Beauty Diary: Meet woman behind Aceology, new brand in Sephora

The woman behind an Australian skincare brand hugely popular on TikTok has just landed a major deal, taking its status up a notch.

A woman whose beauty treatments went out the window when she became a mum has revealed how being tired and time-poor spawned a product that is now being sold in Sephora.

Joanne Zhong, 39, recently signed a deal with the major beauty retailer to stock Aceology products in its Australian and New Zealand stores – just three years after the brand launched.

The Sydney entrepreneur created the company – which specialises in face masks – after giving up on her beloved beauty treatments, telling news.com.au’s The Beauty Diary the idea came to her during a struggle to find “salon-grade treatments” she could do at home.

“I have also always had a really strong passion for all things beauty and wellness, and I was certainly no stranger to treating myself at the beauty salon,” Joanne said.

“However, as my family started to grow, I quickly learned that using my free time to receive my favourite facial treatments at the salon was a thing of the past.

“So, between juggling my three young boys I started to trial many at-home facial treatments and masks, however, I was really struggling to find a product that I felt emulated that salon-grade feeling that I was desperately missing. It wasn’t long after this that Aceology was born.”

Sydney woman Joanne Zhong, 39, has just signed a deal to stock her skincare brand Aceology in Sephora. Picture: Supplied

Very quickly after launch, the brand proved popular with shopper and several high-profile influencers such as Martha Kalifatidis also bolstered the brand’s popularity, prompting followers to snap up the $64 sheet masks until stock ran out.

However the sheet mask industry has been widely criticised in recent years thanks to its “single use” nature – a point Joanne and her team has strived to improve on.

On February 8 Aceology launched its first biodegradable sheet masks in three different variants, all retailing for $59 for a pack of 4.

“One of our proudest achievements so far is removing the plastic tray from the Anti-Aging Gold Eye Mask,” she said.

“As it is our bestseller, we wanted to ensure that we could make this as sustainable as possible. This small-but-mighty step was pretty much unheard of in the hydrogel mask

market.

“We also removing the glitter from this product to reduce our environmental impact –

turns out we can party without it.”

The brand is now continually pushing to make enhancements on its packaging to be “easy-going on the earth” – a detail, alongside the fact products can be used alongside a customer’s existing skincare routine, Joanne says sets Aceology apart from its competitors.

“Each Aceology product can be used independently and doesn’t rely on a second Aceology product to work. This means that anyone can conveniently buy into our products and not be concerned that they are wasting their current skincare product,” she explained.

“Other brands launch too many products that rely on the customer to buy into their whole range. These brands can also get caught up with the latest trends and launch products that aren’t always going to be relevant.”

As well as its selection of face masks, that treat an array of skin conditions including puffy skin, dull complexions and dry skin, the brand has expanded to include other areas.

The butt mask, $49, in particular took social media by storm, as influencers raved about its “juicy” skin benefits.

There’s also a lip mask alongside tools to help you get the most out of the products, such as a Gua Sha facial massager, which sold 100,000 units through TikTok when the item started trending.

Aceology products are very popular on TikTok where they’re described as ‘satisfying’ and ‘brilliant’. Picture: TikTok/kirs10p

Despite the brand’s huge success – it was acknowledged as part of the “Clean at Sephora” edit, recognising its steps towards being more sustainable – Joanne said she still has “pinch me” moments.

“At the moment we are working with the Addison Rae, and in the past we have worked with Khloe Kardashian, The Ellen Show Box, and Huda Kattan [the owner of the hugely successful Huda Beauty],” she said.

“Being recognised by such high profile celebrities who have high standards and can be very

selective with what brands and products they have worked with, is such an accomplishment for my team and I.”

The Aceology products you need to try

Joanne says the brand’s “Anti-Aging Gold Eye Mask” is its bestseller – but as an early user of Aceology myself, I also have a couple of favourites.

ACEOLOGY ANTI-AGING GOLD MODELING MASK

An OG Aceology face mask you need to try. Picture: Supplied

Available at Sephora and aceology.co

Price: $79

This is one of the brand’s OG products and is regularly sold out because it’s so darn good – and also a lot of fun too. It contains two sachets, a gel and collagen powder, that you have to mix in a bowl before applying. It goes on a little gloopy, but unlike some face masks that set on your face, it doesn’t feel itchy during the 30 minutes you need to leave it on. It feels more like a gentle hug – and afterwards my skin is glowy, fresh and firmer. I’m a huge fan.

ACEOLOGY FROSE INFUSION GEL MASK

Shoppers go nuts for these because they’re excellent. Picture: Supplied

Available at Sephora and aceology.co

Price: $64 (four sheets)

This is the mask that went nuts on Instagram and sold out instantly when it first launched. While a gel mask may sound slippery and complicated to put on, it actually applies really easily and feels very soothing on skin. After using one my skin felt softer, plumper and clearer. I love chucking one in the fridge 30 minutes before using to help with de-puffing too.

ACEOLOGY BRIGHTENING TREATMENT MASK

Gross but oh so satisfying. Picture: Supplied

Available at Sephora and aceology.co

Price: $69

I usually hate peel-off masks. They pinch and pull out tiny hairs you didn’t even know existed and don’t get me started on how messy they can be. However, this doesn’t have any of those faults. The metallic formula glides on smoothly – you can use the brush provided or just whack it on with your fingers – and sets without dripping anywhere or making a mess. After 20 minutes, you can start to feel it getting loose around the edges and it simply peels off. It’s super satisfying, a word other users on social media have used to describe peeling it off too. After, skin is bright and glowy, without any of the pain other peel-off masks can have.

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Originally published as Beauty Diary: Meet woman behind Aceology, new brand in Sephora