In a world where European standards of beauty have dominated the beauty industry, women of color have struggled to find products that suit their skin and hair type. Rafaela Gonzalez, the founder of Gloryscent, understands this struggle and has created a line of products that caters to the skincare needs of women of color.
Gloryscent is a “pro-melanin skincare brand” that focuses on providing women of color with clean, safe, and effective beauty products. Gonzalez’s inspiration for her brand came from her own personal journey and the desire to create a brand that celebrates and uplifts women of color. “I wanted to create a brand in which WOC are the inspiration rather than the last thought,” said Gonzalez in an interview with POPSUGAR.
Gonzalez’s Dominican roots and the natural beauty of her ancestral home served as inspiration for many of her products. The Behold Brightening Balm, for example, is made with neem oil, derived from trees that Gonzalez grew up seeing on the island. The brand also features other natural ingredients like arnica flower extract, willow bark, and organic ginseng to soothe sun-damaged skin, promote exfoliation, and help soften fine lines.
Gloryscent offers a full skincare routine that consists of the Soothing Enzyme Cleansing Gel, Total Body Serum, Urbana Elixir, Manketti Oil Serum, and the Behold Brightening Balm. Gonzalez believed that it was important to create an entire collection of products to provide a healthier skincare routine for women who want to transition to clean, effective skincare. “If someone wants to transition to clean beauty, they should have the entire collection. That was my train of thought at the time,” she said.
Creating the healthy, nutrient-packed products that would define the Gloryscent collection was a challenge for Gonzalez, who did not have any formal training in the field. However, she found an online school where she could work toward her diploma at her own pace and learned how to begin the process of sourcing her own ingredients. Her dedication to creating safe and effective products paid off when Gloryscent was featured in JCPenney stores last year.
Gloryscent’s mission is to provide women of color with healthier, tailored alternatives to the harsh and often damaging active ingredients in mainstream products while uplifting these women as they are. Gonzalez hopes to bring awareness to healthier options of self-care, building up and encouraging women to love themselves. “I’m hoping to provide education and empowerment in order for them to make the best choices for their wellness,” she said.
In addition to her skincare line, Gonzalez is hosting a speaking series regarding inclusivity in clean beauty. The series is titled “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty” and will be composed of interviews featuring various founders and organizations highlighting the importance of raising awareness about the toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed to Latinx women and other women of color.
In a market that often exploits women of color and sidelines their beauty needs, Gloryscent stands out as a brand that promotes inclusivity in clean beauty. Gonzalez’s passion for her brand and her customers has resulted in a line of products that cater to the skincare needs of women of color while providing a healthier alternative to mainstream products.
