May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, and although it’s always a good idea to support BIPOC communities, today, we're highlighting some of our favorite businesses and brands from AAPI founders.
From K-Beauty brands to delicious chili oils, flavor-packed teas and spices, to home decor and bookshops, to underrated fashion finds, there are plenty of AAPI-owned businesses that offer quality products we've found ourselves repurchasing time and time again.
Note that there are tons of brilliant AAPI-owned businesses out there — and, because we're just scratching the surface with these recommendations, we promise to continue updating this list. We also encourage you to shop locally to support the businesses in your neighborhood.
Beauty
Blume
Sisters Taran and Bunny Ghatrora created Blume, a beauty and self-care company for young women. They aim to de-stigmatize periods with their brand and empower the next generation to feel confident in their bodies.
Filthy Rich Barbershop
Based out of Brooklyn and Queens, NY, owner Richard Mendoza has worked his barber magic on big names including comedian and actress Awkwafina and actor and singer Quincy. The shop, named after himself, was rated Top 10 Best Barber Shops in the world by David Beckham's team.
Ann McFerran is the genius behind Glamnetic, a cult-favorite beauty brand that specializes in magnetic eyelashes and eyeliners. McFerran is Thai American, and she immigrated to the United States at just 7 years old with her single mother.
Insert Name Here
Founded by Korean American Sharon Pak and co-founder Jordyn Wynn, Insert Name Here's hair extensions let you try out the latest hair trends — like bangs and colored hair — without damaging your strains in the process.
Kulfi Beauty
Celebrating the vibrant and creative nature of makeup and inspired by her Indian heritage, founder Priyanka Ganjoo created Kulfi Beauty as a way to deliver high-performance, pigmented makeup products that show up on all ranges of skin tones. The brand offers long-lasting lip stains, conditioning mascaras and brow gels that promote hair growth, colorful eyeshadows, eyeliners, blushes and more — all so you can have fun with your makeup.
The beauty brand's story begins with founder and beauty blogger Deepica Mutyala, who went viral with her red lipstick hack video to cancel out dark under-eyes. Today, she runs Live Tinted to serve all women.
Pink Moon
Lin Chen created beauty retailer Pink Moon to mix her love of wellness and self-care with her Chinese heritage pride. The online shop features eco-friendly, self-care, wellness and lifestyle brands, with over 30% of them being founded by women of color.
Seiso J Beauty
This Japanese beauty system features four products that aim to restore, strengthen and rebuild the skin's barrier function via ceramide technology and clean ingredients.
Soko Glam, created by Charlotte Cho, is all about making K-beauty brands and products more accessible to the American audience. You can shop bestselling and popular brands like Anua, Cosrx, Etude House, Biodance, and. The founder also has her own skincare brand called Then I Met You that you can shop at Soko Glam and Sephora.
Squigs
Founder Nikita Charuza dubs her brand "happy head care," offering skincare and hair care rooted in Ayurvedic rituals that is sensitive skin-friendly. The brand is also committed to donating a percentage of proceeds to mental health charities because head care includes mental health.
Three Ships Beauty
Natural skincare shouldn't be overpriced, according to Three Ships Beauty founders Laura Burget and Connie Lo. They set out to make clinically-proven formulas with nature-derived ingredients less complicated and more affordable.
Topicals
Co-founders Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng hit the ground running after their launch in 2020. Both Olowe, who is Black, and Teng, who is Asian American, had similar problems with the beauty industry as WOC and decided to make a change by addressing those issues with Topicals. The brand as a whole is a favorite of multiple members of the GH team. “I love Topicals because of their focus on making skincare more fun and de-stigmatizing flare-ups,” says Textiles Lab Analyst, Grace Wu.
Tower 28 Beauty
This brand is another favorite amongst editors here at Good Housekeeping, which is why their illuminating cream bronzer was named one of our Favorite Products of 2021. Another product loved by GH Editors would be their sunscreen foundation — all of Tower 28’s products are made with sensitive skin types in mind.
Books and Art
A Good Used Book
This Asian-owned bookshop resides in California, where the owners carefully choose, clean and condition their books. They started off as an online marketplace but built their physical pop-up, where orders are available for curbside pickup.
You can find Arkipelago Books in San Francisco's Historical District. There, you'll see an extensive collection of specialty culture books along with contemporary and historical cultural titles.
Bel Canto Books
Jhoanna Belfer is a Filipina American poet and former hospitality executive who founded Bel Canto Books, a California bookshop that offers a selection of fiction, nonfiction and children's books. The shop hosts special themes every month to celebrate books by women and people of color.
If you're in the Berkeley, CA area, East Wind Books has been a major source for Asian American literature since 1982. Find anything regarding Asian Studies, Ethnic Studies, Language Learning, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Martial Arts books.
Femme Fire Books
Located in Jacksonville, Florida, the Asian-owned bookshop celebrates diversity and sells used and new books across a variety of titles, topics, authors and genres to choose from.
Giant Robot
Established in 2001, the Los Angeles shop features products from around the world, notably Asian pop culture products, including fun housewares, gifts, stationeries, T-shirts, comics, plush and toy figures.
Based out of Los Angeles, this cookbook and culinary shop marry food and stories together. Right now, the retail store is closed for general browsing, but you can place orders online or by phone.
Philippine Expressions Bookshop
What started out as a Los Angeles mail-order bookshop in 1984, this bookshop is dedicated to Filipino Americans in search of their roots. Today, the brick-and-mortar bookshop is located in the Historic Arts District, San Pedro, CA.
Sam Makes A Mess
This Asian-owned Etsy shop sells detailed art prints, stickers and pins and even takes commissions to create any custom illustration you imagine.
Founder Meha Agrawal worked in a couple of startups before starting her own. Silk + Sonder is a subscription-based mental wellness journaling experience that encourages productivity, planning and mindfulness.
Fashion
AMYO Jewelry
Find layered necklaces, bracelets, rings and more at AMYO, starting from just $30. The brand was founded by Korean American founder Gina Nam, who runs an all-female team who crafts the jewelry by hand.
Asian American Girl Club
From trendy bucket hats to T-shirts and hoodies, AAGC sets to redefine what it means to be a modern Asian American woman through their powerful apparel.
B.Zaar Collective
Owned by three Asian founders, Monica Recto, Gabie Tanjutco and Trisha Lim, B.Zaar collective is a curated, in-house digital marketplace that elevates artisanal brands and designers to the forefront, inspired by the bazaars or marketplaces, in the Philippines.
Dagne Dover
Founded by Melissa Mash, a Korean American and Deepa Gandhi, an Indian American, along with their friend Jessy Dover, Dagne Dover is known for its chic, "problem-solving" bags that feature some of the most clever, thoughtful storage solutions we've seen in everything from eco-friendlier neoprene diaper bags to weekender carryalls and leather totes.
Dauphinette
Olivia Cheng and her sustainable ready-to-wear label Dauphinette have created one-of-a-kind pieces since 2018. Cheng constantly collaborates with major brands for exciting runway pieces, and she also makes a point to reuse and use unused materials while ideating for upcoming shows.
Donolli
Former Good Housekeeping video producer, Tessa Donolli, is half-Filipina and has always dabbled in creative hobbies. Donolli accessories feature statement jewelry, like clay chains and earrings.
Grey State
Saima Chowdhury was born and raised in Bangladesh and founded the relaxed luxury clothing brand Grey State in 2015. The female-owned brand's mission aims to keep its environmental impact low, using upcycled textiles for its clothing.
Joey Baby
Joey Baby offers high-quality natural pearl jewelry that's handmade in NYC — at an affordable price. Starting in the summer of 2020, while the founder Joey Wong was pregnant, the brand has established itself as a go-to for trendy jewelry.
The sustainable accessories brand makes options for men and women, including ethically made jewelry and leather bags, like their birthstone rings that make a great birthday gift.
Kinn Jewelry
Founder Jennie Yoon created her jewelry brand with the intention of designing heirloom pieces that can be passed down from generation to generation. Each piece is crafted with quality materials like solid gold, silver, and lab grown diamonds with contemporary yet timeless designs that can be worn every day.
Whether you're in need of womenswear for work or cozy loungewear, the Japanese-owned fashion brand has something for you, like their cashmere joggers and matching hoodies, leggings, terry sweatpants, pullovers, t-shirts and more.
Oro Latino Jewelry Inc.
Tommy F. is a jeweler located in lower Manhattan at 82 Bowery, New York, NY 10013. His gold rings, Cuban links, name plates and more have gotten the attention of influencers and celebrities alike.
Pax Philomena
Jean Marie was born in Calcutta, India, to Anglo-Indian parents and emigrated with her family to Phoenix, Arizona at a young age. She tailored and sewed her own clothing growing up and continues to share her passion for beautiful textiles through her clothing line.
Pepper
This brand was named the best bra for small busts in our tests. What sets them apart from other lingerie brands is that their bras are made with shallower cup sizes to help get a closer fit and avoid unwanted gaps.
Petite Studio NYC
For petite ladies, Petite Studio NYC is a slow fashion brand that offers clothing for smaller women. It was founded by Jenny Wang, a self-taught fashionista who grew up in Zhejiang, China.
The Filipina-owned Los Angeles shop ships authentic 14k solid gold jewelry to customers worldwide. From custom sets to assorted chains to jade pendants, the shop has something for everyone.
Summer Away
Founder Meghna Goyal wants to make shopping for your next vacation effortless with her line of sustainable and affordable resort wear. From two-piece sets to flowy dresses, the line features summer-inspired prints in various silhouettes.
Food
Bachan's
Bachan means "granny" in Japanese, and Justin Gill used the word to name his business after the woman who inspired him. Gill started Bachan's as a way to put his family's signature barbecue sauce on the market. The brand describes the sauce as having a "teriyaki-ish" taste that pairs well with meat, veggies, rice and just about everything else. It can be used as both a marinade and a condiment.
Bean & Bean
The women-run coffee company was founded by the Korean mother-and-daughter duo, Rachel and Jiyoon Han. Their mission is not only to bring flavorful and delicious coffee to the world but to also help bridge the gender gap in the coffee industry. More than 50% of coffee sourced by Bean & Bean is female-powered!
Boba Bam
Boba Bam is high-quality, authentic Taiwanese instant boba made in 60 seconds, cofounded by Bob Yau and Ron Escopete. The perfect at-home solution, this classic Brown Sugar Boba makes it easy and convenient to customize boba your way at a quarter of the cost of conventional tea shops.
Bokksu
In 2015, after a trip to Japan, Bokksu's owner Danny Taing fell in love with the local snacks and fare of Japan. The brand is a monthly subscription box service that pulls together a variety of snacks beloved in Japan. Bokksu also does special boxes for holidays and character collaborations (like Hello Kitty!).
Copper Cow
Known for their naturally flavored lattes, Copper Cow adds herbs and spices to the coffee mix for a delicious cup every time. Each flavor is organic and designed to transport you to Vietnam, the second-largest coffee supplier in the world. Copper Cow Coffee is the brainchild of Vietnamese-American Debbie Wei Mullin, who was passionate about introducing a premium, at-home pour-over coffee experience with a sustainable twist that celebrates Vietnamese coffee and culture.
Dang Foods
Plant-based Thai-American snack brand Dang Foods offers yummy whole food product lines, including Coconut Chips, Thai Rice Chips and the Dang Bar. All snacks are vegan, non-GMO, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Deep Indian Kitchen
Founded by an Indian-American family, Deep Indian Kitchen provides tasty and authentic Indian cuisine meals like Chicken Tikka Masala and Garlic Naan delivered frozen to your door.
Do Anything
A favorite of GH Registered Dietitian Stefani Sassos, Do Anything Foods offers a variety of nutritious, versatile sauces packed with vibrant flavors and tons of veggies. Co-founded by two passionate home cooks, Monica Salhotra and Allie Shanholt, the female- and AAPI-0wned brand provide a solution for healthy convenient veggie-rich shortcuts that the whole family can enjoy. From Kale Pesto to Cauliflower Alfredo, the sauces can be used on pasta, pizza, veggies and more.
Eatable
Charlene and Vince Li gave popcorn a gourmet flair with Eatable. Not only is this snack brand clean and packed with flavor, but it also perfectly pairs with wine, cocktails and other spirits. With flavors like Whisky on the Pops, which is scotch-infused caramel popcorn, Chocolate Espresso Martini Kettle Corn, and Coconut Lime Margarita Pops caramel popcorn, you'll certainly reach for these during your movie marathons.
Fila Manila
Fila Manila offers a range of authentic Filipino simmer sauces with a modern twist, founded by first generation Filipino-American immigrant Jake Deleon. Based on his parent’s recipes, the sauces are packed with Filipino flavor for everyone to enjoy.
Founded in 2018, owner Jing Gao started off with her flavorful Sichuan Sauces and has since expanded to delicious soup dumplings, hot pot bases and more, which can all be delivered right to your door with just the click of a button.
Health-Ade Kombucha Tea
You might recognize the colorful Health-Ade kombucha bottles from the grab-and-go refrigerator at your local grocery store. The brand is known for offering fruit-flavored kombucha, which is a fermented tea that has living probiotics. Health-Ade is the creation of Diana Trout, her husband Justin Trout and their friend Vanessa Dew.
HighKey
Known for their low-sugar cookies, chocolates and crackers, HighKey was founded by AJ Patel and recreates your favorite snacks and treats sans the added sugar. Their keto-friendly offerings are tasty, and many of the products focus on high-quality ingredients like almond flour and a proprietary blend of natural sweeteners. The celeb-loved cookies have no added sugar and are gluten-free, grain-free, and keto-friendly.
immi
Kevin Lee and Kevin Chanthasiriphan launched immi because they share a lifelong love of ramen. The two started the brand as a way to help their families and others manage health conditions and try a plant-based diet. For example, the spicy "beef" ramen is just that—spicy and hearty and features notes of Sichuan peppercorns, anise and fennel. (All of immi's ramen are 100% plant-based.)
Kloo
Coffee from a certified coffee sommelier? Meet Kloo, the brand that offers speciality coffee concentrate made from single-origin beans. Mariella Cho and her daughter Claudia created Kloo to make gourmet craft coffee at home accessible for all.
Mason Dixie
For those moments when you're dashing out of the house and need a quick breakfast, Mason Dixie Foods has you covered. Ayeshah Abuelhiga established the brand in 2014 as a way to sell the delicious comfort food that her parents made in their small carry-out restaurant. The buttermilk breakfast sandwich features the brand's signature seven-ingredient buttermilk biscuit with egg and sausage.
Ngyuen Coffee Supply
Nguyen Coffee Supply was the first Vietnamese-American-owned importer and roaster of green coffee beans from Vietnam in New York. Founded by Sahra Nguyen in 2018, Nguyen Coffee Supply set out to foster diversity, sustainability and integrity in the coffee industry.
Vietnamese co-founders and sisters Vanessa and Kim Pham are daughters of refugees, who grew up at their family's kitchen counter. They created Omsom to offer food starter packs that celebrate Asian flavors right to your door.
Sanzo
Sandro Roco, a Queens, New York-born Filipino American, started Sanzo after noticing a need for less sugary and preservative-free options in New York's Asian grocery stores. Sanzo, the first Asian-inspired sparkling water, uses high-quality Asian soft drink flavors without any added sugar.
Spicewalla
Spicewalla founder Meherwan Irani has won five James Beard Award nominations for Best Chef so you know his food is good. He created the brand as a love letter to his Indian heritage and the family recipes that were passed down to him, focusing specifically on perfecting spice blends the way he learned as a kid.
Tea Drops
Coming from a Chinese and Sri Lankan home, tea was always a staple in founder Sashee Chandran’s upbringing. She started Tea Drops as a sustainable solution for the modern tea drinker, creating these bagless and dissolvable whole-leaf tea blends that are all USDA-certified organic. Tea Drops feature playfully shaped blends of tea leaves and spices which encourage connection through tea experiences too.
Yíshì
Yíshì, an Asian-inspired oatmeal brand, is the brainchild of Lin Jiang. The brand came to be because of Jiang's love for her mother's black sesame porridge she ate throughout her childhood in China. Yíshì is dedicated to her mother's approach to food and her heritage.
MìLà
Husband and wife team Jen & Caleb Liao founded MìLà, previously named Xiao Chi Jie, in 2018 as a way to honor their culture and embrace being second-generation Chinese Americans. The brand sells everything from dumplings, sauces and noodles that'll satisfy your tastebuds.
Home
Béis
Béis was created to offer durable luggage at an affordable price to make traveling more accessible. The brand creates a range of duffles, rolling bags and carry-ons, all in chic colors that'll make packing for your next adventure a breeze.
Blueland
What impressed us most about Blueland here at Good Housekeeping is not only how well their cleaning products perform, but their ability to eliminate unnecessary packaging. Our very own Cleaning Lab picked Blueland's dishwasher starter set as the best plastic-free dishwasher detergent, which comes in a cute reusable tin.
Boy Smells
In 2015, Boy Smells was created in the Los Angeles kitchen of co-founders and partners David Kien and Matthew Herman. Over the years, their fragrant inventory continues to surprise its cult-following, but the brand's LES candle (with notes of Blackcurrant, peach blossom, jasmine rice, Asian pear, coconut, cardamom and white cedar) is still a best-seller. Don't hesitate to grab more than one jar for your home!
Buffy
Lexie Sachs, executive director of strategy and operations at the Good Housekeeping Institute, uses the Buffy Cloud Comforter and notes that it is the perfect all-season comforter. Beyond comforters, the brand also has soft and cozy bedding and linens that will make your bed feel like cloud nine.
Bumo Brain
Korean American digital influencer Chriselle Lim and Vietnamese American educator Joan Nguyen founded Bumo Brain, an online space that makes education more accessible and entertaining for families around the world.
No matter if you need a graphic for your side hustle, school project or personal social media accounts, Canva has custom-sized templates so even beginners can easily create their own designs.
KonMari
You've probably already heard about the KonMari method, a way to tidy up your home, thus bringing more joy into your life. The Japanese brand offers a collection of products and services that help you organize your home without the fuss.
Lu France Interiors
Filipina-owned brand Lu France Interiors works with artisans and small businesses from around the world to provide curated decor pieces for every home. From textile weavers in the Philippines to artists in Canada and graphic designers in Singapore, Lu France Interiors strives to pay homage to the hard work of its creatives.
Marble Lotus
Founder Soni Mehra merges modern design with traditional South Asian craftsmanship in her home decor brand Marble Lotus. The brand partners with artisans and makers from the South Asian subcontinent to source and craft elegant pieces that honor South Asian heritage and design. They also offer interior design services for even more of a personal touch.
Material
Two Asian-American food lovers created Material cookware when they noticed that none of the kitchenware they used checked all the right boxes. That's why Material offers stylish and functional cookware at more affordable price points.
Ohmonah
From apparel to home products, Ohmonah has you covered. Owner and New Jersey native, Sara, took their talents learned in the animation industry to the West Coast and created this whimsical brand. Pick up one of their reusable produce bags inspired by yummy foods like Salmon Sashimi and Fire Noodles or decorate your home with their fun rugs and tapestries.
Our Place
You've probably seen this vibrantly colored cookware brand on your Instagram feed. Our Place, established by Shiza Shahid in 2019, is famous for the Always Pan — an 8-in-1 ceramic pan that can saute, sear, braise, steam, fry, boil, strain and even be used as a serving dish. It's great for those with limited cabinet space because it's designed to replace a large cookware set. (Plus, it looks nice enough to leave out on your stove as decor, as you might a Dutch oven.)
Rendall Co.
You can thank Southeast Asian American co-founder Syama Meagher for the brand's durable chambray denim aprons and premium face masks.
Founded by actor Jennifer Tsay, Shoott is a photography service that puts creatives and freelancers first. This female-run company seeks to make professional photography more accessible for everyday consumers, having customers only pay $15 for photos they love.
Soul Electronics
Co-founded by Signeo USA and Ludacris, Soul Nation is a brand that provides quality sound equipment. The brand has collaborated with talents like Usain Bolt, PSY and Tim Tebow. The S-Play earbuds are perfect for gaming and entertainment. They have the latest Bluetooth v5.2 technology and industry-leading 40ms low latency connection for enjoyable pure sound.
Even if you've never crocheted in your life, the Woobles offers beginner-friendly patterns and services so you can make your own crochet creations. The brand also offers crochet kits for intermediates.
Vermicular
In 1936, the Hijikata family was known for its artful cast iron, which led to the founding of the Vermicular brand. Specializing in elevating home cooking into an art form, the brand's stunning Dutch oven is made with enameled cast iron and comes in five sizes and four color shades.
Shanon is a writer and editor who specializes in best-of product roundups and deals. She has over six years of experience, including almost three years as a Good Housekeeping product and reviews editor, covering the best sales and products across home, appliances, health, beauty, parenting and more.
Anvita Reddy (she/her) is a Commerce Editor at Hearst Magazines. She contributes commerce content across Hearst’s portfolio, including Elle, Harper's Baazar, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Cosmopolitan, House Beautiful, and more. She has over four years of experience in the commerce space, including writing detailed first-person product reviews, trend and best-of round-ups, deals and sales coverage, and more. Previously, she was an assistant editor for PS Shopping, covering beauty, home and kitchen, fashion, tech, travel, wellness, and lifestyle. In her free time, you can find her catching up on everything from reality TV to reruns of classic sitcoms, testing out viral beauty products, sharpening her cooking skills, working out, or traveling.
