The Beauty of Inclusivity in Clean Beauty: A Profile on Rafaela Gonzalez and Gloryscent
Growing up, Rafaela Gonzalez often found herself feeling self-conscious about her textured hair and darker skin due to European standards of beauty which were prevalent in her Dominican Republic hometown. However, her personal experience inspired her to create a brand that serves underrepresented women of color in the beauty industry – Gloryscent. According to Rafaela, Gloryscent is a “pro-melanin skincare brand” and is centered around two things: inclusivity in clean beauty and the empowerment of women.
In this article, we will take a closer look at Gloryscent, its mission to cater to women of color, and how it has successfully carved out its own niche in the beauty industry. We will also delve deeper into Rafaela’s personal story and how her company has evolved since its launch.
Empowering Women through Inclusivity: Gloryscent’s Unique Selling Point
Rafaela’s personal journey to self-love and acceptance led her to create a skincare line that puts Women of Color (WOC) at the forefront instead of as a mere afterthought. Her brand Gloryscent focuses on providing clean and safe beauty products for WOC, which other brands lack. During the process of creating Gloryscent, Rafaela discovered that the majority of products catering to WOC contained toxic ingredients. She aims to change this by offering inclusivity in clean beauty, which will give women of color access to health and wellness products that are safe and effective.
Gloryscent was born out of a desire to provide healthier, tailored alternatives to the harsh and often damaging active ingredients in mainstream beauty products while also uplifting these women as they are. Rafaela believes that providing education and empowerment will enable women of color to make the best choices for their wellness. Her intention is to bring awareness to healthier options of self-care.
Creating A Brand with Caribbean Roots
Gloryscent’s beauty products are inspired by Rafaela’s Caribbean roots. Rafaela highlights ingredients from her ancestral home as the basis for many of her products. Her Behold Brightening Balm, for example, is made with neem oil, a natural ingredient derived from trees that she grew up seeing on the island. By highlighting and honoring the beauty of her country’s natural elements, Rafaela infuses it into her skincare products. Neem oil is known to reduce hyperpigmentation and wrinkles while softening the skin.
Moreover, other salient ingredients Rafaela features in her brand include arnica flower extract, willow bark, and organic ginseng. Natural additives like these are known to soothe sun-damaged skin, promote exfoliation and help soften fine lines, while focusing on providing women with safer and cleaner beauty products.
The Challenge of Formulating Skincare Products without Professional Training
One of the biggest challenges Rafaela faced in creating Gloryscent was the formulation of skincare items without any formal training. Rafaela had to figure out the formulation process of her skincare items through research as there were no physical schools available then. Without formal training, she learned how to begin the process of sourcing her own ingredients online. After this hurdle, Rafaela was able to create the healthy, nutrient-packed products that define the Gloryscent brand.
Rafaela felt it was necessary to offer more than just one or two products, choosing to offer a skincare routine, with various options from the brand. This change in the brand also revealed the total dedication to inclusivity in clean beauty, highlighting Rafaela’s mission towards a broader sense of skincare necessities catered towards WOC.
The Success of Gloryscent
Gloryscent has come a long way since its inception, with Rafaela succeeding in the challenge to position Gloryscent as a brand that caters for WOC by prioritizing inclusivity in clean beauty. In 2020, Gloryscent’s biggest achievement was having its products available at JCPenney stores. Recently, Rafaela’s company has become part of a speaking series regarding inclusivity in clean beauty, called “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty.” The series features various founders and organizations that aim to raise awareness about the toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed to Latinx women and other women of color. Rafaela believes that knowledge is power, and therefore, she created this framework with the sole intention of educating rather than fearmongering.
In conclusion, Rafaela Gonzalez’s Gloryscent, which was born out of her personal experience, has grown into something much, much larger. The brand that she created is all about embracing natural elements and empowering women, primarily WOC. Her journey has led her to learn how to formulate skincare products that are safe, effective, and clean. Her mission of inclusivity in clean beauty, offering healthy alternatives for women of color, has struck a chord across the board. This brand’s story is a testament to the fact that one can achieve success if they work hard enough to make a difference in the world.
