Growing up in the countryside of Jamaica, holistic esthetician and founder of IN GROOV Shani Hillian watched her elders picking herbs from their garden for skin ailments. This rich history was the impetus for her own beauty brand which launched in 2023. Her latest product, IRIE Sea Mineral Essence, out today, is no different.
As a multi-functional mineral-rich product, the new essence is the ideal fit for a simple and affordable 2-step skincare routine. “I created an essence because I wanted something multi-beneficial like my hero product EVERY MOOD and that would go hand in hand with one another,” Hillian tells ESSENCE. With the product meant for post-cleanse, pre-moisturize, and even over makeup, “a simpler routine with multi-beneficial products is better because skin doesn’t need more,” she says. “It needs balance.”
At a time when a recession is looming and the market is unpredictable for Black founders, Hillian first started working on the new product with her chemist at the start of the year. “Production began soon after which has been an insane process with sourcing new bottles and tariff fees,” she says. Over the past six months, she developed four iterations, tested the formulas on her clients, and conducted case studies on the most sensitive skin types before bottling up the final ingredients list.
With simplicity, balance, and a recession-proof routine at the foundation, “an essence provides the hydration of a mist and the actives of a serum,” she says. “IRIE is formulated to be both—a dual-action mist and serum that delivers instant cooling and hydration (thanks to aloe and sea water), along with targeted treatment from high-performance actives like Super C and centella asiatica.”
Taking the pressure off of our daily routines, Hillian says the essence is an “anytime, anywhere” type of product that does it all, featuring ingredients that not only boost your skin, but your mood and relationship with it. “The skin isn’t just a surface, it’s a sensory organ, deeply connected to our nervous system and emotions,” she says. “In a world that overstimulates us at every turn, your skincare should be functional and restorative.”
With the IRIE Sea Mineral Essence the first essence to join the brand’s holistic lineup—including a cleansing oil moisturizer, reflexology tool, and reusable cotton pads—an entirely new product is already set to launch this fall. “IN GROOV is finalizing another product to pay homage to the internal extension to skin wellness,” Hillian tells us exclusively. “A daily dietary supplement.”
IN GROOV’s IRIE Sea Mineral Essence is available now at ingroov.com.