Inclusivity has become somewhat of a buzzword in the beauty industry. With racial inequalities and unattainable ideals of beauty becoming more apparent, it’s time to address this issue head on.
There’s no denying it, the global Black Lives Matter movement has brought us closer together. We’re becoming more open about having conversations around social injustices across BIPOC communities. Speaking out on the topic has got us all looking into how we combat systematic racism.
In 2020, it is quite shocking to think: we live in a world where there have been murders of unarmed Black people and there are still poor representations of marginalised communities. But with these issues coming to light, there is only space for us to grow.
The beauty industry has been somewhat guilty of leaving out marginalised groups over the years. So it’s no surprise that over two-thirds (70%) of Black and Asian women feel the high street doesn’t cater to their beauty needs. Yet they have tremendous spending power, did you know that in the US Black women actually spend $573 million on personal care per year.
It’s often forgotten that beauty resembles our cultural history and it is a tool for self-expression that we use to feel good about ourselves. If any industry needs to make a change, it is ours. Whether we need to create product lines suitable for all races, ages and abilities or see where we can make institutional changes – all of these things have the power to spark real change. There are some great brands out there that promote inclusive values in all aspects of their brand. Here are some notable pioneers to take a look at from around the world: Live Tinted, Kohl Kreatives, Dizziak, Spktrm Beauty, Hanaha Beauty, Aarvani, Uoma Beauty and Champō Haircare.
The British Beauty Council recently released a report and it really put these issues at the forefront. It highlighted that we should look at society as a whole when creating products and inclusivity is not a trend. One quote that really stood out to me is:
To ensure it’s here to stay diversity needs to be at the heart of every business from the talent they hire to the products they provide.
With this in mind, there are positive changes taking place that bring everyone together. We need to remember inclusivity is not a trend, but a permanent change we all need to incorporate.
Written by lifestyle journalist & futurist @disha_daswaney
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