Interview | Lillian Tung of Fur

Lillian Tung has always been drawn to beauty, particularly its ability to transform everyday objects into tools of self-care and confidence. It’s what led the New York native to a career in beauty and eventually to the creation of Fur, the category-defining bodycare brand she co-founded with lifelong friend Laura Schubert.

The two first met as 12-year-olds the day before starting seventh grade in New York, later captaining their gymnastics team together and continuing side by side through both their undergraduate and MBA studies.

Before launching Fur, Lillian worked at L’Oréal on the global marketing team for Maybelline. A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University, she brought both industry experience and strategic insight to a beauty space that had long been overlooked.

With Fur, Lillian and Laura set out to shift the conversation around body hair, creating products that treat pubic hair and skin with the same care and intention as the rest of the body.

We caught up with Lillian to talk about the story behind Fur, the thinking that shaped the brand, and how it helped redefine the conversation around bodycare.

What inspired you to create Fur?

Fur was born from a simple but largely unspoken truth that everyone has body hair, but no one was really talking about how to care for it. When we first started Fur, the only concept for body hair care was removal, and we knew there was more to it than just that.

We saw an opportunity to create products that treated body hair with the same level of care, quality, and intention as the rest of your body. At the end of the day, we wanted to normalize the conversation around body hair and give people the choice to remove it, shape it, or grow it with confidence.

What product makes the best introduction to the brand?

Fur Oil is our best seller for a reason! It’s where we started, and it really embodies everything the brand stands for. It’s simple, effective, and incredibly versatile. It’s a beautiful all-over oil that softens hair, smooths skin, and helps prevent ingrowns whether you shave, wax, laser, or don’t remove hair at all.

What has been the biggest challenge or surprise in launching Fur?

The biggest challenge has been constantly reminding skeptics that body hair care isn’t a niche; it’s a growing category with necessary education. Oftentimes, especially at the start, retailers didn’t quite know where to place us, and customers didn’t know what to expect. But that challenge ultimately became our strength, allowing for more storytelling and building a community who did understand Fur.

What has been the biggest highlight?

Seeing the cultural shift. When we first launched, talking openly about body hair felt shocking. Now, the conversation is far more normalized and I know so much of that has to do with all the hard work of the Fur team.

Hearing from customers who say Fur helped them feel more confident in their bodies, whether that means growing everything out or simply having fewer ingrowns, is always the most meaningful highlight. It also doesn’t hurt to have had the opportunity to shout ‘pubic hair’ on national TV.

What advice would you give to those wanting to launch their own beauty business?

Go for it even if you feel unprepared because as an entrepreneur you’ll never fully be prepared for what’s to come. At the end of the day it’s important to have confidence in yourself and your business to know you can solve the day-to-day challenges. That being said, it’s also really important to know all the ins and outs of your business and what level of risk the business can handle.

What’s next for Fur?

We’re incredibly excited about our newest launch, Furming Oil. Not since Fur Oil have I been more excited about a body oil! I designed it specifically to support skin elasticity, firmness, and overall skin health. As a brand rooted in bodycare, this felt like a natural evolution for us. We’ve always focused on treating the body with the same level of intention as the face, and Furming Oil continues that mission by combining clinically backed ingredients with our signature nourishing oils to deeply hydrate while helping skin feel smoother and more resilient over time. We’re continuing to build thoughtful, results-driven essentials that meet people where they are and support real skin, in real life.

What does your daily beauty routine look like?

My beauty routine is very straightforward. In the shower I focus on exfoliating every other day and then moisturizing out of the shower with the Furming Oil. For my face I use a vitamin C serum every day and my S.Nature Aqua Squalane Moisturizing Cream followed by SPF.

What are three beauty products you can’t live without?

I love Fur’s Ingrown Concentrate as it’s great for my sensitive skin and I use it as a face moisturizer as well. Additionally, Aquaphor for my lips and cuticles, and then a Ouai shampoo.

What’s the best beauty advice you’ve been given?

Beauty is about comfort in your own skin. Trends come and go, but confidence is lasting. When you feel good, you look good, and there’s no need to do too much.

What person or brand would you love to collaborate with?

I would love to partner with Emma Watson again! She was first introduced to the brand a few years back and really helped legitimize the conversation about body hair.

UK customers can shop Fur at Cult Beauty and Healf, while in the US the brand is available at Ulta Beauty.