Nearly seven years after launching, ESW Beauty has taken its first outside investment — from two Gen-Z “It” girls, no less.
Katie Fang and Aliya Rachinski, who are respectively 20 and 18 years old and, with millions of followers each are among the breakout beauty influencers of their generation, have taken stakes in the skin care brand, becoming its first “creator equity partners.”
Terms of the deals were not disclosed, though ESW’s revenue in 2025 is said to have exceeded $11 million, and in 2026 the brand is projected to surpass $20 million in sales.
“Katie and Aliya represent the audiences ESW Beauty was founded to serve: a new generation of beauty consumers looking for skin care that is clean, approachable, affordable and inspired by Korean beauty innovation,” said ESW chief executive officer Elina Sofia Wang, who cofounded the brand in 2019 alongside chief operating officer John Hu.
Aliya Rachinski for ESW Beauty.
Courtesy
ESW is best known for its sheet masks and eye patches, which offer a range of hydrating, detoxifying and skin-soothing benefits and are generally priced around $5 per single-use product. In 2023 the brand launched its first Lip Treatments, and this spring its debuted facial mists. With this infusion, the brand aims to expand deeper into skin care.
“We believe the next generation of iconic beauty brands will be built through long-term partnerships with creators who genuinely use the products, believe in the mission and bring deep consumer understanding,” said Sofia Wang, adding that Fang and Rachinski will “contribute consumer insights, product feedback, campaign strategy, future launches and long-term brand building alongside the ESW team.”
The transactions mark first-time brand investments for Fang and Rachinski, who are otherwise often tapped by brands ranging from Glow Recipe to L’Occitane for content partnerships.
Creator investments are becoming a growing phenomenon across beauty and wellness. In June, Bethenny Frankel took a stake in hair care and color brand DpHue, and Alix Earle has a suite of investments in brands ranging from energy drink line Gorgie to canned margarita brand SipMargs.
“What excited me about ESW wasn’t just the products, it was the opportunity to help build something,” said Fang in a statement.
“Partnering with ESW was an easy decision because our values align so well; I love that they’re a women-owned brand creating clean and effective skin care that’s accessible to all,” Rachinski said in a statement of her own.
ESW sells its products, which harness natural, plant-based ingredients, in more than 19,000 doors including Whole Foods, Target, Walgreens, Urban Outfitters and more.
