Ayesha Curry knows there’s quite a few celebrity beauty lines out there, but she also feels pretty strongly that her Sweet July Skin launch, which comes out today, is one rather personal project she’s taken on that has truly fixed her problematic skin.
“This launch has taken a long time to get right—and it was really important to me to get it right the first time,” the 34-year-old says of the brand that’s described as “clean skin-care formulas infused with traditional Caribbean ingredients,” which also celebrates Curry’s Jamaican roots and the importance of self-care. “I’ve always known of all these amazing rituals and skin-care ingredients that my mom and grandma would use from Jamaica over the years—true superfoods that nourish the skin. There is nothing like this on the market, that’s why I needed to make it.”
Can you share how Sweet July Skin came to fruition?
“I’ve suffered with really problematic skin since I was a teenager and into my adulthood. I’ve been formulating and testing these ingredients for a while, and they have been able to help me keep my skin at bay over the past couple of years. I’m really proud of the line. I feel like it’s a great homage to my heritage and my culture, and I’m excited for people to try it.”
There are a lot of new lines out there. What space in the market are you hoping to fill?
“We’re hoping to fill that space for anybody who just wants to take their skin on a vacation. I come from a food background, so I’m also coming from a place of knowing that what you put in your body, you can also put on your body. It all goes hand-in-hand. Just like a good meal, you want it to look good, taste good, feel good on the palate. For me, that transfers over to skin care. I want it to smell good, feel great on the skin, and feel great even after using it—but I also need it to be effective. For instance, our Pava Exfoliating Cleanser is this creamy cleanser where you get this beautiful, cool-breeze feeling after you wash your face. It’s incredible.”
You’re very into beauty products and I know that you travel a lot. What are you using this summer?
“The biggest thing for me is sunscreen. I dabble between the Cay Skin sunscreen and the Black Girl Sunscreen. They came out with a sunscreen that’s great for under makeup, so I love that. I try not to wear a lot of makeup in the summertime, so the biggest thing for is to keep my skin clear. Along with the skin-care line, I have this filter called the Filterbaby—it definitely helps!”
Are there any beauty items you’ve recently discovered that you really love right now?
“Can I say my own product? Our Pava Toner is definitely a holy grail product for me. It helps minimize pores, it smells great, and it’s super effective, yet gentle. It has glycolic acid, fermented papaya and guava extract and it’s a true ‘skin reset.’ It’s been a real game-changer for me.”