Naked Beauty Podcast: "How Amy Liu Built Her Sensitive Skin Brand Tower28 at 40"

Host: Brooke DeVard
Guest: Amy Liu, Founder & CEO of Tower28 Beauty
Release Date: March 9, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of Naked Beauty delves into the remarkable journey of Amy Liu, founder and CEO of Tower28 Beauty. Host Brooke DeVard and Amy explore Amy’s personal struggles with sensitive skin and eczema, her extensive experience in the beauty industry, and how she embarked on her entrepreneurial path at age 40 to create an inclusive, effective, and fun beauty brand. The conversation navigates through Amy’s upbringing as a first-generation American, challenges in entrepreneurship, Tower28’s brand philosophy, self-care rituals, and candid advice for women feeling stagnant in their careers.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Amy’s Background and Motivation for Starting Tower28

• Amy’s Personal Skin Challenges
  • Lifelong battle with eczema and sensitive skin made her feel “stuck using boring clinical brands that often didn’t even work” [00:55].
• Industry Experience
  • Amy leveraged her 15+ years at brands like Smashbox, Kate Somerville, and Josie Maran, absorbing good and bad management lessons [03:20, 09:50].

    “What I learned...I collected these things over my career where I’d be like, if I was in charge, I would do this. And if I was in charge, I would also, both, do things and not do things…that makes me a better, more empathetic leader.” – Amy [09:50]

• Upbringing as a Chinese-American in LA
  • Grew up in a predominantly white environment, lacked Asian representation in beauty and pop culture [05:00].

    “When I was a kid…I didn’t have images of beauty that I saw myself in. The world has changed, but I really think it’s important for people to see themselves in this industry.” – Amy [05:59]

• Parental Influence on Risk and Entrepreneurship
  • Father immigrated to the US with $2,000, became an entrepreneur out of necessity; initially discouraged Amy from entrepreneurship due to its hardships [08:18].

2. The Leap to Founding Tower28 at 40

• Fear and Lack of Representation
  • Didn’t feel ready despite rich industry experience: “It was fear. Some people have this abundance mindset…that was not how I felt…I just thought I was like a worker bee, and it wasn’t an option for me.” – Amy [13:50]
• Catalyst Moment
  • Turning 40 marked a pivotal moment: “You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once…by the time I turned 40, I'd had my three kids…and realized: now I can take this next risk.” [15:19]
• The Power of Supportive Friends
  • A friend offered to be her first investor, prompting a fundraising journey: “If you can find the rest of the money within 30 days, I’ll do it.” – Amy [16:46]
  • Reframed investment as giving people an opportunity, not asking for donations [17:58].

3. Tower28’s Foundational Values: Inclusivity, Efficacy, and Community

• Intentional Product Development for All Skin Tones
  • Collaboration with makeup artists for real-life shade matching; intentional inclusivity is embedded from product development, not just marketing [03:20].

    “Our skin tones couldn’t be further apart…but the fact that Tower28 products have always worked so well on my skin shows you really care about product development for everyone.” – Brooke [02:40]

• Marketplace Mindset: Affordable, Accessible, Fun
  • Products are “a safe space for sensitive skin”—offering a modern, approachable alternative to the clinical brands Amy grew up with [39:45, 41:26].
  • Fun, non-intimidating brand energy: “We have, like, ‘sits with us’ vibes. Like, come sit with us.” – Amy [39:18]

4. Navigating the Pandemic: Purpose-Driven Impact

• Giving Back During COVID
  • Tower28 donated SOS Spray to healthcare workers suffering from “maskne” and skin irritation [20:00].

    “I started seeing people tagging us, saying, ‘I tried this product, I’ve been wearing a mask, this has made such a difference.’ I would DM them…if this is your experience, write a review, I’ll send you more.” – Amy [20:29]

• Discovery of SOS Spray’s Broad Use
  • Initially for eczema, SOS Spray’s uses grew to include sunburns, tattoos, rosacea, diaper rash, gym bags [22:24].

    “It is literally—we call it, like, the Windex from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, because you can do so many different things with it.” – Amy [23:05]

5. Product Development, Sensitive Skin, and Industry Standards

• Testing and Compliance
  • Tower28 is fully compliant with the National Eczema Association; each new launch undergoes extensive, costly testing [29:05].

    “We spend like $150,000 per launch on just testing…it adds about three to six months onto the timeline.” – Amy [29:05]

• Challenges with Investor Expectations
  • Friends and family investors allowed Amy to retain her values, but external investors can pressure founders to drop standards to save time/money [30:32].

6. Tower28’s Concealer Success Story

• Best-selling Concealer
  • Number two in units sold at Sephora (after NARS), attributed to affordability ($24) and quality [32:01].

    “I think a lot of people aren’t even wearing foundation anymore; they’re wearing concealer and pulling it out. And ours is so creamy and beautiful.” – Amy [32:26]

• Inclusive Shade Range
  • Newly expanded to 28 shades with various undertones, guided by customer and influencer feedback [34:21, 34:39].
• BIPOC Collaboration and Broader Beauty Industry Impact
  • Genuine collaborations, like working with influencer Toni Bravo for blush shade development, stem from real-life conversations and needs [35:08].

7. Reflections on Diversity, Community, and Mentorship

• State of Support for Minority Founders
  • Post-2020 support for BIPOC founders “has waned,” making it harder to sustain and fund new businesses [36:02].
  • Amy’s Clean Beauty Summer School is adapting to focus on nurturing and supporting alumni rather than expanding yearly, emphasizing the importance of “knowing how and when to pivot” [36:26].
• The Power of Community
  • Despite industry challenges, Amy and Brooke celebrate the collaborative spirit within beauty [38:26].

    “A small group of people can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Amy [38:27 quoting Margaret Mead]

8. Personal Wellness, Balance, and Self-Care

• Managing a Full Life
  • Amy is both Tower28 CEO and a mother to three; she and her husband (the company's CFO) build in daily rituals like morning walks and coffee dates for connection [42:23].
• Self-Care Rituals
  • Monthly massage, at-home red light therapy (Salooma panel), and favorite products: Shani Darden’s retinol and moisturizer, Mara oil cleansers, Sophie Pavitt’s mandelic serum [43:35, 46:03].
• Beauty Philosophy
  • Amy avoids fragrance due to eczema, loves accessible luxury, and supports brands whose founders are values-aligned [46:29].
• Advice for Those Feeling Stagnant
  • Listen to "the whispers" of intuition; trust your evolution and embrace that not everything is meant to happen at once [47:27, 48:50].

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Launching a Company Late:

  “You can have it all, but you can’t have it all at once.” – Amy [15:30]

• On Fear and Entrepreneurship:

  “It was fear…I just didn’t feel like I had access and a roadmap in front of me.” – Amy [13:50]

• On Product Testing Commitment:

  “We spend like $150,000 per launch on just testing…and another three months to get the seals.” – Amy [29:05]

• On Social Impact During COVID:

  “I literally DM’d essential workers and sent them boxes of our SOS spray…It was the least I could do; they were suffering with constant mask-wearing.” – Amy [20:29]

• On Diversity in Beauty Leadership:

  “So many people say, ‘We’re not curing cancer, we’re just making makeup.’ But what we do is culture-defining. We create opportunities for people to see themselves and build confidence.” – Amy [06:20]

• On Self-Care as a Founder and Mom:

  “My husband and I go on a walk every morning. That’s our built-in date.” – Amy [43:05]

• On When She Feels Most Beautiful:

  “I feel most beautiful when I’m with my kids in a quiet moment…my heart feels the most beautiful.” – Amy [49:43]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Amy’s Upbringing and Lack of Representation in Beauty – [04:59–07:06]
• Lessons from Beauty Industry and Leadership – [09:39–12:54]
• Fear and the Leap to Entrepreneurship – [13:50–16:46]
• First Investment & Fundraising – [16:46–18:59]
• COVID Pivot: Donating SOS Spray – [20:17–22:24]
• Product Uses & SOS Spray's Cult Status – [22:24–23:46]
• Product Testing & Standards – [29:05–30:32]
• Concealer Development & Shade Expansion – [32:01–34:39]
• BIPOC Founder Support and Clean Beauty Summer School – [35:08–38:16]
• Brand Philosophy & “Sits With Us” Vibes – [39:18–39:31]
• Managing Family and Business, Self-Care Rituals – [42:23–47:10]
• Career Advice: Trusting the Process – [47:27–49:35]
• On Beauty Beyond Appearance: Presence with Her Kids – [49:43]

Closing Thoughts

This episode uplifts and inspires, centering honesty and vulnerability around personal and professional growth. Amy’s journey offers invaluable real-world advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone feeling “stuck”—her story is a testament to the power of community, authenticity, resilience, and redefining beauty on your own terms. Tower28 stands as a model of fun, inclusivity, and genuine impact in the industry.

Listen for:

• A deep-dive on launching a beauty brand as a woman of color over 40
• Behind-the-scenes product development stories
• Refreshing honesty about fear, confidence, and career pivots
• Practical self-care tips from a super-busy founder & mom
• Heartfelt reflections on what it means to feel beautiful

For more insights and to support women-led beauty brands, subscribe to Naked Beauty wherever you listen to podcasts.