Why Inclusive Beauty Brands Matter Now More Than Ever
Inclusivity is decidedly not out of fashion. In fact, it has been one of the biggest game changers in the beauty industry — reshaping a historically narrow standard of beauty into a more representative, accessible and culturally responsive marketplace.
The conversation about inclusive beauty brands began as a push for broader shade ranges in makeup choices for diverse skin tones. Today, it’s a movement beyond cultural diversity to include gender, age, ability and body type.
Here are four key reasons why inclusive beauty matters:
It’s the right thing to do.
First and foremost, addressing systemic inequalities in the beauty industry is an ethical responsibility.
The market demands it.
Savanta’s 2023 DEI report found that 31% of U.S. shoppers would “not buy from a brand that is not committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.” According to a 2023 Mintel report, 38% of Gen Z beauty consumers are interested in gender-inclusive products.
It creates a competitive advantage.
Brands that embrace inclusivity are not only driving social impact but also seeing strong financial returns and customer loyalty. Fenty Beauty by Rihanna set the standard for inclusivity and disrupted the market with their 40-plus shade foundation range (now expanded to 50), achieving $100M in sales within 40 days of launch in 2017. It’s smart, equitable decisions like these that helped Rihanna become, at the age of 34, the youngest billionaire on the planet.
It drives innovation.
A key shift in inclusive beauty focuses on product innovation for underrepresented needs. Examples: melanin-safe SPF (Black Girl Sunscreen), makeup for mature skin (BOOM! by Cindy Joseph), and adaptive beauty tools for people with disabilities (Guide Beauty, co-founded by a makeup artist with Parkinson’s disease).
Creating Genuine Beauty Standards
Consumers want a genuine connection with their beauty brands, and they do their research on brands before purchasing.
I attended an event on Latinas in beauty hosted at amika, a haircare brand known for its “all hair is welcome” tagline and its unique collections for different hair types, textures and styles. The company hosts events throughout the year and invites community organizations, beauty experts, employees and anyone who wants to engage with the brand.
Inclusive marketing campaigns connect with consumers on such a personal level. But it goes beyond showing diverse models in advertisements. Consumers crave an authentic relationship that encompasses all aspects of the brand, such as partnerships and company culture.
Here are some examples of other brands that are doing it right.
Rare Beauty
As a brand, Rare Beauty emphasizes and supports mental health and accessibility. Their launch in 2020 included the Made Accessible Initiative focused on research for accessible products and packaging design.
The Lip Bar
A Black-owned and -founded vegan and inclusive makeup and skincare brand, The Lip Bar is sold in over 1,000 Target stores nationwide.
Sephora
Sephora was the first major retailer to publicly commit to the Fifteen Percent Pledge, an initiative for companies to commit to audit their inventory, diversify supply chains and dedicate 15% of shelf space to Black-owned beauty brands.
Still More to Do
While other retailers — including ULTA Beauty — have joined the Fifteen Percent Pledge movement, transparency around progress has been limited. Few retailers have publicly shared data on their advancements, and many have only partially met the pledge, achieving the 15% benchmark in select product categories rather than across their entire assortment.”
Still, the strides made so far and the commitment by the industry offer a promising outlook. Inclusivity has moved from being a buzzword to a business imperative. It is not only reshaping how beauty looks and feels — but also redefining who gets to be part of the conversation.
This is the first in a series of articles on beauty industry trends highlighted in Beltre‘s report, The Business of Beauty.
