When walking into the skincare aisle, you’re often bombarded with mass-produced products in every color and packaging imaginable, making decisions difficult.

But when you come across a natural, locally-produced skincare brand, the decision becomes a little simpler.

Skincare brand N8iV Beauty recently won Allure Magazine’s “2025 Best of Beauty” award, making them the first Indigenous-owned cosmetic brand to be honored this way in the beauty industry.

The founder, Ruth-Ann Thorn, is Luiseña; she has lived on the Rincon Indian Reservation, but her family also has roots in the La Jolla Indian Reservation.

“I didn’t really start coming back to the reservation until I was a teenager,” Thorn said. “I’m one of those Indians that straddle two worlds. I’ve been in the Western culture outside of

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