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Skincare isn’t typically made with people of color in mind. Product lines are often not clinically tested on black skin tones, but black chemists may not be part of the creation process. A new crop of beauty entrepreneurs are planning to change that, taking skin care specifically with melanin-rich skin in mind and taking advantage of an uncharted opportunity.
This summer, tennis star Naomi Osaka launched Kinlo, a skin care brand that focuses on providing sun-protective skin care products for darker skin tones.
She said she never liked wearing sunscreen growing up because of the white cast Osaka gave her. “I heard black skin doesn’t burn,” Osaka said. So I didn’t think I needed sunscreen,” Osaka said. “I got my first sunburn and learned the hard way, and it was a lot of research when I started developing Kinlo.”
For Osaka, the brand is a celebration of her blackness. She is Afro-Asian, of Japanese and Haitian descent. “Kinlo is an affirmation of our blackness and a celebration of our melanated skin. It is a way of honoring and protecting him,” she said. The product has hit eight figures in sales since its launch and has expanded to Walmart stores across the US.
A report published earlier this year by the consultancy McKinsey & Company, entitled Black Representation in the Black Beauty Industry, found that only 13 percent of black consumers in the US can find beauty products in major retailers that meet their needs. Meanwhile, black-founded or black-owned brands account for just 2.5 percent of beauty revenue, while black consumers are responsible for 11.1 percent of total beauty spending, according to McKinsey. There’s money on the table: A “more equitable beauty market” is a $2.6 billion opportunity, according to the report.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of data on black consumers,” said Tiffany Burns, co-author of the study and senior partner at McKinsey. “It’s a group of consumers that people don’t really understand. Most retailers do segmentation based on gender and age. There aren’t a lot of segments based on race.”
A stronger retail presence is helping new brands emerge. Hyperskin founder Desiree Verdejo won a spot on Sephora shelves last August. A deal with a major retailer is a significant boost for the brand, she says. “We are excited to grow with this partner and make our brand more and more accessible to our community,” said Verdejo.
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