Rafaela Gonzalez’s Gloryscent Skin-Care Line is Revolutionizing the Beauty Industry
As a woman of color, Rafaela Gonzalez has always been aware of the beauty standards set by European cultures. Growing up with textured hair and darker skin, she struggled to feel confident in her own skin. However, her self-love and acceptance journey inspired her to create a brand that centers around underrepresented women of color in the beauty industry. Thus, Gloryscent was born to serve as a beacon of inclusivity in both skin-care and clean beauty.
Gloryscent is a “pro-melanin skin-care brand” that aims to provide women with safe and clean beauty products. Throughout the process of creating Gloryscent, Gonzalez learned that the majority of skin-care products catered towards women of color contained toxic ingredients. Research shows that such chemical exposure disproportionately impacts women of color more than white women. As such, Gonzalez’s brand expanded its mission to stand for inclusivity in clean beauty, providing women of color with access to health and wellness products that are safe and effective.
Gonzalez draws inspiration from her Caribbean roots, using natural ingredients that honor her “beautiful island.” Her Behold Brightening Balm is made with neem oil, which comes from trees that she grew up seeing on the island. In addition, Gloryscent features other natural additives such as arnica flower extract, willow bark, and organic ginseng that soothe sun-damaged skin, promote exfoliation, and help soften fine lines.
The collection goes beyond one or two products. Gonzalez has created a skin routine that caters to the needs of women of color. In doing so, she wishes to encourage consumers who are looking to transition from non-clean to clean beauty to have the entire collection at their disposal, providing them with a complete range of nutrient-packed products that will help them achieve and maintain healthy, vibrant-looking skin.
However, developing an entire line of healthy, nutrient-packed skincare products was a challenging process for Gonzalez, given that she had no formal training in the subject. Initially, she was unaware of the process of formulation; however, Gonzalez was undeterred by the lack of resources at her disposal. She found an online school where she could work towards her diploma at her own pace. This is where she learned how to begin the process of sourcing her own ingredients, which ultimately led to the development of Gloryscent.
In an industry that often sidelines women of color’s beauty needs and exploits them, Gloryscent is a brand that uplifts women of color, providing them with effective care that is safer than mainstream products’ harsh ingredients. Gonzalez hopes to bring awareness to healthier options of self-care while encouraging and empowering women to love themselves. Her upcoming speaking series, titled “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty,” will feature interviews with various founders and organizations. These interviews will highlight the importance of raising awareness about the toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed towards Latinx women and other women of color.
Gonzalez sees education and empowerment as the keys to making the best choices for one’s wellness. She believes that knowledge is power and that bringing awareness to toxic ingredients and healthier options can help shift the industry towards cleaner, safer, and more inclusive self-care products.
Last year, Gonzalez’s biggest accomplishment was having Gloryscent in JCPenney stores through the Thirteen Lune e-commerce site, which promotes POC-owned brands’ visibility. However, this year, she is particularly proud to be hosting the “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty” speaking series, which will help her spread her message of inclusivity and healthy self-care beyond her brand.
In conclusion, Rafaela Gonzalez’s Gloryscent skin-care line is the embodiment of inclusivity and healthy, clean beauty. Through her brand, Gonzalez seeks to empower and uplift women of color by providing them with safe, effective, and nutrient-packed products that promote healthy, vibrant-looking skin. As she continues to raise awareness about toxic ingredients and promote cleaner, safer self-care products’ development, Gonzalez is paving the way for a future where beauty is inclusive, healthy, and empowering.
