We are a young and dynamic start-up driven by young professionals with a vision to make Asian cosmetics readily available in The Netherlands and Europe. We strive for the ultimate client experience and will do our best to answer all questions and provide suitable (skin) advice.

Founder Lisa: "From a small age I was already fascinated by beauty products. All kinds of make-up from my mothers vanity area got my attention. Who doesn't want to enhance their beauty? From drugstore products to high end brands, I have tried them all. I didn't have problems with my skin till I was 18 years old (yes, so happy about it!). Unfortunately after my 18th it was completely another story: constantly pimples, comedones, red areas, sensitive skin. The products from the drugstore were mostly so harsh that it made my skin worse, and the high end cosmetics didn't deliver the desired effect for me either. I though I ended in an endless well, but then I slowly educated myself in skincare. From research articles to blogs or youtube clips, I was constantly learning.

Especially during my half-year exchange in South Korea for my studies of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a new world opened up for me! Beauty and skincare has reached a whole new definition there. Everybody was always paying attentiont to it 24/7 and on every corner there was a cosmetics store. In contrast to western beauty standards, their ideals were focused on being as naturally beautiful as possible. With most people their skin looked so naturally dewy from the inside out. That was so fascinating for me as I was used to the heavy make-up routines.

The first few days on my skincare journey it was overwhelming as there were so many brands and products, that I didn't know where to start. Every day I was looking for new information about the different brands, what they stand for and their bestsellers. I made a list of recommendations and purchased every product on this list to test on myself. The best products on the list are also the exact same products I started this webshop with. Also during my trip to Japan, I did exactly the same thing. Slowly I saw improvements in my skin. Not all products are suited for all skin types, and that is alright. The skincare journey is all about testing and finding the best products for you. It should never be seen as miracle product, what is already done is hard to undo, and therefore it is important to start younger and prevent certain processes (i.e. ageing, discolouring) from happening. 

During all this research I found out that a big part of the Asian beauty products are targeting skin-friendliness: using as many natural ingredients as possible, no harmfull substances, low amount to no additional coloring or fragrance, mild formulas that are also suitable for sensitive skin. Additionally, many Korean skincare products are based on the ancient Traditional Korean Medicine philisophy and therefore backed by big researches. The products are mostly clinically tested on their efficiency and are animal cruetly free. I would love to share all the discoveries and (product) knowledge I gained in Asia to all of you in the Netherlands and Europe. Not only about cosmetics, but all the essentials for your skin itself. Everyone deserves the best version of themselves. That is why I started Eastern Essentials.