If you've yet to meet Angela Jia Kim, it's time you were introduced. A professional concert pianist turned skin care company founder; Kim's one of those lucky people in life who are not only immensely talented, but fun, smart and beautiful as well.
Angela Jia Kim's desire to create a skin care line came to life the day she developed an allergic reaction to a lotion right before a performance. She knew she needed to use something she could be sure wasn't going to cause her reactions, with ingredients she trusted. With nearly 1000 formula's behind her back, Om Aroma was born.
As a professional concert pianist, your life took a turn when you decided to create your own skin care company. Have you always had a fascination with beauty products? What was your beauty regime like before creating your own line?
It's funny, now that I look back on my childhood, I can remember spending hours and hours in front of my mom's dresser vanity to play with her creams. She always had something new and exotic that one of her sisters had discovered and sent to her from Korea. Some creams had honey as its key ingredient, some had rice bran, and some even had real gold in them. I was impressed with that one!
Even as a young adult, her vanity was magical to me. I remember coming home from college and always making a beeline to the dresser to see what was new and what "gift with purchase" she had acquired. I loved it all.
Many skin care companies have jumped on the "Green Train", but in reality, they aren't always as green as they lead you to believe. What should one look for in skin care companies when trying to be an environmentally friendly consumer.
Thank you so much for bringing this up, Jen! There's obviously a huge green movement now, and the thing about Om Aroma is that we started "green". We didn't do it because of a response from customer demand. It comes from a place of deep values of making this earth a better place to live in for us, for the future. Are we perfect? No, but we are all doing the best we can. From decisions of the best jars to use to packaging materials to boxes, it's a big responsibility and we don't take it lightly.
I want to bring up something very important here, too. We are trying to broaden how people view "green". What does being green mean to you? For us, it encompasses being socially conscious as well. When purchasing from a skincare company, look at the company history. Where are the products manufactured? Here in the USA, or oversees? Where are the ingredients from? How is the company run? Do they treat their employees fairly?
At Om Aroma, we hire women who are re-transitioning into the workforce after taking time to raise their children. Would it be cheaper to outsource to China? Absolutely! Are we willing to compromise our integrity for it? Absolutely not. We are a skincare company with a soul, and we are not willing to sell out.
With names such as Truffles, Champagne, Caviar; Om Beauty screams pampering. What kind of pampering do you give yourself on a regular basis, and what do you recommend others do to maintain healthy skin.
I exclusively use Om Aroma products because I trust where it's coming from and the integrity of the formula. The luxury behind that, is I know every single ingredient was chosen for a purpose by an organic farmer that we trust.
The biggest payoff for me is when people comment on how they like my skin. I mean, come on! Champagne, caviar and truffles every single day? Now that's pampering!
If you could suggest that everyone add one simple skin care step, what would it be, and why?
I'm always very surprised at how women in their twenties and thirties neglect putting on facial cream twice a day. For me, it's like drinking water. It's so important to purify and hydrate the skin daily for anti-aging purposes. Very simple and very necessary!
Do you remember a beauty tip your mother gave you when you were growing up? Do you still follow it today?
My mom always told me to hydrate my skin. I remember every time I'd step off the plane from college, her first comment was always, "Angela, your skin is too dry! Put on some cream." She'd pull out her cream from the purse and give me some.
What one beauty tip or secret do you have for our readers.
Aside from purifying and hydrating (with Om Aroma products, of course!), the one beauty tip I have is to be passionate about something in life. Get a hobby, love your job, create your signature something, follow your nose; get passionate about something! You were put on this earth to uncover something amazing that you can do. When you connect to that, you start to radiate and that's beautiful.
You can learn more about Om Aroma at their website OmAroma.com where you'll even get to listen to Angela play her lovely music.
Visit Angela's website to learn more about her professional music career.
