Gloryscent: A Beauty Brand for Women of Color
Rafaela Gonzalez, the founder of Gloryscent, has been on a self-love and acceptance journey since she was young. Growing up in Europe, she often felt self-conscious about her textured hair and darker skin, which was not deemed “beautiful” according to European standards. It was this experience that inspired her to create a brand that centers on women of color.
Gloryscent is a “pro-melanin skin-care brand” that focuses on providing women of color with access to health and wellness products that are safe, effective, and made with natural ingredients. The brand’s mission is to stand for inclusivity in clean beauty and to honor the Caribbean roots of Gonzalez by highlighting ingredients from her ancestral home.
One of the ingredients highlighted by Gloryscent is neem oil, which is derived from a tree that Gonzalez grew up seeing in her backyard in the Dominican countryside. Other salient ingredients include arnica flower extract, willow bark, and organic ginseng, all of which soothe sun-damaged skin, promote exfoliation, and help soften fine lines.
Gloryscent offers a range of skin-care products, including the Behold Brightening Balm, Soothing Enzyme Cleansing Gel, Total Body Serum, Urbana Elixir, and Manketti Oil Serum. These products have been formulated to work together as a skin routine rather than just one or two products in order to provide the best possible results.
Creating the healthy, nutrient-packed products that define the Gloryscent collection was not an easy feat, as Gonzalez had no formal training in formulation. However, she was determined to bring women the effective care they deserve and found an online school where she could work toward her diploma at her own pace.
In an industry that often exploits women of color and sidelines their beauty needs, Gloryscent’s mission is to provide them with healthier, tailored alternatives to the harsh and often damaging active ingredients in mainstream products while also uplifting these women as they are. Gonzalez hopes to provide education and empowerment for women to make the best choices for their wellness.
Gloryscent has already achieved significant success, with its products now available in JCPenney stores. This achievement was done through the Thirteen Lune ecommerce site, which helps boost the visibility of POC-owned brands. This year, Gonzalez is proud to be hosting a speaking series regarding inclusivity in clean beauty titled “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty.” The series will feature interviews with various founders and organizations, who will highlight the importance of raising awareness about the toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed to Latinx women and other women of color.
In conclusion, Gloryscent is an inspiring brand that focuses on creating safe and effective beauty products for women of color. By highlighting the natural ingredients from Gonzalez’s ancestral home in the Caribbean, the brand pays homage to its roots. With its mission to provide inclusivity in clean beauty, we can all look forward to seeing more of Gloryscent in the beauty industry in the future.
