Elina Sofia Wang, founder of New Jersey-based wellness-inspired skincare brand ESW Beauty, is a self-professed dreamer who took a leap of faith.

Long before the current wellness movement in beauty gained a strong footing and her beverage-inspired skincare line landed in the skincare aisle at Whole Foods stores across the nation, she found herself in the ER doubled over in pain from stomach ulcers caused from overexertion. The stress of juggling multiple jobs while a student at Babson College had manifested as a gnawing sensation in her upper abdomen, urging her to slow down and focus on healing her body and mind.

As Wang became more intentional about meal prep and ingredients to improve her overall health as well as the topical solutions for healthy, glowing skin, the light bulb moment arose: a sheet mask that could provide her skin with the same raw juices and plant-based ingredients that her body required. It would become the foundation of her vegan skincare brand.

Leap of Faith

“With passion, creativity and the belief that we could learn anything we needed to, my cofounder and I took a leap,” said Wang.

This leap involved taking out a $25,000 bank loan to develop the brand’s now-hero Raw Juice Cleanse Masks. The Raw Juice Cleanse Mask Set – inclusive of Green Reset, Pineapple Bliss, The Pink Dream, Strawberries & Cream and Deep Detox – provides anti-aging, revitalizing, moisturizing, soothing and pore control functions.

ESW Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer John Hu serves as the core formulator, his qualifications for which stem from his background in biochemistry at Columbia University. Together with its Korean R&D teams and contract manufacturer, ESW’s formulas are brought to life with staples such as hyaluronic acid, shea butter and peptides, coupled with K-beauty-driven innovations such as electrolytes, bakuchiol, PDRN, cica and glacial water.

When it launched in 2019, ESW caught the eye of major retailers while running the trade show circuit. The brand’s current retail presence in 19,000 doors at Target, Whole Foods, Walgreens, Sprouts and CVS, Wang said, has constituted a large portion of the brand’s growth.

“We had to make every touchpoint count, from the product quality to the packaging and overall experience,” Wang explained. “It wasn’t the fastest path, but it helped us build a strong foundation and an authentic connection with our customers, which played a huge role in how we’ve grown today.”

In the last seven years, ESW has expanded its portfolio to include latte eye patches to depuff, firm and revitalize the under-eye area and 10 lip treatments in a variety of decadent, invigorating flavors from Cherry Tart Smoothie to Mocha Coffee and Raspberry Acai that smooth and soften lips with a buildable tint.

ESW has also expanded into full-sized skincare, starting with its new water infused facial mists – Lychee Lychee Breeze Revitalizing and Coconut Dreams Calming. The mists are a quick fix to relieve parched and irritated skin, respectively, according to the company.

“We often hear that the masks leave skin super hydrated and glow-y thanks to how much serum they are infused with, while the eye patches feel cooling, help depuff, and brighten dark circles,” said Wang. “It is playful and indulgent, like having your favorite drink for your skin. That balance of sensorial, beverage inspired storytelling and clean, efficacious formulas is what really resonates.”

A ‘Loud’ Rebrand

Backed by a team of 20 employees, ESW Beauty has accrued a “cult” following as a leading natural mask brand. It closed fiscal 2025 at $11.2 million in revenue and forecasts $20 million in 2026 due to a recent rebrand reflective of its evolution from a humble skincare venture into a “loud, high-energy,” results-driven juggernaut, officials said.

Last year, ESW said sold more than 1 million units of masks and eye patches, plus 400,000 lip treatments. This year, Wang projects that the rebrand will help it top 3 million units of masks and latte-inspired eye patches and more than 1.7 million lip treatments.

The rebrand includes new packaging emblazoned with a refined aesthetic and ingredient transparency as well as larger marketing strategies aimed to amplify the brand’s ethos. For instance, this month, ESW will leverage Coachella to spotlight its new facial mists, prioritizing accessibility to its Gen Z community with a stronger push on TikTok Shop and social-led discovery.

The ESW portfolio will also grow. Wang said there’s a “strong pipeline,” including a licensing collaboration and a serum and moisturizer launch in the works for later this year.

“My mission has never changed, to create your dream formulas with clinical actives and juicy nourishing ingredients inspired by my own healing journey, and to inspire our community of dreamers to believe in themselves and pursue their passions just as I did,” Wang concluded.