Gloryscent: The Importance of Inclusive and Safe Beauty Products
Rafaela Gonzalez, the founder of Gloryscent, had always felt conscious about her textured hair and darker skin growing up. Being confronted with European standards of beauty, she decided to create a brand that focuses on providing underrepresented women of color with safe and inclusive beauty products. Gloryscent, a “pro-melanin skin-care brand,” aims to be an inspiration to women of color, rather than just an afterthought, and provides them with access to health and wellness products that are safe and effective.
Gonzalez’s Caribbean roots serve as the basis for many of her products, which highlight natural ingredients sourced from her ancestral home. Her Behold Brightening Balm, an innovative formula that reduces hyperpigmentation and wrinkles while softening the skin, is made with neem oil, derived from trees that Gonzalez grew up seeing on the island. In addition, the brand features other salient ingredients such as arnica flower extract, willow bark, and organic ginseng. Natural additives such as these soothe sun-damaged skin, promote exfoliation, and help soften fine lines.
But what sets Gloryscent apart is its focus on inclusivity in clean beauty. During the process of creating Gloryscent, Gonzalez learned that the majority of products catered toward women of color contained toxic ingredients. One study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that the negative impact of such chemical exposure is disproportionately impacting these consumers in comparison to white women. To solve this issue, Gonzalez expanded and evolved her brand’s mission to stand for the promotion of safe and effective products, thereby providing women of color with access to health and wellness products, and not merely cosmetics.
“I felt it was necessary to create and offer a skin routine rather than just one or two products,” says Gonzalez. “If someone wants to transition to clean beauty, they should have the entire collection”. Hence, Gloryscent offers customers the Soothing Enzyme Cleansing Gel, Total Body Serum, Urbana Elixir, Manketti Oil Serum, and other clean beauty products that have been formulated with safe, nutrient-packed ingredients.
Despite having no formal training in formulation, Gonzalez set out to create the healthy, nutrient-packed products that would define the Gloryscent collection. She found an online school where she could work toward her diploma at her own pace, very committed to honoring her commitment to women of color. She overcame this challenge and the result is an exciting brand.
Gloryscent’s mission of effective care is to provide women of color with tailored alternatives to the harsh and often damaging active ingredients found in mainstream products, while also uplifting them in the process. “I’m working towards bringing awareness to healthier options of self-care, building up and encouraging women to love themselves,” Gonzalez says. “I’m hoping to provide education and empowerment in order for them to make the best choices for their wellness.”
In 2020, Gloryscent was made available in JCPenney stores through the Thirteen Lune ecommerce site, which boosts the visibility of POC-owned brands. This year, Gonzalez is proud to host a speaking series regarding inclusivity in clean beauty. The Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty series features interviews with various founders and organizations who highlight the importance of raising awareness about toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed to Latinx and other women of color.
Despite the challenges she faced, Rafaela Gonzalez’s passion for promoting safe and inclusive beauty products has prevailed. Gloryscent is a brand that provides women of color with effective care and encourages them to embrace their natural beauty confidently. The goal of this brand is to empower women to make healthy, informed choices about their wellness and self-care routines. With Gloryscent, users can be confident that they are not only taking care of their skin but their overall health as well.
