Changhee Cho, Founder of BONJIL, on the Ritual Behind the Glow
For BONJIL founder Changhee Cho, skincare doesn’t stop at the surface. After years running a dermatology clinic in Korea, she noticed that clients who saw real results from effective treatments often came back with the same concerns after periods of stress and exhaustion. That pattern, along with Cho’s own struggles with allergies, led her to build BONJIL around a simple idea of pairing advanced skincare with a multisensory ritual of music, touch, scent, and light that calms the mind and the skin. BONJIL developed its approach with Dr. Walter Joseph, who trained in behavioral neuroscience before becoming a plastic surgeon. We spoke with her about the stress-skin connection, the role of sound, and her new Madison Avenue flagship, which opened in May 2026.
How did your personal experiences with allergies shape your understanding of the mind-skin connection before founding BONJIL?
When I feel very stressed or lack sleep, not only do my allergy symptoms become more severe, but my skin also becomes drier and duller. This experience taught me that inner beauty is deeply connected to radiant glass-skin.
Running a dermatology clinic in Korea gave you a unique vantage point. At what point did you realize that conventional skincare, treating symptoms topically, wasn’t completely solving what your clients needed?
I saw clients receive effective treatments and experience visible improvement, yet many returned with the same concerns, especially during periods of stress, poor sleep, or emotional exhaustion.
That pattern made me realize that topical skincare was addressing the symptoms, but not always the complete picture. The skin is deeply connected to our overall well-being. Clients needed a moment to slow down, relax, and reconnect with themselves. This became the foundation of BONJIL’s philosophy combining advanced skincare with a multisensory ritual that cares for both the skin and the mind.
As a Korean founder entering the luxury beauty space in New York, what unique perspectives did your background bring to solving what you saw as the “upstream cause” of skin dysfunction, which is chronic stress and cortisol?
Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels can contribute to the breakdown of collagen and elasticity, weaken the skin barrier, and accelerate visible signs of aging. There are many potent and effective skincare ingredients available, but I believe the most essential foundation for radiant skin begins within. Our sleep, stress levels, emotional well-being, and overall lifestyle all play an important role in how our skin looks and feels.
The BONJIL Ritual emphasizes parasympathetic activation through structured sequences and music. When did you realize that sound itself could be a therapeutic intervention and not just packaging?
I first realized the power of sound through my own experiences with stress, poor sleep, allergies, and changes in my skin. Calming music helped me relax and sleep more deeply, and I noticed that when my nervous system felt calmer, my allergy symptoms improved and my skin appeared healthier.
Dr. Walter Joseph’s medical perspective helped deepen this understanding. He emphasized that chronic stress can affect the nervous system, sleep quality, inflammation, and the skin’s ability to recover. From his perspective, music can serve as a valuable sensory tool to help the body shift from a stress response toward a calmer, parasympathetic state.
Together, these insights shaped the BONJIL Ritual. Sound is not simply decorative packaging; it is an intentional part of the experience. Combined with a structured skincare sequence, touch, scent, and light, music helps create a moment of deep relaxation that supports emotional well-being and healthy-looking skin.
The Music Box Collection is such a beautiful and innovative device. Can you tell us how the elements all work together?
Music is more than entertainment. It can support healing for both the brain and the body. For children, it can also support cognitive, emotional, and brain development.
As people listen to music, their movements, senses, voices, and emotions easily become aligned. In this state, familiar forms of connection emerge, such as the merging of self and others, social cohesion, cooperative behavior, and a sense of solidarity.
You opened a flagship location on Madison Avenue this May. What was important to you about how the space looks and feels?
It was important to me that the Madison Avenue flagship not feel like a traditional retail store or a clinical treatment space. Every detail, including the lighting, music, scent, textures, and pacing of the experience, was designed to encourage guests to slow down and reconnect with themselves.
The space brings BONJIL’s philosophy to life by showing that skincare is not simply about applying products; it can be a meaningful ritual that engages the senses, calms the mind, and supports the skin. Ultimately, I wanted every guest to leave feeling cared for, restored, and more connected to their own well-being.
BONJIL has a children’s line with the Magic Melody Music Box. Why was it important to introduce this concept of nervous system wellness and stress-aware skincare to younger generations?
Children today experience stimulation and stress at an increasingly young age. We created the Magic Melody Music Box to introduce wellness in a gentle and joyful way, using music, imagination, and skincare to help children slow down and feel calm. By building these positive rituals early, we hope they learn that self-care includes their skin, emotions, and overall well-being.
After a stressful day, what do you do to unwind and ground yourself? Is there something that is a non-negotiable part of your daily routine?
After a stressful day, I unwind by slowing down, listening to [a] music box, and taking time for my skincare ritual. This quiet moment helps me reconnect with myself and let go of the day’s stress. No matter how busy I am, I apply the same skincare ritual because consistency is essential to boost my radiant skin.
What do you hope women understand about BONJIL’s core message that they haven’t heard from existing beauty brands?
BONJIL embodies a beautiful moment for you to create a personalized skincare ritual that brings delightful and meaningful experience to your vanity. That’s truly beneficial to elevate your radiant skin naturally while helping diminish visible signs of aging.
BONJIL’s ultimate goal is to convey “Love yourself. Your value is inherent.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.