Skin Salvation

Priscilla Tsai suffered from severe acne and sensitive skin for years. When nothing else worked, she created cocokind, her own line of products with amazing results.

- NEIL ZEVNIK

As regular readers of this column will know, I’ve been writing (and enthusing) about various superfoods for quite some time. But perhaps because I’m a guy, and a chef, it never quite dawned on me that superfoods aren’t just for eating! Their benefits extend well beyond the culinary sphere, and beauty products incorporating these nutrient powerhouses have proliferated in recent years. And with good reason—superfoods’ efficacy and natural gentleness make them a welcome alternative to traditional chemical-laden products that can be harsh and ineffective.

Which brings us to Priscilla Tsai and cocokind. Tsai spent her teens and early 20s suffering from serious acne. “My skin was extremely sensitive, and the medications I was on were clearly the wrong dosage—leading to both skin sensitivity and gut-health issues. Finally I decided I would do my own research about ingredients and simplify my routine.”

She started to create formulas from superfoods and slowly found what worked for her, and not just in the physical sense. “I realized that healthy skin is also a mental exercise—it means understanding that flaws and occasional breakouts are totally normal. The definition of healthy skin looks completely different for everyone.”

Forging a Different Career Path