Our Story

Surrounded by mountains and known for its warm climate, this is the city where Levina, our brand’s founder, was also born and spent the first five years of her life before moving to Australia. Her childhood in Malang was carefree and enchanting. Days were spent running around with the kids in her neighbourhood and eating street snacks. Holidays and special occasions were spent going back to Kepanjen, the kampung (Indonesian for ‘village’) outside Malang where her mother’s family was from.

Despite never crossing paths, the skincare traditions inherited by Karsiyah, and subsequently passed down to Levina provided her with a distinct and tangible way to connect not only with her grandmother but also with the other women in their family. Not having many photos of her mum's family, these traditions are important as a way of preserving Levina's roots.

Pictured from left to right: Levina’s mum, her aunt, her grandmother Karsiyah, and her uncle

They impressed upon Levina the importance of looking after oneself and this kickstarted a lifelong passion for self- and skincare. Using simple ingredients like rice and jasmine, the women in her family would make face masks and body scrubs together, becoming a family tradition and memory that Levina treasured when she moved to Australia. Even today, the scent of jasmine evokes these cherished moments.

Though rice might seem plain, its simplicity its beauty. This extends to the traditions in Levina’s family where simple elements such as rice and jasmine is the essence of her family’s rituals, turning such unassuming ingredients into sources of beauty and connection.  

The Ingredients

Once Levina moved to Australia, she saw how differently skincare was approached. Skincare was complex with convoluted names and fast-moving trends encouraging a constant “refresh” of one’s routines. Nevertheless, Levina continued in drawing inspiration for her skincare and beauty regimen from the practices of the women in her family.

Rather than guarding this family secret, Karsiyah Beauty is sharing with the world the skincare traditions that have been passed down by generations of Indonesian women and embracing the beauty of simplicity.