Heela Yang

“Why do you want to cover yourself? You should be showing off your belly.”

That’s what Heela Yang’s husband said when she hesitated to step onto the beach in a Brazilian bikini.

Leaving behind a thriving corporate career in New York, Heela found herself in Brazil, pregnant and struggling with confidence.

But on those beaches, she saw something powerful: women of every shape and size, celebrating their bodies without apology.

“I got to the beach, and I’m looking around, it’s just such a wonderful, warm, open experience. I thought the beauty industry could really use more positive messaging.”

In 2015, Heela co-founded Sol de Janeiro with a mission that defied industry norms: beauty is an attitude, not a standard.

Her first product, Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, didn’t just sell.

It went viral.

Within months, it became Sephora’s best-selling skincare cream.

Today, a jar sells every 4 seconds.

But this wasn’t a sudden leap.

Heela spent over a decade mastering beauty at Lancôme (L’Oréal) and Clinique (Estée Lauder Companies), managing billion-dollar portfolios.

She knew how the beauty industry worked... so she knew exactly how to change it.

Under her leadership, Sol de Janeiro became a global phenomenon, earning a spot on TIME100’s Most Influential Companies in 2024.

In 2023, Sol de Janeiro saw triple-digit growth driven by its Brazilian Crush Cheirosa perfume mists.

On TikTok, #soldejaneirocream hit 3.9M views, fueled by organic posts from influencers like Alix Earle.

But Heela never lost sight of her purpose.

“Women are constantly bombarded with standards they can never achieve. I wanted to create a brand that makes you feel good exactly as you are.”