State of Inclusive Beauty

NEW YORK, United States — Debunking beauty myths feels more important than ever. We’re at what appears to be an unending trajectory of consumer comfort with trialing new experimental treatments and innovative cosmetic procedures. Yet not all products are created (or rather tested) equally.

On one end of the spectrum, consumers call out the established players to fix things by expanding product assortment to accommodate a broader range of skin tones and hair textures. On the other side, the consumer refrain has grown to spotlight existing brands already solving for a specific issue.

One example is Dr. Rose Ingleton, whose award-winning namesake brand has since sold out of its SuperFruit Brightening Cleanser at Sephora. In starting her brand, Ingleton remarked that she felt the clinical skincare category did not reflect the patient base at her dermatology practice. With her own line, tested on all skin tones, she could do just that.

Testing on diverse melanated skin tones adds a significant level of credibility to emerging players, who cannot rely on brand recognition or unlimited marketing dollars for visibility. While the change for inclusive testing may not be happening (at all or quickly enough) with the established brands, the landscape for consumer education has drastically blossomed due to social media experts, primarily on Tiktok, who spend hours explaining the science and efficacy behind popular products. In theory, you could find anyone on Tiktok with your skin tone to see how something may look, and conversely find out quite easily if a product was not designed with your tone in mind. These louder voices can help point eyeballs to lesser-known options.

Another example is five-year-old brand Klur, whose positioning is highly focused on the educational aspects of skincare under the banner of botanical care for optimal skin health. While the skin level results are an inherent part of the offer, driven by its esthetician-founder Lesley Thornton, the deeper health benefits and expanding awareness of inclusive remedies for diverse skin tones have become the raison d’etre for the brand.

Although still very early days, Beyonce’s haircare line Cecred launched out of the gate with a focus on its “extensive clinical, salon, and lab testing, ignoring industry norms and only working with global labs that prioritize inclusive testing” as noted in an email communication sent out post-launch. Inclusive testing will soon become the norm. While there will always be calls for the tables to make more space, the shift to spotlight new tables is one to watch closely.

Lead photo courtesy of Eadem / @eadem.co