I am a Beauty Anthropologist exploring beauty, culture & identity.

I’m Mia Reddy, a Beauty Anthropologist—part cultural researcher, part storyteller, part brand strategist—exploring the intersection of beauty, identity, and tradition. My background in ethnography, creative writing, and brand development allows me to uncover how beauty rituals, products, and narratives shape who we are across cultures.

Beauty isn’t just skin-deep—it’s a reflection of history, power, community, and self-definition. As a Black and Korean adoptee, my understanding of beauty is deeply shaped by the ways race, culture, and identity intersect in my own life. Inspired by Zora Neale Hurston’s approach to documenting everyday cultural practices, I blend research, personal narrative, and historical analysis to challenge beauty standards, preserve ancestral knowledge, and explore beauty as a global language.

As the founder and Chief Creative Director of award-winning skincare brand DEHIYA Beauty, I honor ancestral beauty traditions with a modern, minimalist approach. But my work extends beyond product formulation—it’s about storytelling. Through my travels, I immerse myself in beauty cultures around the world, from Moroccan hammams to Korean bathhouses, uncovering the rituals and experiences that connect us all. Whether exploring luxury wellness retreats, centuries-old self-care traditions, or the cultural significance of beauty spaces, I document how beauty is lived, shared, and reimagined across borders.