Everyone has been buying Eadem lip-glosses. The silver tubes with a metallic lip applicator have taken hold of more than the makeup lovers but have been gushed about by the skincare lovers too.
Eadem is a female–owned skincare business founded by Marie Kouadio Amouzame and Alice Lin Glover.
Amouzame is French–Ivorian and Glover is Taiwanese–American, making Eadem a skincare brand run by two women of color. Besides the chic silver lip-glosses and the colorfully saturated aesthetic, testimonies all over Tik Tok share how the formula behind Eadem’s line focuses on melaninated skin tones.
Besides Eadem being known for forging together science and diversity, other popular brands like Topicals and Hyper! Skin do the same thing.
Even Vogue Business has recognized a trend with more skincare brands marketing for people of color in an article called ‘Beauty’s Next Big Opportunity: Melanin Rich Skincare’. So why has there suddenly been a jump in skincare brands focusing on diversity? I think it’s because of two things:
- Consumers are caring more about the science of their skin, and more brands are marketing the science as consumers become educated.
- The health of people of color has been overlooked, and that includes skin too.
Acne, hyperpigmentation and breaking out are stressful experiences. It’s a pain when you’re in middle school, and it’s a struggle in high school and college to not only learn about skincare, but to learn more about your own skin.
When it comes to learning about your body, self-worth, and confidence, in my opinion it feels like we’ve forgotten that skincare is not only a vulnerable process, but a rite of passage.
I’ve notice that even when every marketing page or Netflix original movie talks about taking care of your skin, people of color are often forgotten in the conversation. That doesn’t mean that they’re necessarily fully left out of it, but that there’s a lack of focus on the science of melanated skin.
In the same way that people may be genetically more likely to have eczema or acne, melanated skin is more susceptible to hyperpigmentation, oily/dry skin and sensitivity. According to Harvard Health Publishing, melanated skin is more likely to get dark spots and scars because of an inflammatory response.
Harvard also mentions that even without acne, melanated skin is more prone to ingrown hairs that scar the skin.
With the use of science to back skincare formulations, I feel like there’s only two things left to think about: Who the product is for and who is making it. Eadem, Topicals and Hyper Skin, are all brands that specialize in hyperpigmentation and scar treatment while also providing soothing and moisturizing products.
I think besides the science and information–backed marketing, what really makes us buy the Topicals Lip Salve for the third time or use Eadem’s Mami Wata is the story behind it: These are women of color who used products that weren’t inclusive, so instead chose to create their own.
The owner of Topicals, Olamide Olowe, has invested in both the science and mental health that is connected to treating melanated skin. The Topicals Social Impact page highlights that 50% of dermatologists are untrained in treating melanated skin, and that chronic skin conditions are often connected to mental health.
Seeing Sudanese, Sri Lankan and Filipino models be featured on Eadem’s page makes a mark. Reading about how Hyper Skin’s Desiree Verdejo struggled with dark spots makes a difference. In my opinion, when skincare becomes multicultural and people–based, the rite of passage to learning about skincare and getting to know your own skin becomes a lot easier.
Put your Topicals eyepatches on and smear on your Eadem lip gloss, because skincare that treats all skin is here to stay.