Hi there! Our products are not meant to whiten the overall skin tone - we are absolutely against bleaching for the sake of whitening the face or body. Our products are made to combat hyperpigmentation - which are targeted dark spots or scars that arise from hormonal changes and acne. In order to do that we have to include certain safe acids that exfoliate the skin (to remove spots) and prevent the overproduction of melanin (which causes the spots to begin with).
Hi there! Are you looking for clinical testing results for our products? Or something else? Just want to make sure I understand what you’re looking for. Thanks!
You are right that skin tone is a continuous spectrum. Dermatologists and skincare experts use something called Fitzpatrick Skin Types, which is a scale from 1-6, 1 being very light skin and 6 being very dark skin: https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/fitzpatri...
We have formulated our products with ingredients ideal for Fitzpatrick Skin Types 3-6 (medium to very dark skin).
Our goal is to provide the safest ingredients that are still effective in fading dark spots and protecting skin from damage. Studies show there are safer options than hydroquinone (azelaic acid, for example), so we have chosen to include those ingredients in our products.
I 100% agree. This is a very nuanced and difficult topic to discuss as a for-profit company. But I'll say this:
First and foremost, we want to spread awareness about skin bleaching/whitening practices. This includes its ties to white supremacy and systemic racism. It's astounding how few people know about it given how pervasive it is. Second, we want to provide safe alternative solutions for people of color who wish to fade dark spots and scars without toxic bleaching ingredients. Third, we are a business, so of course we want to sell product.
We definitely plan to support anti-racism more broadly; however, we are still determining where and how to best support with the resources we have. I'd love to hear any ideas you may have on this topic!
> What countries are the highest consumers of skin bleaching products
This isn't a ranked list, but skin bleaching is unfortunately popular in India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Senegal, and many other countries in addition to the Philippines.
> Sunscreen is VERY bad for fish...
You're totally right about certain sunscreen ingredients being bad for the environment! In 2018, Hawaii became the first state to ban the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate, because they harm coral reefs and ocean wildlife. We do not include these ingredients in our sunscreen.
> Maybe instead you can work on a refill option with Sephora
Our serum is actually being produced in a refillable bottle. For operational reasons (it is very difficult to manage refills from an inventory planning standpoint), we won't offer refills from Day 1, but the plan is to offer refills when we have more sales data.
> they love their ULTA points
Sephora customers also love their Sephora Points :)
You're totally right! Sunscreen is indeed regulated by the FDA, but things like acid serums, exfoliators, creams, cleansers, and lotions are not.
Our concerns about lack of regulation are two-fold:
(1) That products that contain very mild ingredients (like fruit extracts) are being sold to people with claims that are unsubstantiated. For example: Claiming to reduce dark spots, when there is little scientific evidence to support it.
(2) That products with very harsh ingredients (25% AHA / BHA peels, for example) are being sold without much warning and education that they could cause irritation on certain skin types.
This response from an earlier comment might help:
https://news.ycombinator.com/reply?id=32668422&goto=item%3Fi...