Rafaela Gonzalez’s Gloryscent: The Skin-Care Line Created to Celebrate Women of Color and Promote Clean Beauty
Growing up, Rafaela Gonzalez was confronted with European beauty standards that often left her feeling self-conscious about her textured hair and darker skin. But rather than conforming to these standards, Gonzalez took inspiration from her Caribbean roots to create a skin-care line that celebrates women of color and promotes clean beauty: Gloryscent.
Gloryscent is a “pro-melanin skin-care brand” that places women of color front and center. But the brand also focuses on providing its customers with safe and clean beauty products, an element that became increasingly important to Gonzalez during the process of creating Gloryscent. She discovered that the majority of products catered toward women of color contained toxic ingredients, and that this exposure disproportionately impacted these consumers in comparison to white women. As such, Gonzalez’s mission expanded to stand for “inclusivity in clean beauty,” providing women of color with access to health and wellness products that are both safe and effective.
But the story of Gloryscent goes beyond inclusivity in clean beauty. It is a story of Gonzalez’s journey to self-love and acceptance, and how this journey inspired her to create a brand that would serve underrepresented women of color in an industry that more often than not fails to do so.
“When I was a little girl we had two large neem trees in my backyard. I remember my late grandmother swiping them up into piles when they ripened and fell to the ground,” she says. “It’s very memorable because being from el campo, our parents and grandparents are very serious about keeping the yard clean.”
Gonzalez took inspiration from her ancestral home in the Dominican Republic to serve as the basis for many of her products. By highlighting ingredients from her island home, Gonzalez hoped to honor its beauty. Her Behold Brightening Balm, for example, is made with neem oil, derived from trees that Gonzalez grew up seeing on the island.
Other salient ingredients in the brand include 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 formulating the healthy, nutrient-packed products that would define the Gloryscent collection was not without its challenges. Gonzalez faced the hurdle of figuring out the formulation for her skin-care items without formal training in the subject. But she worked tirelessly, attending online schools to learn the process of sourcing her own ingredients, and eventually brought to market the effective care Gloryscent now provides.
Gloryscent’s mission of effective care is to provide women of color with healthier, tailored alternatives to the harsh and often damaging active ingredients in mainstream products, while also uplifting these women as they are. “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.”
Last year, Gonzalez’s biggest accomplishment was having Gloryscent in JCPenney stores, and this year she is particularly proud to be hosting a speaking series regarding inclusivity in clean beauty. The series, titled “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty,” will be composed of interviews featuring various founders and organizations and will highlight the importance of raising awareness about the toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed to Latinx women and other women of color.
Gonzalez’s Gloryscent is not just a skin-care line, it is a movement. A movement that celebrates women of color and promotes clean beauty. Through her work, Gonzalez is empowering other women to love themselves and make the best choices for their wellness. She is a true trailblazer in an industry that often exploits women of color and sidelines their beauty needs.
In conclusion, Gloryscent is a skin-care brand that’s at the forefront of inclusivity in the beauty industry. It’s a celebration of the beauty of women of color, along with a commitment to promoting safe and clean beauty products. Through her work, Rafaela Gonzalez has touched the lives of many women in a meaningful and powerful way. The Gloryscent brand is a testament to her commitment to creating a more inclusive and healthier world for all.
