How The Beauty Industry Treats Black and Brown Skin

THE GIST:

A brief discussion of how society treats black and brown skin and how it’s reflected in the beauty industry.

LET’S DISCUSS…

Brighteners, lighteners, and whiteners, oh my! And we can’t forget about the current skin bleaching trends plaguing various African, Asian and Carribean countries today. Historically speaking, black and brown skin has never been deemed as attractive or desirable. It has been unwelcome in every corner of the world and even blatantly rejected and mocked by our own.

We’ve seen the lightening of our favorite black celebs whenever they grace the front cover of prominent white magazines, it’s happened to the greats like Tyra Banks, Beyonce, Rihanna, Ciara and other heavy hitters in the music, fashion, and beauty industry. We’ve witnessed the blatant exclusion of darker tone foundation makeup options by retailers until the phenomenon of Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brand in 2017. But even now in 2020, other brands are still slow to follow suit. The option to purchase darker hues of foundation from established makeup brands still sometimes requires a special request and the order to be delivered to the customer’s home. Brands have either blamed retailers for their lack of space to properly display the complete line of foundation colors or have pointed to the lack of consumer data that black and brown-skinned people are demanding more inclusive makeup options. However, on the flip side, research shows that skin bleaching and lightening creams sold worldwide are projected to reach $31.2 billion by the year 2024, interesting right? 

Created by Giphy

CHRONIC OVERSIGHT OR INHERENT RACISM?:

When I first came up with the idea for NWÄR Skin, Inc. and began to do my research on product ingredients, I quickly found that many brands offered pigment suppressing materials like hydroquinone in everything from cleansers to moisturizers. Rather than using ingredients to encourage cell turnover and regeneration (the safest way to reduce skin discoloration) in order to ultimately produce an even complexion, these harmful chemicals were meant to completely bleach the skin creating an overall lighter appearance. These products were not meant to enhance the health and beauty of black skin but instead pushed the “white is right” agenda without the user even knowing it.

Even when it came down to finding a reputable manufacturer with chemists who had clinical trials and experience in crafting skincare products for melanated skin, I was met with very few options. Most companies simply did not have the clinical data to support their claims of ingredient effectiveness for darker skin or lacked the professional personnel, like chemists and dermatologists with experience in working with darker tones altogether. But after a few months of searching, I got lucky and hit the trifecta! I found a reputable lab with the experience and clinical data I needed to craft my products. It wasn’t easy and honestly should not have been as difficult to find but it goes to show that the beauty industry as a whole has been excluding black and brown skin from the top down.

The brands, manufacturers, labs, and retailers have all failed black beauty consumers for years. It’s quite frustrating but it has created an opening in the beauty industry for entrepreneurs who look like me to fill the void. 

Photo Credit: Carlos Vaz

THE SOLUTION:

While I may not have all the answers as to why black and brown skin has been and is currently being overlooked in the beauty industry, or the root cause of colorism and racism as a whole, I am a firm believer in self-sufficiency and healing. With NWÄR Skin, Inc. it is my intention to create a brand that welcomes black skin as the primary priority and not an afterthought. To provide quality ingredients, education, and tools aimed at helping foster long term healthy skin. It’s my hope that within the next 50 years, the world sees, appreciates, and accepts black and brown-skinned folk as beautiful in our natural state.

Has the society treated you differently based on your skin complexion? Or have you ever felt excluded or marginalized? Tell me about your experience in the comments section below.