Meet Richard Kim, Founder of Hyeja
Skincare guided by grace, rooted in Korean tradition.
At Clyve, we’re drawn to brands that make self-care feel effortless and intentional. That idea sits at the center of Hyeja, the Seoul-based skincare brand founded by Richard Kim.
Rooted in Korean heritage, formulated for sensitive skin, and guided by the beauty of imperfection, Hyeja takes a grounded approach to self care. The products are gentle, designed to support the skin barrier over time, and refined by modern skin science.
For this edition of Meet the Maker, we spoke with Richard about Hyeja's Korean skincare roots, building a brand for sensitive skin, and why men’s self-care matters.
Give us the story behind Hyeja.
Hyeja began from a very personal idea: that beauty does not need to be perfect to be meaningful.
Growing up between Korea and New Zealand, and coming from a family with over 15 years in skincare, I wanted to create a brand that felt both deeply Korean and quietly universal. Hyeja was born from my desire to build skincare that honors Korean heritage, gentle rituals, and the beauty of imperfection, while still being refined through modern skin science.
What pushed me to build Hyeja was the belief that sensitive skin deserves products that are effective, but never aggressive. I wanted to create skincare that feels calm, intentional, and human — products that support the skin barrier over time, rather than chasing quick results.
Hyeja means love and grace, and that is the spirit behind the brand: caring for the skin with patience, honesty, and compassion.
What were you trying to do differently?
I felt that much of skincare had become too loud, too fast, and too focused on perfection.
With Hyeja, I wanted to create something quieter and more considered — skincare that feels emotional, cultural, and human, while still being highly effective. What felt missing was a Korean skincare brand positioned not just around trends or ingredients, but around heritage, sensitivity, and long-term skin health.
We wanted to improve the way people think about sensitive skin. Instead of treating it as a weakness, Hyeja sees sensitive skin as something that deserves patience, care, and intelligent formulation.
Our difference is in combining Korean herbal traditions, modern skin science, and a philosophy of imperfection — creating products that are gentle, barrier-supporting, and refined enough to sit within a luxury skincare environment.
When you are developing a product, what matters most?
For me, every detail needs to be in harmony with the product’s purpose.
We do not choose ingredients only because they are trendy or beautiful on paper. Each herbal ingredient should carry meaning — a connection to Korean heritage, a clear function for the skin, and a reason to belong in the formula.
The texture is just as important. It is not only about how the product feels, but how it delivers the ingredients, how it sits on sensitive skin, and how it becomes part of a daily ritual. The formula, scent, texture, packaging, and performance all need to speak the same language.
Ultimately, a Hyeja product has to feel considered from beginning to end: culturally rooted, gentle on the skin, effective in purpose, and emotionally in harmony.
What is your favorite part about what you do?
My favorite part is the people.
I love meeting the people who discover Hyeja, hearing how they connect with the products, and seeing how something we created can become part of their daily life. That human connection is what makes the work feel meaningful.
I also feel very grateful for the people I get to build the brand with — our retailers, partners, team, and everyone who believes in the brand from different parts of the world.
What keeps me excited is knowing that Hyeja is not just about products. It is about creating relationships, trust, and small moments of care between people.
Why do you think men’s self-care matters?
As a man and as the founder of Hyeja, this feels personal to me.
For a long time, I think men were taught to keep self-care very basic — or even to ignore it. Skincare was often seen as something unnecessary, too feminine, or only about appearance. But for me, taking care of my skin has never been just about looking better. It is about feeling grounded, feeling calm, and taking a small moment to care for myself.
Building Hyeja also made me realize that sensitivity is not gendered. Men have sensitive skin, stress, insecurities, and the same need to feel comfortable in themselves. I want men to feel that self-care can be simple, honest, and natural — not performative or complicated.
I think the category has evolved because men are becoming more open to care, routine, and emotional wellbeing. And that is worth taking seriously, because self-care is not vanity. It is a quiet way of respecting yourself.
If someone is discovering Hyeja for the first time, where should they start?
I would start with a simple routine that feels easy to keep: cleanse, calm, and moisturize.
For someone discovering Hyeja for the first time, especially within grooming and self-care, I would recommend our Rice Probiotics Gentle Micellar Cleansing Milk as the first step. It is gentle, non-stripping, and helps reset the skin without making the routine feel complicated.
Then I would pair it with one product depending on the skin’s needs: the Heartleaf Calming Serum for sensitivity and redness, or the Rice Probiotics Gentle Ferment Cream for daily barrier support.
For me, self-care should feel simple and natural. You do not need ten steps — even one or two well-chosen products can become a quiet daily ritual.
What is one thing most people do not know about you or the brand?
One fun fact is that even though I founded a skincare brand, I am actually quite lazy with my own routine.
On many days, I simply cleanse and use SPF — and that is enough for me. I like skincare that feels simple, useful, and easy to repeat every day.
I think that honestly shaped Hyeja. I never wanted to create products that make people feel they need a complicated routine. Good skincare should fit naturally into your life, even if you are busy, tired, or a little lazy like me.
If you had to recommend one Hyeja product for men, what would it be?
If I had to choose just one, I would recommend our Niacinamide Heartleaf Calming Serum.
For men, I think a great self-care product should be easy to use, lightweight, and immediately comfortable on the skin. Many men deal with redness, sensitivity, shaving irritation, oiliness, or stressed skin, but they do not always want a complicated routine.
This serum is a simple way to calm and support the skin barrier. It is made with heartleaf, niacinamide, madecassoside, panthenol, and allantoin — ingredients chosen to help soothe, balance, and comfort the skin.
I like it because it fits naturally into a grooming routine. After cleansing or shaving, you can apply it and feel like you have done something good for your skin without adding too many steps. It feels very Hyeja: gentle, effective, and easy to live with.
Tell us a little about your team. How does Hyeja make the magic happen?
We have a very small team, so Hyeja is built with a lot of care and personal involvement.
For product concept, design, formulation direction, and development, I stay very closely involved myself as the founder. I believe the product is the heart of the brand, and it is something the founder needs to care for the most.
Behind the scenes, we also have a logistics team who help make sure our products are delivered safely, and trusted partners who work with us to create beautiful, thoughtful products.
Hyeja may be a small brand, but every person involved plays an important role in bringing the brand to life.
Do you have anything new and exciting in the works?
Yes — we are working on a few new products that continue Hyeja’s idea of simple, thoughtful self-care.
One product I am especially excited about is our upcoming Rice Tteok Lip Treatment Balm. It is inspired by the soft, comforting texture of Korean rice cake, but made as a very practical everyday lip treatment. I like that it feels universal — something anyone can use, including men, without feeling overly cosmetic.
We are also developing richer barrier-care products and new formats that make Hyeja feel even more easy to live with. For me, the goal is not to launch too many products quickly, but to create things that feel useful, well-considered, and emotionally connected to daily care.
On the brand side, we are also growing through new retail partners internationally, which is very exciting. It is always meaningful to see Hyeja discovered in different cities and communities around the world.
What place inspires you most?
Jeju is probably the place that inspires me the most.
I lived there for four years, and in many ways, Hyeja was shaped there. The island has a very quiet energy — the wind, stone, sea, and slower rhythm of life. It taught me to notice small details and to appreciate beauty that feels natural, imperfect, and honest.
A lot of Hyeja’s spirit came from that time in Jeju: the idea of slowing down, creating with intention, and finding meaning in simple daily rituals.
For me, Jeju is not just a place I like to travel to. It is a place that deeply influenced how I think, create, and build the brand.
Where to Start with Hyeja
For anyone new to Hyeja, Richard recommends keeping the routine simple: cleanse, calm, and moisturize.
Start with the Rice Probiotics Gentle Micellar Cleansing Milk as a gentle first step, then add the Niacinamide Heartleaf Calming Serum for redness, shaving irritation, sensitivity, oiliness, or stressed skin. For daily barrier support, finish with the Rice Probiotics Gentle Ferment Cream.
Thank you to Richard Kim for sharing the story behind Hyeja and the thoughtful philosophy behind the brand. Hyeja’s approach reflects what we look for at Clyve: considered products, honest routines, and care that feels easy to keep.
Brand: Hyeja
Founder: Richard Kim
Headquarters: Seoul
Website: hyejaskincare.com
Instagram: @hyejaskincare
Current hobbies: DJing and gardening
Place of inspiration: Jeju Island
