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Salish Matter shut down a shopping mall.

Before you imagine her filming a challenge video for her YouTube channel (which, to be fair, she did last year), picture tens of thousands of screaming fans lined up in East Rutherford, N.J., all hoping for the chance to meet their favorite social media superstar.

That’s exactly what happened last September when Salish hosted a free pop-up event at the American Dream Mall to launch her new skincare line, Sincerely Yours.

What was supposed to be a mellow meet-and-greet quickly turned into a full-on frenzy. When over 80,000 people started streaming into the parking lot and atrium (triple the amount that Salish’s team expected), the state police had to wrap things up early for safety.

“I was honestly thinking, at most, 500 girls would be there,” Salish shares. “When I went out onstage and saw everyone, my mind exploded. It was very surreal.”

It probably shouldn’t have been a huge shock that someone with over 10 million followers across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram could take over one of the biggest shopping centers in the country. But despite her staggering level of online stardom, Salish is, to put it plainly, a surprisingly normal 16-year-old: She goes to school (we had to reschedule this interview because a teacher asked her to stay late), prefers sweats over everything (she’s currently sporting an oversized sky blue hoodie) and has a low-key obsession with Trader Joe’s Takis (IYKYK).

In a way, her grounded energy makes sense. Because long before she was selling out Sephora shelves (more on that in a min), Salish was just…Salish, a girl who loved gymnastics and hanging out with her family.

Before the hype

Originally from Nyack, N.Y., Salish spent most of her childhood in motion: playing outside with her older bro Hudson, snowboarding on family trips to Colorado and practicing her backflips (she’s been doing gymnastics since she was a toddler).

What might surprise you, though, is that she wasn’t always as outgoing as she seems now. “When I was younger, I was really shy. Making content was the thing that helped me come out of my shell,” she says.

That started in 2020, when Salish first appeared on her dad Jordan’s YouTube channel. What began as fun pranks and challenges with her family soon evolved into her own personal brand, featuring GRWMs and morning routines. After her family relocated to Los Angeles, Salish’s platform exploded—and more and more followers started turning to her for everyday advice and beauty recommendations.

Skincare, solved

The idea to launch a skincare line started with a relatable struggle: being a teen with sensitive skin and zero clue what to use. “My friends were going to Sephora and buying stuff from Drunk Elephant and Glow Recipe. When I tried them, my skin didn’t react well,” Salish shares.

She noticed the same problem playing out in her comments and DMs—girls experimenting with products made for older skin, leaving them with breakouts, redness and irritation. “There wasn’t enough skincare that’s actually made for tweens and teens,” Salish recalls.

That realization sparked Sincerely Yours. Instead of relying on harsh retinols or acids, Salish focused on gentle, age-appropriate formulas with barrier-friendly ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid—without the additives that irritate younger skin.

Salish also made sure the line’s aesthetic matched her vibe. “Designing the packaging and figuring out all the colors and names was my favorite part of the process,” she says. “I wanted to create products that looked expensive without being expensive.” 

Clearly, the idea resonated: Salish didn’t even get to see her line IRL until well after it launched. “Everything sold out immediately. It wasn’t until two weeks later that I could finally go to Sephora and see the products in person,” she says.

But even with that level of hype, Salish keeps her own beauty philosophy low-key. She’s the first to admit her GRWM routine isn’t complicated, and her beauty bag is far from overflowing.

“I don’t wear much makeup at all,” she shares. “A little on camera, but I keep it light. And definitely not to school.” Tbh, in a world where product overconsumption and the pressure to look perfect can reign supreme, it’s a refreshingly honest take.

Staying Salish

With Sincerely Yours taking off, Salish is officially in her booked-and-busy era. Between her line’s upcoming launches (SY’s new Face to Face Time mask drops on March 28), tons more YouTube content (including vids with her bestie and fellow creator Nidal Wonder) and summer vacay (her fam’s headed to Lake Tahoe), she’s pumped for the jam-packed months ahead.

And as if her sched wasn’t stacked enough, Salish is also kicking off a huge new chapter: She and her dad just signed a partnership with Netflix that’ll bring their content to streaming. The upcoming projects include a mix of real-life and animated series, with the occasional celebrity guest. “It’ll be similar to our YouTube videos, but on a much bigger scale,” Salish hints. “I can’t wait to start filming!”

It’s a ton for anyone to juggle, especially when you’re also balancing homework and extracurrics (Salish plays soccer and runs track, too). What helps her manage it all is leaning on her friends for support and carving out moments to simply…be. “My best friend Payton and I will go on walks together and just talk about life,” she shares. “My love language is definitely quality time.”

But don’t be fooled. For Salish, the hustle is real—and simply part of her DNA, thanks in part to her years as a competitive gymnast. “Having to practice for four or five hours every day, even when I didn’t feel like it, taught me discipline.”

Gymnastics also taught her another important lesson—when to walk away. Salish recently made the tough decision to step back from the sport after realizing it no longer made her happy. “I can’t think of anything that’s harder on you mentally. It was creating so much extra stress in the back of my mind. I needed to make time for other things I wanted to pursue,” she says.

While she hasn’t decided yet if she’ll ever head back to the bars (even though her streak included winning a medal at the USA Gymnastics Regional Championship and mastering a roundoff + back handspring + 1.5 twist + front tuck…casual), Salish hopes other girls understand that it’s OK to change directions. “If you’ve been doing something and feel scared of disappointing yourself by letting it go, just know you’re not ‘quitting.’ You’re moving on.”

Because with millions of followers, a buzzy beauty brand and a slew of major projects on the way, Salish is determined to stay true to the girl she’s always been—authentic, honest and relatable. And if that mall crowd is any indication? A whole lot of girls see themselves in Salish, too.

Credits: Photographed by Mike Azria. Styled by Coco Emery. Hair by George Fragkioudakis. Makeup by Christopher Miles.