Mental health is not always something that is spoken about openly. In many Asian communities, it is often carried quietly, shaped by cultural expectations, generational experiences, and long-held ideas about resilience and restraint.
Mental health deserves ongoing care and attention, especially in communities where it has often gone unspoken. This collaboration with the National Asian American Pacific Islander Mental Health Association (NAAPIMHA) reflects our commitment as a brand to supporting culturally responsive mental health resources and keeping space open for thoughtful, respectful conversation.
Our Beginning
Lithe was born from a quiet rebellion.
Our founder, Linda Secondi, grew up as the daughter of Chinese-Vietnamese immigrants in a household where makeup was not encouraged and beauty was often seen as a distraction. Still, she found small, private moments to experiment. Simple acts that helped her feel like herself within the boundaries that existed around her.
Her mother’s approach to life was intentional and restrained. Nothing excessive. Nothing unnecessary. That balance between structure and self-expression stayed with Linda, shaping how she understood beauty, identity, and care.
Years later, as a mother herself, Linda built Lithe with that same philosophy in mind. Beauty that is high-performing yet effortless. Intentional without being overwhelming. Kind to the skin. No excess, no noise. Just formulas that glide, define, and stay.
That lived experience also informs how we think about well-being as a team. Mental health, like beauty, is deeply connected to culture, identity, and the permission we give ourselves to be seen, supported, and cared for.
Why This Matters
At Lithe, well-being has always been about so much more than appearance. It’s about how we feel in our bodies, how we move through the world, and how much permission we give ourselves to take up space. Mental health is part of that, whether it’s named or not.
Within many Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities, mental health has long been shaped by silence. Cultural expectations, generational experiences, and limited access to culturally responsive care can make seeking support feel heavy, complicated, or out of reach. Too often, these realities are overlooked in traditional mental health spaces.
This matters to us because we understand what it means to navigate identity quietly. We know what it’s like to learn restraint over self-expression and the pressure to carry strength without always having language for what’s underneath. Supporting mental health awareness in AANHPI communities isn’t abstract for Lithe. It’s personal and it’s part of how we think about care.
We’re not here to speak on behalf of anyone’s experience or to offer answers. We’re here to share trusted resources we personally vouch for with intention and respect.
Why NAAPIMHA
NAAPIMHA is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving mental health outcomes for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
What resonates deeply with us is how they approach this work. Their focus on culturally responsive care, education, and advocacy recognizes that mental health does not exist separately from identity, history, or community. Context matters. Lived experience matters. Cultural understanding matters.
In communities where mental health has often been minimized, misunderstood, or left unspoken, that perspective is essential. NAAPIMHA creates space for care that feels relevant, informed, and grounded in real experience.
Looking Forward
This collaboration reflects a long-term commitment to showing up with care and intention. For Lithe, that means continuing to support culturally responsive mental health resources, making space for conversations that are often left unspoken, and approaching well-being with the same thoughtfulness we bring to everything we create.
As a brand built on restraint, intention, and care, we believe mental health deserves patience and cultural nuance. It deserves to be approached quietly, consistently, and with respect for lived experience.
If you or someone you care about is seeking culturally responsive mental health support, education, or advocacy, we encourage you to explore NAAPIMHA’s work directly.
We’ll continue to use our platform to affirm the importance of mental health within Asian communities and to support access to culturally responsive care. This work is part of how Lithe shows up, with intention, responsibility, and respect.
Comments (1)
the deeply personal experience that is an key ingredient in the Lithe brand is amazing to become aware of. the products sell based on results, but learning the depth of awareness behind the ‘drive to beautify’ is a gift – one that lifts us all, and throw life rafts so some of us. Showing up in the world using products that assist us appearing ‘whole’, or ‘normal’, is a giant step to inner wholeness acceptance and understanding of what ‘wholeness is’. thank you.