In 2013 Iris and boyfriend Iris founded a skincare business with affordable, organic products that feel great on the skin.

A few years ago, college student Iris Cherng, the daughter of holistic doctors, developed a case of psoriasis (a skin condition that can cause itching and even pain). She could not use just any drugstore creams on her face and body. Natural skincare products helped the psoriasis, but were quite expensive. So, Iris decided to launch her own skincare company—with some guidance from her mom. Iris teamed up with her boyfriend, Calvin Hang, and in 2013 they founded a skincare business with affordable, organic products that feel great on the skin.

Hand-crafted items from their California-based indie brand Honey Belle are clean, green, and highly effective; created by devoted employees with a passion for natural healing.            

Read on to learn more about Iris, her business, and her devotion to charity.

You graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara in 2014. Tell us what college was like for you.

College was the first time I was able to experience being in a whole new place without my parents, which also called for me to make decisions I've never had to make before, and overcome experiences that I've never had to go through. I pledged a sorority, became sorority President, and it was also in these 4 years that I lost myself, and then found myself again.

Why is your company called Honey Belle?

As stated on our Web site, "Honey Belle" stands for 'natural beauty.' When brainstorming an alias for myself, I wanted essences of both expressions. So I made lists of words that correspond to 'natural', and words that mean 'beauty." When I put "honey" and "belle" together, it just flowed.

It’s amazing that you’re only 25 and have your own business. Tell us about your employees and interns.

We have 9 full time employees at our headquarters, as well as 8 sales reps that work part-time for our weekend pop-ups. (Temporary stores) I personally love hiring college interns! Their minds are so fresh, so open, coachable, and hungry for growth. It's been an amazing experience being able to help college students obtain experience, and also vice-versa. They help us with fresh new ideas and innovation. During my own college experience, I had 2 internships, and they played such a huge role in introducing me to different fields!

Interning is a jump-start to their careers.

I think a big issue today with recent college grads is that it's hard to find entry-level positions because many require 1 to 2 years of experience in the field. But how are these young people supposed to find a job if no one is willing to give them that initial experience? I take in a lot of students and interns who are in the midst of finding themselves and obtaining work experience. Witnessing their personal growth has been amazing.

Tell us about your business beginnings.

I’d been working on Honey Belle since 2013 when I was still in school, so it wasn't my main focus at the time. After I graduated in 2014, I had a full-time job, but KNEW I wanted to launch Honey Belle. I would go to work from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and then work on Honey Belle at night when I got home, usually until midnight or 2:00 a.m. In 2015, I was finally able to devote myself fully to Honey Belle, after we received so much great feedback from our customers!

There’s a charity aspect to Honey Belle. Tell us about it.

We have passion project called "Soaps for Souls," where for every Body Soap purchased, one is donated. This passion project was born out of an accidental turn into the Skid Row area of Downtown Los Angeles. I saw a whole community out there, that needed me. I thought to myself: “What can I do to help them? I have lots and lots of soap.  Soap will help them get clean and help stop the contamination of diseases.”  We ended up working with the homeless shelters, and also work with a medical group that travels the world on medical missions to countries such as Guatemala, Nepal, Peru, Vietnam, Burma.

There are so many beauty products on the market—why should teens use Honey Belle?

Our products are natural, organic, and each ingredient is designed for a specific purchase in helping heal and improve a specific skin issue.  Honey Belle began with my journey into holistic health and healing, and my quest to find ingredients that would help many of the skin issues that I was dealing with as a young woman such as acne, scarring, dark circles, blackheads, uneven skin tone…All these skin issues played such a big role in my self-confidence, and that is what we want to give back to the world: A product that is healthy, and can make you feel GOOD about being in your own skin.

Which products are most popular for teens?

Definitely our acne products. Our essential face kit has a tea tree cleanser and toner, and face creams that are so essential for a basic and healthy skin care routine. Other products that are popular include Sea Salt Oatmeal Facial Bar, our DIY Detox Masks, and our Acne Serum.

What are your major job responsibilities within the company?

As the CEO, my major responsibility is to make sure the company grows in the right direction. Another main responsibility is to make sure all my employees are happy doing what they're doing at Honey Belle, and to observe the workflow of my business from a bigger picture.

What book motivates you?

"You are a Badass" and its sequel "You are a Badass at Making Money" have been gamechangers for me. They're both written by Jen Sincero, and I highly recommend them.

What’s it like working with your boyfriend, Calvin? 

Working with Calvin is so fun! In the beginning, it was challenging to discuss major business decisions with him because of all the emotion we were bringing into our conversations, so we started separating business life and personal life. When we got busy in our business life, I realized that our personal relationship was taking a downfall. We've learned to integrate being lovers as part of our business relationship, and it’s been incredible to grow and face challenges with him.

What career advice do you have for young entrepreneurs?

School is important. Go to school. Sometimes it's not for the educational part (unless you are really trying to be a lawyer or go into the medical field, good for you, do amazing in school!). My most impactful years were my four years of college, but not what I learned in class—my whole experience of growing up and developing as a young adult.

To learn more about Honey Belle, visit honeybelleshop.com.

GIVEAWAY (Can we put this whole section in a box? Maybe a star next to it?) One lucky American Teen reader will win a Honey Belle gift bag containing: Jasmine Lily Organic Body Crème, Charcoal Bamboo Loofah Soap, & A 'Bumble Balm' Lip Balm. (A $25 value) Just send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with your name, age, and state. One winner will be selected on June 1, 2018 using MiniWebTool, an online random name picker. Winner will be notified via email. Good Luck!