Skin of color consumers make up 70% of the global population, but you’d never know it walking down cosmetic aisles. For too long, Black women and men have had to make do with skin care and cosmetic formulas designed for white skin, and use hair care products aimed those with naturally straight hair.
 
During the past year, the world in general, and the US in particular, has been awakened to the harsh realities faced by Black people. In its own way, the New York Chapter of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) is doing its part to raise awareness. NYSCC Chair Susanna Fernandes welcomed attendees to the first Chapter webinar of 2020—Formulating for Inclusion, which was sponsored by Jarchem and Caribbean Natural Products.
 
“Our theme for 2021 is Embracing Beauty: What makes us different, makes us beautiful,” explained Fernandes. 
 
Session Moderator Sonia Dawson, IOI Oleo, explained that her mission is to champion inclusive conversation to spur conscious action in business. She noted that yesterday’s webinar, February 17, would have been Poet Audre Lorde’s 87th birthday. In recognition, Dawson offered a fitting Lorde quote: “Without community, there is no liberation.”
 
“How can our beauty and personal care community create products that make a difference for consumers of African ancestry?” she asked.
 
Stephanie Biagini of Mana Products noted that consumers want to see products that are designed for them. Inclusion increases engagement, improves brand longevity and boosts buy-in to the personal care industry.
 
“Formulating for inclusion is everything, whether it is for hair or skin,” she insisted.
 
Hannah Diop, founder of Sienna Naturals, said she created her company because as a child she grew up in a family that ate organic food and considered wellness in every aspect of their lives. But when her mother purchased natural personal care products from natural food stores, she came home with conditioners that couldn’t detangle her daughter’s hair and shampoos that made her hair brittle. After her sister had a baby and wanted to use natural personal care formulas, she couldn’t find any, so Diop created Sienna Naturals, a line of products that work for those with textured hair. 
 
Skin of Color Society President Dr. Lynn McKinley-Grant explained that as a dermatologist, she sees patients from all over the world, including a large number of people of color. 
 
“Their problems are usually around pigment, dryness and irritation,” said McKinley-Grant. “Some of the myths about Black and Brown skin is that it is tougher than less pigmented skin.”
 
She noted that skin of color is extremely sensitive to chemicals and trauma. Even acne leaves dark spots that McKinley-Grant said upsets her patients more than the acne itself. Proper UV protection is also critical for skin of color. 
 
“Black skin burns,” she asserted. “A lot of people mistakenly think that melanin protects them from the sun.”
 
Andrew Miller of BASF said inclusion is no longer a need, it has become a must—and not just in beauty, but in every category. Furthermore, companies and their suppliers must embrace all colors, body sizes and sexual identities.
 
“We all need to understand the needs of diverse consumers so that we can meet the demands of all people,” he explained.
 
According to BASF’s Meg Mullen, her company has three reasons for embracing inclusivity:
• Customers demand it. Product lines are becoming more expansive and there is a market need.
• Customers can’t do all the scientific research themselves. BASF and other suppliers have a role to play. For example, BASF recently surveyed 200 Black consumers in the US and learned some amazing things.
• Finally, it’s just the right thing to do.
 
 
Wellness and Hair
 
According to Diop, 80% of Black women say they feel pressure to alter their hair to get ahead—one of the reasons why the CROWN Act got its start. (CROWN is an acronym for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.) The law prohibits race-based hair discrimination, which is the denial of employment and educational opportunities because of hair texture or protective hairstyles including braids, locs, twists or bantu knots. Introduced in 2019, the CROWN Act is the law in seven states. To get involved, visit www.thecrownact.com.
 
“We put our hair and scalp under a lot of stress, and styling is a cause of alopecia in Black women,” explained Diop. 
 
Sienna Natural formulas are designed to improve hair and scalp health. Consumers are encouraged to take an online quiz to better understand their hair care needs and ultimately achieve a healthy scalp and hair.
 
According to McKinley-Grant, children who style their hair in tight braids often end up as adults with hair loss.
 
“The wellness aspect of hair care should start early,” she said, adding that the Skin of Color Society has both the tools and the medical students to conduct research for suppliers and marketers so they may better understand the skin and hair care needs of people of color. For more understanding, McKinley-Grant also recommended reading DermaMyth: Breaking the Cycle of Skincare Myths by Dr. Chesanna Kindred.
 
“Sometimes it is very hard to find companies doing this research,” agreed Biagini. “Many Black-owned businesses and startups don’t have the resources to do this kind of research.”
 
Biagini said creating color cosmetics collections offers its own set of issues.
 
“We see the research on hair and skin and that’s great, but we need more research on color,” she said.
 
In the past, chemists relied on titanium dioxide to build coverage, but it is very whitening and adds a gray tint to skin. Instead, formulators are experimenting with greens, blues and yellows, but there is more work to be done to create more a inclusive color palette. And it's more proof that inclusion at every level makes products and society better.