We used to read balance sheets. Now we read ingredient lists.
Before yeolim, we spent our careers in global investment banking and private equity. Long days, longer flights, office air that dried everything out. Our bathroom shelves kept growing. Our mornings kept shrinking.
A ten-step routine sounded lovely. We had about two minutes.
So we did what we used to do with every company we looked at: we asked what actually matters. For skin, the answer kept coming back to nutrition. You take vitamins for your body because it needs a steady supply, every day. Skin is no different. It just needs that nutrition in a texture you'll actually want to use every morning.
A name that means open
We called the brand yeolim (열림). In Korean, 열리다 means to open, and 열 is the number ten, a number that stands for being complete. Open, balanced, enough. That became the brief for every formula.
Formulated like a supplement plan
Nutritionists build a supplement plan in layers, and so do we: skin-supporting actives like Alpha-Arbutin and Hyaluronic Acid, essential vitamins and minerals from our 12 Vitamin Complex and Jeju Mineral Water, and nutrient-rich extras like Glutathione and Niacinamide. Nothing goes in just to sound good on the label.
Then we test on people, and we publish how. That's why our numbers come with footnotes: the dates, the number of testers, the method. If we can't footnote it, we don't say it.
How we got here
yeolim is founded in Korea.
Sampling day with international students in Korea, testing textures across skin types and climates.
First introduction of yeolim, at the British Embassy in Seoul, to more than 100 guests.
We share yeolim with leaders who built some of Korea's best-known skincare brands.
The Glow Nutrition line launches in Korea.
Now on Amazon US.
Lighter on the planet
- Vegan. Every formula is registered with The Vegan Society. No animal testing.
- FSC Mix paper. Our boxes use paper from responsibly managed forests.
- Fewer products. Three steps means less packaging, less shipping and less waste on your shelf.
Three products, one short routine, and a lot of footnotes. Thank you for giving yeolim a place on your shelf.
Dennis & Nahyun
Dennis Jun & Nahyun Kwon, co-founders. Made in Korea.