HELEN SHIN, FOUNDER OF LILIS
The moving inspiration behind a best-selling body care brand.
Written by LENA RAFF
IMAGE COURTESY OF LILIS
For Helen Shin, necessity was figuratively and literally the mother of invention. The founder of the new, runaway hit brand, Lilis, never had aspirations of formulating products or starting her own line—until a revelatory moment with her mother. Here, Shin shares the story of how a cancer diagnosis spurred her to action, and demonstrates how feeling content in your skin is not to be underestimated.
I’VE HEARD YOU CREATED LILIS FOR YOUR MOM, WHAT IS THE STORY THERE?
My mom was born with a rare form of atopic dermatitis—her skin cells don't turn over the way most people's do. She always has a thick layer of dead skin on the surface, so she needs help shedding it.
After a diagnosis of stage four non-smoker's lung cancer, she was set to have a surgery that her oncologist said she had a very small chance of surviving. To prepare, my mom locked herself in a steamy shower for three hours and physically exfoliated her entire body with a Korean exfoliating glove—you know, that harsh cellulose mitt. She did it for two reasons. One, she didn't want to die in her own skin. And two, she was embarrassed to show her body to her surgeon.
While I was waiting for her to come out of surgery, I made myself a promise: I am going to create body care for her. Something where she can feel content in her skin. I use the word “content” deliberately—nothing is going to cure her condition. But I wanted something that meant, when she was faced with dying, her skin wasn't the thing on her mind.
THAT’S SO POWERFUL. WHERE DID YOU BEGIN?
Exfoliation. I wanted something gentle and luxurious that actually delivered results, because the way my mom relates to her products tells you everything. The things she keeps visible in her shower are beautiful, elevated—they’re basically decoration. The products that actually do something for her skin? Those get hidden in a drawer. Because they scream at her, whether through the packaging or the texture or the smell, that she has an issue. I didn't want that. I wanted something efficacious so she didn’t have to spend three hours exfoliating her body, but that didn't feel like a medical product.
So, that inspired Instant Peel. It's a gommage formula—which is huge in Korea, mostly used on the face—but I wanted to bring it to the body. Gommage is completely gentle and won't disturb your skin barrier the way harsh physical scrubs can—it only picks up the skin that is already dead without disrupting healthy skin. The formula includes arbutin for tone and bakuchiol for turnover, and together the ingredients work in harmony—not just exfoliating, but soothing and brightening the skin. You notice the smoothness immediately, and over time it helps with discoloration and uneven texture.
DO YOU RECOMMEND IT ONLY FOR FULL-BODY USE, OR CAN YOU DO TARGETED AREAS?
Both, definitely. For people who are new to body care and find it a little intimidating, I always say you can use it as a parts treatment; on your hands before your nighttime routine, on your elbows, your knees, your arms or legs if you have texture there. It's also great before shaving, and before a spray tan for a more even result.
IMAGE COURTESY OF LILIS
AND YOUR FIRMING SERUM WAS CREATED FOR YOUR MOM, TOO?
She obviously needs to moisturize, but she hates it. And I think a lot of people hate moisturizing their bodies because it feels oily or leaves a residue. For my mom, though, it goes deeper than that, she hates it because it means there's more to exfoliate later. Most moisturizers never fully absorb into her skin. They just sit on top and cake, so when it's time to exfoliate, there's more to scrub off.
It was really important to me to formulate something that absorbs deeply while still delivering real hydration. There are a lot of fast-absorbing body serums out there, but they often sacrifice that lasting moisture. I think of the Firming Serum as a Korean sheet mask in a bottle—it feels incredibly light, but it gives you intense hydration.
HOW DID YOUR MOM REACT TO THE PRODUCTS?
That's the thing that means more to me than anything. The first summer after she started using Lilis, she felt confident enough to wear a t-shirt. She said, "My elbows look normal."
That was everything. And when I went to Korea recently—I actually filmed this—I caught her touching her arms while we were sitting together, just kind of marveling at how soft they felt. She'd actually forgotten she'd used Lilis that day. She was just happy to be in her own skin. That moment—that's my everything.
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