How the beauty and cosmetics industry are adapting to be more diverse and inclusive—and how they’re still falling short
When you look at beauty products on store shelves—or at the marketing campaigns that advertise those products—what kind of impression do you get about the target consumer? It’s a question that has been a force of change in the beauty industry over the past few years as brands make efforts to reflect greater diversity and inclusion. The idea of looking your best (and in turn, feeling your best) doesn’t belong exclusively to one demographic. It’s something that can and should appeal to people of all races, ethnicities, sizes, and ages.
Got questions about the rising trend of inclusive beauty? Here’s what you should know:
What do people mean by a lack of inclusion in the beauty industry? The cosmetics industry is big. According to the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, the industry does about $330 billion in sales globally. Between its line of product offerings and its marketing, the industry has a huge influence over social perceptions of what it means to be beautiful. But according to Gitnux’s market research data released in December 2023, about 70 percent of Black women feel underserved by the beauty industry. They may have trouble finding makeup that matches their skin tone or hair care products that suit their hair texture.
Have brands been striving to change that? In recent years, some beauty brands have made efforts to be more inclusive. Momentum started in summer 2020 when Sharon Chuter, CEO of Uoma Beauty, started the Pull Up or Shut Up movement on social media, calling on cosmetic brands to back up their pledges to diversity by being transparent about how many Black employees they had on their team and in leadership roles. Some brands responded to her call to action: Ulta Beauty stated 47 percent of its employees were people of color, and that 18 percent of its board and 13 percent of its executive team leaders were people of color. Sephora stated that 14 percent of its employees and 6 percent of its leadership was Black. Since participating in Pull Up or Shut Up, both Ulta Beauty and Sephora have pledged 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.
What kind of microaggressions can occur when brands lack diverse leadership? This past spring saw a scandal for the cosmetics brand Youthforia, which rose to prominence after appearing on the show Shark Tank and receiving a $400,000 investment. But as of August 2023, it only made 15 shades of foundation, the darkest of which was suited for a lightish-brown complexion. In response to consumer criticism, Youthforia released 10 darker shades this spring to suit Black and brown skin tones. The problem? The darkest of the foundations wasn’t suited to a Black skin tone—it was true black, with no undertones. When mixed with lighter shades of foundation, it turned gray. Criticism quickly highlighted how this product launch felt insulting to Black women with dark complexions—a consumer demographic that is already underrepresented by what products are available to them—and shattered trust with Youthforia’s customer base.
Should we expect to see more changes? Although progress has been slow, it’s likely more beauty brands will continue to make efforts toward diversity. More than half of Generation Z consumers, regardless of their race or ethnicity, want to support businesses that demonstrate this kind of social consciousness. In fact, according to a 2023 survey by market researcher Savanta, 30 percent of all Americans across all generations won’t buy from a brand that isn’t committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Adding more products is also simply good for business: By providing more product options, these brands have an opportunity to reach more customers. NielsenIQ found that Black consumer spending on beauty products rose on average from $478 per household in 2022 to $523 per household in 2023.
Is diversity just about skin tone and hair texture, or will we see progress in other areas? The beauty and cosmetics industry will likely make other strides as well. Skin care brands like Clinique and Neutrogena have moved away from marketing terms like “anti-aging,” while others have become more transparent about their ingredients to better accommodate people with allergies. All of these efforts contribute to creating an industry where all people can feel beautiful, inclusive of all ethnicities, races, skin tones, body types, conditions, and ages.
