BEAUTY AND THE BALM

The Flowering of Lotus Skincare Inc.
Introducing Co-Founders
Joanie Gong and Sandy Kim

Lotus Skincare is the creation of Sandy Kim and Joanie Gong. Two native New Yorkers and entrepreneurs who collectively bring over 20 years of fashion and marketing expertise to their balm-based cosmetics company, Lotus Skincare.

Launched in 2005, the Lotus Skincare line was launched with a single lip balm. An instant hit, the line now includes a variety of scented and flavored lip balms plus a luxurious green tea-scented body balm. Despite being a new face on the beauty block, Lotus is already available nationwide in prestigious spas and specialty stores in the US and in Asia. Plans are already on the drawing board for other skincare and beauty products that blend the founders’ love of sensuous Eastern scents and flavors with the serious skin benefits of Western science. Also in the works is a line of toiletries just for kids inspired by the birth of Sandy’s first daughter, Kira.

“The name of our company came about from my upbringing in a Buddhist household," says Joanie. “Lotus seeds have been used for centuries for celebratory dishes as well as for their healing properties in Asia. Our dual signature flavor, Green Tea-Pomegranate is an homage to our Eastern heritage. The scent is slightly sweet with a hint of citrus which is perfect for instant pick-me-up in today’s stress-filled world.”

Marketing is Sandy Kim’s specialty. Earlier in her career, she worked at BMG Music before moving to HBO and launching a number of online marketing initiatives. One of the highlights of her job, she notes, was working with the cast of Sex and the City and The Sopranos in marketing projects for the TV shows. But the world of beauty eventually lured her away from Show Biz, she says: “I have to confess, I was always a closet ‘Beautyholic’. All the women in my family always placed a big emphasis on using the proper products for their skin,” said Sandy.

Thanks to her strong fashion sense and experience, Joanie Gong is the trend spotter for Lotus. She graduated from Parsons and NYU Stern School of Business before becoming a merchandise manager at GFT USA (working on Valentino, Emmanuel Ungaro, and other lines). Joanie then became a design director at both Perry Ellis and DKNY. Climbing up the corporate ladder, she was in product development at Kenneth Cole before finally striking out with Sandy to develop Lotus Skincare.

According to Joanie, “I got my fashion sense by watching my mom get dressed every day. She always had beautiful clothes and great style. When I graduated from school, it seemed natural to move into design." The decision to launch Lotus Skincare with lip and body balms was inspired by what the two co-founders believed were missing in their own beauty lives: “We wanted to develop a lip balm that was unparalleled in richness and emolliency. Sandy loves soaking up sun at the beach and was always looking for something that would moisturize for hours without that greasy feeling. I do quite a bit of hiking and running myself. I wanted something that could sooth and protect in all kinds of weather.”

After what seemed like a million formulas, they said, they came up with a master formula that has it all: The exotic scents they love. Emolliency. Protection. And just the right amount of long-lasting gloss to make the lips look naturally luscious. “As delicious as they are, Lotus Lip Balms also have a very high comfort level and staying power. They aren't sticky or waxy like many of the balms out there.”

When it comes to fragrance or flavor, Sandy and Joanie believe most balms and lip glosses miss the mark. They both say their love of the subtle scents and tastes of Asia made going into the beauty business inevitable. “Our flavors and scents are distinctive but not too obtrusive,” says Sandy. She claims that the exotic, alluring aromas of their products were selected ultimately because “they just made us feel happy!”

After they conquered the world of lip balms, Lotus turned to the body: The Body Balm, was a special delight to work on according to Sandy, because it appealed to their ‘girly’ side. “Our goal was to create a balm as opposed to a cream or a lotion because we wanted to develop a intensive remedy for dry skin. A formula that not only softened and smoothed but really helped comfort dry, hurting skin and protect it. "Our Body Balm transforms even rough, dry, neglected skin and makes it wonderful to touch.” According to Joanie, it multi-tasks to boot: as a head-to-toe body scent, a highly effective moisturizer with jojoba oil and as a skin beautifier because it makes the skin look a little shimmery – “We loved the idea of a surprising touch of glamour in an “old world” apothecary” type product,” says Joanie.

“The Lotus Skincare philosophy is to create another world that’s sensuous, wonderfully tactile and soft. A 360% turn away from the stress of modern life,” says Joanie. “It’s all about the Eastern concept of balancing energies. That’s why our tagline is: “It’s a rough world out there. Our goal is to soften it up!”