I've shared elsewhere, the ethos of Korean Vegan Beauty is going back to natural ingredients, as much as possible, to allow our inner beauty to shine through. This facilitates our products' use for those who have sensitivities and even allergies (though, obviously, I can't guarantee that it will work for everyone). Some of my favorite testimonials about Korean Vegan Beauty's Vegan Collagen Smoothing Shampoo: "Aw man, this is giving my usual shampoo a HUGE run for its money!!! This stuff makes my hair shiny and soft and gorgeous! (Without weighing anything down!). Love this extra confidence boost! You can tell this was a labor of love… thank you so much!!! I love my hair after using this!!!" "I love this so much. I can't stop running my hands through my hair. It's so smooth and tame. My frizz is gone and my hair has just the right amount of volume. I could use five products and still not achieve these results. I will continue to use this product and buy again." "Holy cow - bottle this scent! My short, greying hair LOVES this light shampoo. A little goes a long way, bringing shine and strength to my even softer hair. Love it!" "We’ve been on the hunt for shampoo that works for my daughter’s super thick hair. It’s prone to be very oily, she has many allergies (nuts, sunflower, pumpkin) which makes so many shampoos/conditioners unsafe. She also had eczema and dandruff issues because of her sensitive skin barrier. This shampoo WORKS. It gets her hair clean but doesn’t dry it out so she can skip conditioners which either have ingredients she can’t touch or leave her hair oily. It gives her soft voluminous hair and doesn’t dry her scalp. She’s so very happy. If you have sensitive/allergy prone skin, this is the shampoo you’ve been waiting for." "I love this shampoo and can’t wait to see if there’s a conditioner to match it one day! The shampoo lathers nicely, smells amazing, and a little goes a long way. It leaves my hair soft and shiny! You can tell how love and time went into creating KV Beauty and I’m glad to support businesses whose values match my own. Can’t wait to see what other products you create!" "I noticed a difference in my hair after just one use! My normally dry ends and frizzy curls appeared smooth and nourished. The shampoo lathers really well so only a little bit is needed to get a great wash. The smell is really nice too - not overpowering. Really enjoying this product!" "This shampoo is life changing and no I'm not exaggerating. I've had to deal all my life with completely unmanageable hair that tangles so easily, it's painful to brush. Now, as I get older (I'm in my 40s), add frizziness! This shampoo is smoothing (just like it says) AND it lustrous AND it makes my hair SO SO shiny AND it smells so good. I used to get so annoyed having to wash my hair but I actually look forward to it now lol." Read More Reviews

A disrupted treadmill run becomes a powerful lesson in how our ego—disguised as urgency—can sabotage "me time," and how small mindset shifts can help reclaim it.

In this heartfelt post, bestselling author and content creator Joanne Molinaro (The Korean Vegan) shares the origin story behind Korean Vegan Beauty, a skincare brand rooted in ritual, authenticity, and cruelty-free Korean tradition. After going vegan in 2016, Joanne longed for a vegan K-beauty line that aligned with her values. When none existed, she spent 3 years building her own—from product development to web design—alongside her husband Anthony. More than just skincare, Korean Vegan Beauty celebrates intentional self-care, storytelling, and the emotional intimacy of nurturing the body. This is not a celebrity vanity brand—it’s a labor of love born from lived experience, family roots, and the power of doing things your own way.

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.