by Alexandra Nicole Nuralam

Erica Choi Talks Superegg, Skin Snacks & Self-Care

Born in Busan and raised in New Jersey, lifestyle influencer Erica Choi (@eggcanvas) wears many hats: New York-licensed esthetician, creative consultant for luxury brands, and now, the founder of new skincare brand Superegg. The former Vice President of Digital Design at Barneys New York worked in the luxury digital realm and retail space for twelve years before embarking on her entrepreneurial journey with Superegg. The skincare line harnesses the power of an egg’s nutritional values with clean, plant-based, and cruelty-free beauty formulas.

We chat with Erica to find out more about Superegg, her skincare routine from start to finish, and how self-care fits into her daily routine. 

Share with us why your username is @eggcanvas!

The meaning behind the name Egg Canvas comes from dalgyal, which means ‘egg’ in Korean. It’s a nickname from childhood, for my face shape was said to resemble an egg. Egg and Canvas work together as a metaphor for life, as life is about creation and a blank canvas that can be dreamt up and painted new everyday.

Can you tell us more about Superegg? What can we expect from the brand?

Superegg is a clean, vegan, and cruelty-free skincare line founded on meaningful, honest values, weaving in three important themes in my life: eggs, beauty, and balance. The idea stems from extracting the different egg components — the egg white, yolk, and eggshell —   that contain unique essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants beneficial for replenishing elasticity and deep hydration. Superegg reimagines the egg’s power into the vegan version of each component, honing its unique functions. Using only the highest quality plant-based ingredients, our formulations are designed for immediate and profound lasting rejuvenation of the skin.

“We want to support the well-being of the body and planet, from skin to ecosystem.”

There are beauty products already on the market utilising the egg and a mixture of its extracts. However, no one has ever dedicated themselves to a full egg-focused brand; neither have they interpreted it in a special, unique way. Moreover, the rise of animal and egg-related issues, such as allergens, diseases, and preservatives, has reinforced our commitment to providing a completely vegan product that honors the egg and its properties, but in a friendlier eco-conscious way.

When we dived into the different aspects of the egg, we realized how each part of the egg—the egg white, yolk, and eggshell membrane—contains unique properties that each specifically benefited the skin. This informed our decision to create egg duplexes, where each part features its powerful plant-based equivalent per egg component. 

We’ve launched with two products, with two more coming early 2021. Cleansing and moisturizing are the two most important steps of our skincare routine (aside from sunscreen), so I felt it was necessary to launch with our Gentle Elements Cleanser and Sound Renewal Moisturizer.

What’s your approach when it comes to beauty and wellness?

Beauty and wellness go hand in hand. Only when you can dedicate time for yourself to nurture and grow, can you be well in body and mind. I am definitely one who wants to say yes to everyone; however, I’ve learned to focus my energies on myself when needed, so that I can be the best version of myself for others in the long-term.

What is your earliest memory of beauty?

When talking about actual beauty products, it was when I bought my first Clean & Clear powder compact when I was in middle school. I was taking a summer course abroad in Korea and bought it at a neighbourhood pharmacy. I tried to sneak it back to the States, but my aunt caught me and told me makeup was for adults. It made me so sad back then as I felt it was so cool and grown up to carry that around!

In terms of beauty itself, I don’t have many fond memories up until adulthood. I’ve struggled with, and still sometimes do, with feeling beautiful. No matter how strong I feel I have gotten, I still battle with feeling confident and many times feel inadequate in fulfilling other people’s perceptions of outer beauty. Building my sense of self-worth and stability is something I work towards every day.

Talk us through your skincare routine.

I have a consistent routine for both day and night. I really take my time in cleansing and applying my skincare, no matter how tired I am. It’s important to not rush through both for yourself and for your skin. I like to rotate out products depending on how my skin is feeling at that moment.

In the morning, I use Superegg’s Gentle Elements Cleanser, AmorePacific’s Vintage Single Extract Essence, Skinceuticals’ C E Ferulic serum for Vitamin C, Superegg’s Sound Renewal Moisturizer, and the Neogen Day-Light Protection Sunscreen.

In the evening, I use Then I Met You’s Living Cleansing Balm, Superegg’s cleanser, Neogen’s Real Ferment Micro Essence Treatment, the Chantecaille Radiance Elixir serum, Superegg’s moisturizer, and end with a few drops of Augustinus Bader’s face oil.

I like to exfoliate once to twice a week, alternating between Biologique Recherche’s P50 Lotion, Sunday Riley’s Good Genes, Drunk Elephant’s Glycolic Serum, and Naturium’s mandelic acid serum.

I also apply sheet masks as extra hydrating treatments as often as I can. I’ve used and loved them for as long as I can remember as it’s very embedded in Korean culture. Superegg will be launching two versions of our own so I’ve been using them the past few months and the results have been amazing!

Name three makeup staples.

I’m never without a cushion compact, eyeliner, and lip oil.

How has your perception of beauty changed through the years?

The terminology of beauty carries a much wider and deeper meaning now, and I’m grateful it is more acceptable to talk about how one does not always feel beautiful.

“I feel much more beautiful now than I have in past years. I’ve grown stronger as a person and having that helps in my perception of outer beauty.”

Beauty for me has become someone who has self-confidence and a sense of strength, empathy, and integrity.

How does self-care come into play in your beauty routine?

I see my beauty routine as an act of daily self-care. Making myself a cup of tea in the morning. Lighting a candle. Cleaning my vanity. Taking a few moments to myself. These are all small acts of self-care that can make a world of difference.

When I’m very stressed out, my initial instinct is to take a few deep breaths. My weekly yoga practice and being able to stretch and physically get stronger helps me to feel better as well.

What is most important to you: comfort, beauty, or innovation?

I see them all equally important. When I think about Superegg, I want it to bring comfort as well as be comfortable to use, but it should also contribute to the overall well-being and health of your skin, and be as innovative as possible bringing the latest technologies in skincare today. It needs all three to be the best in today’s world and to be different from the crowd.

What are your hopes for the year ahead?

I hope we can continue to come together and support one another. We are living in one world together, and being able to listen and help one another while we are all here together is such a blessing. For Superegg, I hope we can continue to create meaningful products with intention, that help people feel beautiful inside and out.

Erica’s Beauty Picks

Superegg Gentle Elements Cleanser, USD34
AmorePacific Vintage Single Extract Essence, SGD126
Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Vitamin C Serum, SGD248
Superegg Sound Renewal Moisturizer, USD60
Neogen Day-Light Protection Sunscreen, SGD22.30
Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm, USD38
Neogen Real Ferment Micro Essence Treatment, SGD66.90
Chantecaille Radiance Elixir, SGD360
Augustinus Bader The Face Oil, SGD285
Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 PIGM 400 Exfoliating Toner, SGD125
Sunday Riley Good Genes Lactic Acid Treatment, SGD130
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Serum, SGD128
Naturium Mandelic Topical Acid 12%, SGD65