Los Angeles beauty shops worried about Trump's tariffs
Looking and feeling your best might cost you more now, with tariffs driving up the price of your favorite beauty essentials.
Los Angeles is known as a global beauty hub, but tariffs are hitting the industry hard and creating a lot of uncertainty.
"I am on the phone probably every day now," CEO of The Hair Shop Daniel Tokko said. "I think everybody is in the same boat, trying to find ways to mitigate the impact."
Tokko's family-owned shop creates hair extensions and wigs for celebrities, stylists and everyday clients.
"All of our hair is what we call 100% remy hair," Tokko said. "Really, what that means is, overseas, we make our products."
He said 90% of their supply comes from China.
"We've been scrambling ever since the tariffs were announced," Tokko said. "As you know, they are at 145%, and that certainly throws a wrench into things."
Tokko said customers really worry about whether he will raise prices.
"We don't have any current plans to do so," Tokko said. "I guess it's an open question how long that will be true."
Stores specializing in skincare and beauty products are also worried about the tariffs.
"We are having some customs challenges," Vanessa Nabhani said. "We are learning. We are being flexible.
Nabhani owns Playlab Beauty in Old Town Pasadena, which sells Korean and Japanese beauty products. The company is still recovering from the Eaton Fire, which caused most of its inventory to burn in an Altadena warehouse.
"A lot of the Korean sunscreen that people are loving and dying to get their hands on, we lost overnight," Nabhani said.
There's a lot of uncertainty, but a silver lining has helped them keep prices down at least for now.
After stockpiling and strong vendor relationships, both the Hair Shop and Playlab Beauty said they aren't worried about their inventory yet. However, prices are more likely to rise if the tense trade situation continues.
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