Gloryscent: Redefining Beauty for Women of Color
Growing up in a society that values fair skin and Eurocentric features left Rafaela Gonzalez feeling self-conscious about her textured hair and darker skin. However, that all changed when she started her own skincare line, Gloryscent. The brand caters to underrepresented women of color in the beauty industry, but also prioritizes safe, clean beauty products for everyone. Through her personal journey, Gonzalez learned that most products catered towards women of color contain toxic ingredients that disproportionately harm these consumers in comparison to white women, and she sought to create a brand that stands for inclusivity, access to health and wellness products, and most importantly, self-love.
Gloryscent, a “pro-melanin skin-care brand,” is centered on providing women of color with products that are both safe and effective. In fact, many of their items are inspired by Gonzalez’s Caribbean roots, where she highlights ingredients from her ancestral home to honor her “beautiful island.” Her Behold Brightening Balm ($96), for example is made with neem oil derived from trees that Gonzales grew up seeing on the island. Natural additives such as this soothe sun-damaged skin, promote exfoliation, and help soften fine lines. Other ingredients that the brand features include arnica flower extract, willow bark, and organic ginseng, which shows that the brand puts a lot of thought and care into the ingredients they use.
What sets Gloryscent apart from other skincare brands is that their product line includes not just one or two products, but a whole routine that includes Soothing Enzyme Cleansing Gel ($56), Total Body Serum ($63), Urbana Elixir ($54), Manketti Oil Serum ($62), and the aforementioned Behold Brightening Balm. According to Gonzalez, it is necessary to offer a variety of skincare products to those seeking to transition to clean beauty. The brand wants to provide people with the entire range of items necessary to complete a proper skincare routine. Although Gonzalez had no formal training in the subject, she learned the process of formulating products through an online school where she could work at her own pace.
One of the challenges for Gonzalez was figuring out the formulation for skincare items without any formal training. However, that didn’t faze her, and she pursued her passion for creating a line of products with effective care. It paid off as she now has her products in JCPenney stores, which was made possible through the Thirteen Lune ecommerce site that boosts visibility for POC-owned brands. That was a huge accomplishment for Gonzalez, but she is also proud to host a speaking series called, “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty,” which highlights the importance of raising awareness about the toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed towards Latinx women and other women of color.
The series features interviews with various founders and organizations that share Gonzalez’s vision of educating consumers not to fearmonger, but to provide knowledge that empowers people to make better choices for their health and wellness. Knowledge is power, and this is what Gonzalez hopes to impart on her target audience: women of color who are often exploited and sidelined in the beauty industry.
Gloryscent’s mission is to challenge beauty standards and redefine what it means to be beautiful. For example, they aim to center women of color in their skincare routine by creating a brand in which WOC are the inspiration rather than the last thought. They want their customers to feel empowered and confident in their own skin. By providing healthier, tailored alternatives to the harsh and often damaging active ingredients in mainstream products, Gloryscent is uplifting customers and promoting inclusivity in clean beauty.
In conclusion, Rafaela Gonzalez’s Gloryscent line of skincare products is breaking stereotypes and setting a new standard in the beauty industry. Her journey towards self-love and acceptance has led her to develop a brand that not only caters to the unique needs of women of color but also prioritizes safe and clean beauty. With a successful line of products, a speaking series dedicated to inclusivity, and a mission to provide education and empowerment to women, Rafaela Gonzalez’s Gloryscent is undoubtedly the future of beauty.
