Looking for a new beauty brand to fall in love with? In our latest Q&A series, Glamour Our editors share some of their favorite skincare and makeup products that are worthy of a permanent place in your rotation. Okusa ShizukaFounder of the Clean Herbal Remedies brand pharmacisttalks about how she went from founding a cold-pressed juice company to launching a tincture brand, how she celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and the one product line of hers she recommends to everyone.
Glamour: What first got you interested in health and beauty?
It wasn’t about the opportunity or the market size. I started in 2012 and the market for herbal remedies didn’t exist at the time. For me, I was dealing with a personal issue. I left Wall Street and was working at Goldman Sachs in New York and I didn’t have access to really clean, convenient health food. My first company was a cold-pressed juice brand. If you remember the days of Organic Avenue, Liquiteria, etc., I started my first company called Jrink, which was based in Washington DC.
Even after eight years of running Jrink and being acquired, I haven’t stopped. reason to live— Purpose in Life — And I was slowly approaching a new category: age. I was in my 30s and experiencing a variety of health issues. Stress, hormones, mental health, digestive issues, issues that had nothing to do with being sexy.
What Apothékary products would you recommend to people?
We launched Relieve tension I think this product is because it features yuzu. Not only does it taste amazing, it’s one of our first white wine alternative tinctures. It has a little twist of having yuzu, a Japanese citrus fruit in it. Yuzu is my favorite. It’s so delicious and refreshing, perfect for summer, but can be enjoyed any time of the year. I think this tincture is perfect, especially for people who are trying to cut down on their alcohol intake or stay sober. It’s delicious mixed with other drinks, but you can also drink it on its own.
If I feel stressed during the day, I’ll take it directly on my tongue because it works really fast. But if I want to have a fun mocktail time, I’ll take a little bit. I drink ginger beer every day. I like to open a soda can and hear the sound of the can opening to feel like I’m drinking a beer. I don’t like beer, so I’ve never had a bitter experienceThis is our bitters tincture and it has more bitter roots in it, like burdock root, that add a bitterness to the sparkling water, and I also add some fresh turmeric and ginger and a slice of lime to this, and it’s really tasty and drinks like a beer.
What inspired you to start your own brand?
I was walking through CVS and Walgreens and I thought to myself, I couldn’t have been raised like this – to take a pill for everything that I feel is causing me problems. I’m trying to go back to my Asian roots and be as natural as possible. I grew up with clay pots and herbs and mushrooms growing all around me. My dad was a farmer. So the idea was born of how do I marry herbal medicine with Eastern healing practices that have been around for thousands of years but haven’t really been modernized or made accessible to the modern consumer?
