New skincare line combines self-care and activism.

Adeline Koh, a former English and race & gender studies professor, found herself pivoting into the skincare industry after discovering a passion for creating Korean-style skincare products during her 2016 academic sabbatical. She founded Sabbatical Beauty and left her tenured professorship in 2017 to run the small business full-time in Philadelphia.

Despite leaving academia, Koh’s passion for social justice and combating systemic issues of white supremacy and patriarchy remained a foundational piece of her business. Sabbatical Beauty has collaborated with other progressive organizations, been kicked off Facebook for political advertising, and employs brand ambassadors who are activists.

Koh has faced criticism for her political stance in the beauty industry but responds by stating that “beauty is not a vacuum” and has deep social, cultural, and political implications. Her newest skincare collection, “Beauty Is Political”, consists of three products that aim to create a space for individuals to think about themselves and take care of themselves while recognizing that self-care is a political act.

Sabbatical Beauty will be hosting an event for the launch of the “Beauty Is Political” collection on Friday, April 21 at its storefront in Room 308 of the Bok Building in Philadelphia. Ten percent of the proceeds from the collection will go towards Red Wine & Blue, an organization that works to get suburban women involved with grassroots social justice causes.

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