Beauty & Diversity 2024: Brands & Product Trends - Part 2
This two-part report will help beauty and wellness brands understand how to develop products for diverse audiences and create more inclusive marketing and social campaigns.
In part 2 of this series, we take a look at some of the key emerging trends and highlight the top beauty and wellness brands to watch that are innovating in this space.
This report is part of the diversity and inclusivity in the beauty industry series, which includes the following:
- Beauty & Diversity 2024: market & consumer insights - part 1 - HERE
- Beauty & Diversity 2024: brands & product trends - part 2 - HERE
- Accessible Beauty: the new priority in inclusivity - HERE
- Age-Inclusive Beauty - in progress
Melanin skincare
A naturally occurring pigment, melanin is the determining factor in skin colour. Skin tones differ based on melanin density within skin cells. The more melanin you produce, the darker your eyes, hair and skin tone.
Melanin-rich skin has completely different skincare needs than Caucasian skin.
It is said that Caucasian skin has 16 layers in the outermost layer whereas Black skin has 20 layers – which means that skin cell shedding occurs 2.5 times more in darker skin tones.
In an article in Refinery29, Kiran Mian, DO, FAAD, a medical and aesthetic dermatologist said: “ Darker skin tones tend to have less ceramides in their skin, making their skin more prone to dryness…Those with darker skin are also more prone to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation because of their increased melanosomal activity, and therefore should be more careful when using caustic or irritating skin-care ingredients.”
A roster of new beauty brands have emerged on the market that offer skincare products for melanin-rich skin.
Hyperskin
A clinical skincare brand with products designed with hyperpigmentation in mind.
The collection includes: Hyper Even Brightening Dark Spot Vitamin C serum, a face serum packed with ingredients such as vitamin C, bearberry, licorice, kojic acid, turmeric and salicylic acid to help brighten dark marks, age spots and acne scars and prevent breakouts; Hyper Even Gentle Brightening Cleansing Gel, a facial wash with mandelic acid to regulate oil production, reduce breakouts, unclog pores and brighten skin; Hyper Even Fade and Glow AHA Mask, a face mask with glycolic acid and mandelic acid to brighten skin and decongest pores as well as niacinamide and bearberry to fade dark spots.
Founded: 2019 | Founder: Desiree Verdejo | Country of origin: US
Eadem
Eadem, which means ‘all’ or ‘the same’ in Latin, is a skincare line that caters specifically towards skin rich in melanin.
The product line, which features three products: Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum, Cloud Cushion Airy Brightening Moisturizer and Dew Dream Hydrating Cleansing Balm, are all powered with Smart Melanin Technology which ensures every ingredient is used at the right dosage to target dark spots.
Founded: 2020 | Co-founders: Marie Kouadio Amouzame & Alice Lin Glover | Country of origin: US
Mele
Unilever-owned science-led skincare brand Mele offers products for melanin-rich skin that’s prone to hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone.
Co-created with dermatologists of colour, Unilever scientists and the melanin rich community, the range includes Gentle Hydrating Cleansing Gel, Even Tone Post Cleanse Tonic, Even Dark Spot Control Serum, Smooth Pore Minimizing Serum, Dew The Most Sheer Moisturizer SPF30, Plump It Up Nourishing Cream and No Shade Sunscreen Oil SPF30 Broad Spectrum.
The brand also offers a skin diagnostic test on its website to help consumers learn more about their skin.
Founded: 2020 | Co-Founders: Sarah Irby (brand director for Unilever North America) & Esi Eggleston-Bracey (COO beauty & personal care for Unilever North America) | Country of origin: US
S’Able Labs
Founded by celebrity couple Idris and Sabrina Elba, S’Able Labs is a melanin inclusive skincare brand designed for “All Hue-mans”.
The product line, which includes Qasil Cleanser, Black Seed Toner, Baobab Moisturiser, Qasil Exfoliating Mask and Rooibos Micellar Water, are all formulated with African botanicals backed by modern science and a patented Hyperprevent technology, which helps to break down and inhibit melanin growth and overproduction.
Founded: 2020 | Co-founders: Idris & Sabrina Elba | Country of origin: UK/US
Mela Vitamins
Mela Vitamins creates custom formulated supplements for people of colour.
With the mission to provide “wellness for melanated bodies”, the company has developed the first multivitamin for melanated women. Daily Essentials for Women is a multivitamin that features science-backed ingredients including probiotics and adaptogens.
Founded: 2020 | Founder: Ashley Harmon | Country of origin: US
Sunscreens for darker skin tones
People with darker skin tones have often been left out of the SPF conversation and there has been lack of Black representation in sunscreen and skin cancer awareness campaigns in the past.
According to a 2021 review, dark-skinned individuals can experience sun-induced effects to their skin such as burning and peeling. Furthermore, The American Cancer Society highlighted that the risk of getting melanoma, a potentially fatal type of skin cancer, is 0.1% 1 in 1,000) for Black people and 0.5% (1 in 200) for Hispanic people.
Historically, suncare formulas have been made to cater towards fairer skin tones with sunscreens often leaving a white cast on darker skin.
Mintel found that more than four in five (84%) of Black sunscreen users said there are not enough choices on the market for their particular skin tone.
As the beauty sector embraces greater diversity, a wave of brands are creating new and more inclusive SPF products to cater for darker skin with invisible and lightweight formulations.
EleVen by Venus Williams
Professional tennis player Venus Williams collaborated with Credo Beauty to launch an SPF suncare line.
Formulated for all skin tones, the line comprises three products: Unrivaled Sun Serum SPF40, Game Set Match Body Lotion SPF50 and Ace The Day Face Lotion SPF30.
Founded: 2020 | Founder: Venus Williams | Country of origin: US
Kinlo
Kinlo, founded by tennis player Naomi Osaka, offers skin and suncare products for melanated skin, developed by dermatologists of colour.
The line features five products: Golden Rays Sunscreen SPF50+, Always Golden Body Lotion SPF30, Always Golden Daily Moisturizer SPF40, Sunscreen Stick SPF30, and Cooling Body Gel Moisturizer.
Founded: 2021 | Founder: Naomi Osaka | Country of origin: US
Black Girl Sunscreen
Made for people with melanated skin, Black Girl Sunscreen protects darker skin without leaving a white cast.
The sunscreens are designed to be moisturising and help to fight sun damage, hyperpigmentation and fine lines. The line includes: Black Girl Sunscreen SPF30, Make It Hybrid SPF50 Sunscreen, Make It Pop Sungloss Lip Gloss with SPF, Make It Matte SPF45 Sunscreen, and Make It Glow SPF30.
Founded: 2016 | Founder: Shontay Lundy | Country of origin: US
Textured hair
Type 4 curls
In ‘The Texture Gap White Paper 2023’ by Carra Labs, which looks at the challenges and pain points faced by consumers with Type 4 hair, the report highlighted that the Black and Afro-textured haircare market is expected to reach $15 billion globally by 2033. However, 95% Black women are dissatisfied with the current product options available on the market and would consider switching from their current brand, according to a Mintel report.
The Texture Gap report found that social conversations around type 4 hair are eight times more discussed than any other hair texture. The report also highlighted that dryness, slow growth and breakage are the top concerns for people with type 4 hair texture.
“Textured hair care brands are still lacking innovation especially for consumers with the tightest patterns. Most attempts to better service this consumer have overlooked the innate nuances of textured hair altogether. There is one hair type that still remains wildly under-researched and under-served, and that’s Type 4, the most fragile of textured hair types.” - The Texture Gap: A White Paper by Carra Labs
To counteract the lack of textured hair training being offered, new collaborations as well as new regulations have emerged in the past few years.
Since 2020, Aveda Arts & Sciences Institutes has made textured hair care education mandatory in its cosmetology schools. In November 2021, Louisiana became the first state to include textured hair questions in its cosmetology board’s license requirement.
Back in June 2021, a new regulation came into force that made it compulsory for all hairdressers across the UK to learn to cut and style afro and textured hair as part of their training. The new version of the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for hairdressing was approved by the government.
More recently, New York City become the latest state in the US to pass a law that requires all cosmetology schools to include education about styling and cutting textured hair in their curriculum.
In 2022, TRESemme partnered with textured hair expert and educator Diane Da Costa of SimpleeBEAUTIFUL CurlyTextured Academy to launch a Texture Certification Programme in the US to offer training and certification to hair stylists in treating, cutting and styling textured hair.
85% of Black gamers said that video games poorly represent textured hair, while 74% of game developers said they want better representation of textured hair in video games - Unilever-owned brand’s research.
Beauty brand Dove launched an ‘industry-first’ coding guide to provide better representation of textured hairstyles in video games. Created in collaboration with the Open Source Afro Hair Library, Code My Crown offers instructions for coders and developers to develop more inclusive Black hairstyles in the virtual gaming realm.
Different curl patterns
People with textured hair tend to have more than one type of pattern and curls can come in different shapes and sizes.
There are three types of textures: type 2 is wavy, type 3 is curly and type 4 is coily. There are also sub-classification that range from A to C, which corresponds to the width or pattern of the wave, curl or coil.
Type A tends to have a wider pattern size, type B medium, and type C the tightest. There are nine different hair texture combinations: 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B and 4C.
T.H.O.M
T.H.O.M (an acronym for ‘This Hair Of Mine’) is a luxury brand for curly or Afro hair that focuses on ‘routine-reinventing texture-first hair care essentials’.
The line debuted with just one product - the Scalp Serum, a 3-in-1 scalp treatment that offers nourishing, moisturising and repairing benefits for promoting healthy scalp and hair.
Founded: 2022 | Co-founders: Cyndia Harvey & Remi Ajani | Country of origin: UK
The Steam Bar
New premium hair care brand designed for people of colour with a focus on ‘skincare for the scalp’.
The products, which are stocked in UK department store Selfridges, are packed with high-quality skincare actives that promote hair and scalp health and are based on the concept of hair steaming.
There are four products: The Scalp Saviour Mask, Scalp Shampoo, Super Conditioner, and The Scalp Serum as well as hair accessories including The Steaming Cap and The Satin Bonnet.
Founded: 2019 | Founder: Judy Koloko | Country of origin: UK
Wavy
Wavy is a new male grooming brand that caters for men with wavy or curly hair.
The debut product, Everyday Curl Creme, is designed to define and enhance natural texture and features essential oils and a lemon, pepper, clary and geranium scent.
Founded: 2023 | Founders: brothers Eyal & Ariel Booker | Country of origin: UK
Olaitann Skincare
Olaitann offers a range of skincare products for men with afro and curly hair and targets specific skincare issues to “enhance natural radiance” and soothe sensitivity such as razor bumps after shaving. The range features four products: Softening Shaving Cream, Healing After Shave & Daily Face Cream, Purifying Face Wash and a Double Edge Safety Razor.
Founded: 2020 | Founder: Laurent Antoine Faboumy (CEO) | Country of origin: UK
Bespoke beauty
Carra
An AI-driven hair care personalisation platform that analyses data on individual hair types, textures and specific needs to offer tailored product recommendations and hair care routines.
Founder: Winnie Awa | Country of origin: UK
OurX
OurX is a customised platform for textured hair.
The Black-female-owned company is on a mission to provide personalised programmes via an online questionnaire to offer daily care plans for total hair and scalp wellness.
Founder: Ceci Kurzman | Country of origin: US
Men-clusive product lines
Men of colour have often been overlooked in the beauty sector with a lack of products to cater for those with melanin-rich skin.
But, now a slew of brands have entered the market with sophisticated and science-backed formulas designed to address skin issues faced by men of colour.
Ceylon Skincare
Created specifically to address common skin issues faced by men of colour, Ceylon was born from founder Patrick Boateng’s own struggles with skin problems he faced and the lack of products for melanated skin.
The products have been designed with science in mind with formulations crafted in collaboration with Dr. Lynn McKinley-Grant to ensure it addresses skin of colour safely and effectively.
The line includes skin and body care including a Razor Bump Gel, Body Wash, Body Moisturizer, Facial Moisturizer, Acid Cleanser, Facial Toner and Facial Wash.
Founded: 2020 | Founder: Patrick Boateng | Country of origin: US
TMPL Skincare
TMPL offers a line of science-back products to address skin concerns faced by men of colour.
Described as “selfcare for the mandem”, the three piece collection features a Hydrating Face Moisturiser, Gentle Face Cleanser and Purifying Face Toner, made with natural ingredients.
Founded: 2021 | Co-founders: Raphael Babalola & Adam Hutchinson | Country of origin: UK
1833 Skin
1833 Skin focuses on a simple skincare line for men with melanin-rich skin.
The product range includes a Purifying Face Wash, Nourishing Beard & Skin Oil, Deep Cleansing Facial Scrub, and Skin Boosting Moisturiser, all made with plant-based ingredients.
Founded: 2020 | Country of origin: UK
The M-consumer: halal beauty
24% of the world’s population identify themselves as Muslims. There are around 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide. Indonesia is the country with the highest Muslim population.
Muslims now account for one-fourth of the world's population and are rapidly investing in the halal cosmetics market.
The global halal cosmetics market was valued at $30.6m in 2020, and is projected to reach $144.9m by 2031 - Allied Market Research
In Wunderman Thompson’s The New Muslim Consumer report, 91% of Muslims say their number-one priority when purchasing a product is that it is halal. This comes ahead of value for money (68%), quality (61%), and sustainability (48%).
However, consumers want to see more halal friendly products as 86% of UK Muslim women say they feel ignored by brands.
A key beauty category is Hijabi hair care. There are opportunities for brands to create products specifically for women who wear a hijab.
A 2020 study in Jakarta found that 59% of hijab-wearing women suffer from an itchy scalp, 56% from dandruff and 6% hair loss.
According to Fortune Business Insights, the global halal cosmetics market was valued at $37.62 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $92.55 billion by 2030.
Tuesday in Love
Tuesday in Love offers a range of Halal Certified water permeable nail polishes and cosmetics. The products are Halal Certified by ISNA Canada and the Halal Certification Services of Canada (HCSC).
Nail colours come in a variety of colours and feature a revolutionary micro-pore technology that allows water molecules to penetrate through the semipermeable colour membrane. Proceeds from every purchase is donated to Islamic Relief Canada to help underprivileged children and their families.
Founded: 2014 | Founder: Umar Dar, MD | Country of origin: Canada
Flora & Noor
Halal skincare brand Flora & Noor offers a line of high performance and accessible products designed to “treat skin concerns of melanin rich skin and those with chronic skin conditions” like eczema and hyperpigmentation.
The Halal skincare and bodycare line includes cleansers, toners, serums, moisturisers, and masks as well as a body butter and body scrub.
Founded: 2020 | Founder: Jordan Karim | Country of origin: US
Key Takeaways
- Melanin-rich skincare is a category that will grow bigger as beauty consumers seek more specific products to treat concerns such as hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
- As more people prioritise health and wellbeing, supplements developed specifically for people of colour is a new category in the wellness space. Look to brands like Mela Vitamin that offers a multivitamin for “melanated women”.
- Offer a wider and more inclusive choice of sunscreen products for melanated skin. Ensure SPF products offer high protection with invisible colour so that it doesn't leave a white cast on the skin. Make sure you test all new products on every skin including darker tones.
- Black consumers are dissatisfied with current product options for textured and Afro hair. There is huge opportunity to develop new product innovations tailored for type 4 curls. Hair loss and scalp care will also be a key area of interest as hair health becomes more important. Look to brands like The Steam Bar.
- AI-driven beauty platforms are emerging that offer bespoke solutions for different hair concerns and textures for Black consumers. Personalisation will become even more important in the future as it enables greater inclusivity.
- A new category sees beauty brands developing dedicated skincare lines for men of colour. Ceylon Skincare and TMPL Skincare both stress the importance of science-backed formulas to appeal to the sophisticated male consumer who are more interested in active ingredients.
- With 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, there’s a big opportunity for beauty brands to target this consumer cohort with more dedicated lines. A key beauty category is Hijabi hair care and peel-off nail polishes.
