Asia Jackson is Taking Her Place at the Beauty Table

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“Being able to travel the world at such a young age opened my eyes to how subjective beauty truly is,” says Los Angeles-based Asia Jackson, who grew up on military bases around the world. “As I got older I had a much more nuanced understanding of beauty standards and their origins and how ‘beauty’ is intimately linked to politics, racism, class, culture and colonialism.” It’s this unique point of view that has inspired the actor and content creator’s next project: a soon-to-launch digital platform called SKNFLUENCR that aims to explore colorism, identity and culture at the intersections of beauty and fashion. Jackson can also be spotted in the film Nocturne and shows like Alone Together, Speechless and Modern Family. Additionally, she is outspoken about her own experiences with anxiety and depression and uses her personal platform to be vocal about mental health, all of which we touch on in the conversation below.

RI:
How has your upbringing shaped your approach to beauty?
AJ:
My mom is indigenous Filipino (Igorot) and my dad is African American/Louisiana Creole. When I lived in Asia, I experienced colorism — I was bullied for having darker skin. However when I moved to a predominantly Black neighborhood in Houston, I experienced the privilege that came with being a light skinned Black person.

It was definitely a confusing experience when I was younger, but as I got older I had a much more nuanced understanding of the origins of beauty standards and how ‘beauty’ is intimately linked to politics, racism, class, culture and colonialism.
RI:
What or who has helped you to find confidence along the way?
AJ:
I think that learning the history of my people on both sides helped me tremendously in finding my confidence and empowerment. All the things that I was bullied for growing up were linked to beauty standards that were imposed on Black and Filipino communities through colonization and racial hierarchies. Learning about the history of that made me realize that I shouldn’t be ashamed of my features. They make me who I am.
RI:
Who had the biggest beauty influence on you growing up and why?
AJ:
I have to give a huge shoutout to all the O.G. Black and brown beauty and fashion creators on YouTube. I grew up without knowing how to do my hair properly or how to choose lip colors for my skin tone. The natural hair community started gaining popularity around the time that I graduated high school, and seeing all those Black and brown women embracing their natural hair texture inspired me to go natural, too. From the fifth to twelfth grade, I used to straighten and apply heat to my hair every single day. Now, I’m all natural and I’m as confident as ever.

RI:
Where do you look for beauty inspiration these days?
AJ:
Honestly I’ve been watching a lot of movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age lately and I absolutely adore Audrey Hepburn and Lauren Bacall. I love their minimalist approaches to beauty, despite being in an era of such ostentatious glamour.
RI:
What’s one of your earliest beauty memories?
AJ:
The first and last time that I got cornrows was when I was seven years old. I was living in Great Falls, Montana at the time and my Afro-Latina friend’s mom did it in their living room for free. It hurt so bad that I never wanted to do it again. It was really clean, but hurt like hell. So I never did it again.

“I think that learning the history of my people helped me tremendously in finding my confidence and empowerment.”

RI:
What’s your hair routine currently like?
AJ:
I’m really proud of the way that I’ve curated my beauty routines. I like simplicity. Not only simplicity in aesthetics, but simplicity in steps. For my hair, I use the Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner on wash days. To style, I use the DevaCurl B’Leave In and the Amika Curl Corps Enhancing Gel. I wash my hair every three to four days and if I’m too lazy to wash my hair, I’ll slick my hair back and use the KISS x Saweetie Edge Fixer. Saweetie is also Black and Filipino, so you know I gotta support my sis!
RI:
What about your skincare routine?
AJ:
I rotate products constantly but I at least always cleanse (and double cleanse with an oil cleanser at night). I love using the Skin Resolution Clarifying Toner, then a moisturizer and SPF. I switch out different serums and treatments, depending on what my skin needs.
RI:
What is your makeup routine like?
AJ:
My makeup routine is also very simple unless I’m going out. My everyday makeup is a skin tint, concealer, brow gel, blush — especially the Blush Divine Lip & Cheek Color in Azalea, a natural lip color, and sometimes mascara. I also get lash lifts every so often, so sometimes I like going out even without mascara.
RI:
What are your favorite fragrances?
AJ:
My most recent fragrance purchase is Maison Margiela’s Replica Bubble Bath. It smells so fresh and I like applying it to my wrists and behind my ears after I take a shower and before I go to sleep. When I want something a little more sweet, I love Burberry Eau de Parfum Her. And when I want something in between fresh and sweet, Chloé Eau de Parfum is my go-to.

“My life philosophy is to live an intentional, beautiful and joyful life.”

RI:
What is your wellness routine?
AJ:
Whenever I’m overwhelmed, showering always helps for a reset. I also love to make sure my environment is tidy. Exercising is also great. Eating something nutritious helps me too. I also love to journal on my tablet to release mental clutter. It helps me to reduce the overwhelming feelings.
RI:
What’s the biggest beauty risk you’ve ever taken?
AJ:
Getting my hair ombre’d the year after I graduated high school. It went from black (my natural hair color) to a golden blond. It was the first and last time that I ever changed my hair color. It totally fried my hair and ruined my curls. After that experience, I did ‘the big chop’ and started wearing my hair naturally curly.

I’ve always wanted to get a traditional Igorot tattoo. Seeing other indigenous models and influencers like Quannah Chasinghorse and Shina Novalinga rocking their traditional markings in predominantly white spaces like the Met Gala and in magazine features is super inspiring. They’re both younger than me, but I’m still so inspired by them.

“I stopped being mean to myself a long time ago. It didn’t serve me.”

RI:
Did you develop any new self-care habits throughout the pandemic that you’ve stuck with?
AJ:
I actually started taking daily antidepressants during the pandemic. Life became overwhelming around that time. For so long, I let the stigma surrounding taking medication stop me. I suffered longer than I really needed to. I finally talked to a doctor and started taking Lexapro. This medication literally saved my life and it’s a shame that I let the stigma prevent me from seeking help sooner.
RI:
What is your go-to beauty pick-me-up?
AJ:
A good ol’ slicked-back bun will always make me feel better. It makes me feel like I have my life together. Truly. I can be bare-faced and wearing sweatpants but as long as I have that hair slicked back, I’m good.

RI:
What beauty industry narrative would you like to see rewritten and why?
AJ:
I’d just like to see beauty standards become as inclusive as possible. It’s gotten so much better within the past decade, but we’ve still got a long way to go. Things like colorism, the gender binary, fatphobia and the like are still wreaking havoc on young people’s identities and self esteem. I wish that beauty could be seen as more of an opportunity to express your best self as opposed to drastically changing your features to fit into a very narrow set of standards.
RI:
How do you define beauty?
AJ:
To me, beauty is just an extension of how I like to live my life. My life philosophy is to live an intentional, beautiful and joyful life. If participating in beauty isn’t intentional or it doesn’t bring me joy, then I’m doing something wrong.

I stopped being mean to myself a long time ago. It didn’t serve me. Making myself feel bad about my unique features doesn’t bring me joy. Instead, I embrace them. I don’t want to look like a trend, I want to look like myself. I’m always in pursuit of intention, beauty, and joy. And the only way I’m going to find any of that is by looking internally and figuring out what makes me happy and what makes me feel good — not what makes other people happy or feel good.
RI:
RI: When do you feel most beautiful?
AJ:
I feel the most beautiful when I’m a more elevated version of myself. When I’m mentally alive, spiritually centered, physically healthy and wearing an outfit that complements my natural lines and makeup that revitalizes my features, but doesn’t overpower them.

Getting Ready with Asia Jackson

As an actress, content creator and founder of beauty platform SKNFLUENCR, Asia Jackson is pulled in many different directions. This makes her wellness and beauty practices — exercising, journaling, a simplistic skincare routine and listening to uplifting 70s soul music — essential to inspiring her to realize her dreams.

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