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- Skincare Brands That Cater For Melanin-Rich Skin
Skincare Brands That Cater For Melanin-Rich Skin
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The number of skincare brands created for people of colour is severely lacking. In order to right this wrong, tennis star Naomi Osaka is launching her very own skincare brand designed for melanin-rich skin. The brand is called KINLÒ, which is a mashup of the Japanese word “kin” and the Haitian Creole word ‘”ló” and both mean “gold”.
“I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be launching KINLÒ, a new brand of skincare products developed to protect and rejuvenate melanated skin tones,” Osaka wrote on Instagram. “I hope these products can help a lot of people and potentially save lives because I really feel that we aren’t protecting ourselves as much as we could.”
In an interview with Business of Fashion, Osaka said she hopes to bring more awareness to the lack of sun protection products created for people of colour. “For me, this project is something that requires more than just being a spokesperson. This is a public health need,” Osaka told BoF. “I used to tell people that I didn’t need to wear sunscreen — but even if you have melanin, you need to take care of your skin, and I am passionate about that.”
While you’ll have to wait until later in the year for KINLÒ to launch, there are a few other brands that cater specifically for melanin rich skin:
Instagram @eparaskincare
Epara
Epara, which means “to cocoon oneself” in the Nigerian dialect of Ebira, was created by entrepreneur Ozohu Adoh. These handcrafted products are designed to serve the needs of women of colour. The website reads: “One woman’s quest to discover luxury skincare that caters to the unique issues affecting women of colour led to a bespoke beauty brand created especially to nourish and protect.” While Epara is based in the UK, it does offer shipping to Australia.
Instagram @blackgirlsunscreen
Black Girl Sunscreen
Created in 2016 by Shontay Lundy, Black Girl Sunscreen caters to melanin women who are often neglected in the world of skincare and sun protective products. Formulated with natural ingredients, Black Girl Sunscreen products protect your skin from the sun while also doubling as a moisturising lotion.
Instagram @456skin
4.5.6 Melanin Skincare
Founded in France, 4.5.6 Melanin Skincare is dedicated to finding the most innovative skincare solutions for people of colour while also closing the skincare-race gap. “At 4.5.6, we understand those needs and use melanin driven skincare science to innovate and create the most effective skincare products,” reads the 4.5.6 website. “We embrace diversity by ensuring that your skincare is personalised just for you.”
4.5.6 currently only ships to the EU, US and Canada but you can get your hands on products via the Australia Post ShopMate service. Basically, you sign up to ShopMate and you’re given a ShopMate U.S address, which you pop in as the delivery address on your order. Then, your order will be delivered to the U.S warehouse and processed before being sent on to you in Australia.
Instagram @officialmelyon
Melyon
A Swedish skincare brand founded in 2020 by Roger Dupé, Melyon is made with people of colour in mind, specifically focusing on the issues those with darker skin tones experience. “By telling authentic stories through a line of skincare developed for people who deviate from today’s norms, Melyon aims to contribute to more progressive beauty standards; and in the long run work for a society where beauty is perceived through diversity,” reads the Melyon website.
