Rafaela Gonzalez: Redefining Beauty Standards for Women of Color with “Gloryscent”
Growing up, Rafaela Gonzalez often found herself feeling self-conscious about her textured hair and darker skin due to the European beauty standards that surrounded her. However, her journey towards self-love and acceptance led Gonzalez to create her own skin-care line, called Gloryscent. This line is specifically designed to serve underrepresented women of color in an industry that often fails to meet their needs.
Gonzalez’s mission with Gloryscent is to make women of color the inspiration behind her brand instead of an afterthought. By providing safe and clean beauty products, she aims to promote inclusivity in clean beauty and give women of color access to health and wellness products that are both safe and effective.
The “Pro-Melanin” Skin-Care Brand
Gloryscent proudly calls itself a “pro-melanin skin-care brand,” focusing on safe and healthy beauty products for women of color. Their mission is not only to center women of color, but also to provide them with products that are free from toxic ingredients.
Interestingly, when Gonzalez began to create her line, she discovered that the majority of products for women of color contained harmful chemicals. One study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology found that the negative impact of such chemical exposure is disproportionately affecting consumers of color. This revelation led Gonzalez to expand and evolve her brand’s mission to prioritize “inclusivity in clean beauty.”
By prioritizing clean and safe ingredients, her brand meets the needs of women of color who are seeking healthier alternatives to the harsh and often damaging active ingredients found in mainstream products. This is especially important since many women of color often experience difficulties finding beauty products suitable for their skin type.
Honoring Her Roots through Natural Additives
Born in the Dominican Republic, Gonzalez draws inspiration from her Caribbean roots and uses many of the ingredients that come from her ancestral home. By highlighting these ingredients, she honors the natural beauty of her homeland and provides women with nutrient-packed products that enhance the natural radiance of their skin.
For example, the Behold Brightening Balm is made with neem oil derived from trees that grow on the island where Gonzalez grew up. This balm helps reduce hyperpigmentation and wrinkles while also softening the skin. All of the products in the Gloryscent line are made with natural additives that soothe sun-damaged skin, promote exfoliation, and help soften fine lines.
The other products in the Gloryscent line include the Soothing Enzyme Cleansing Gel, the Total Body Serum, Urbana Elixir, and the Manketti Oil Serum. Gonzalez felt it was important to create an entire skin-care routine instead of just one or two products. “If someone wants to transition to clean beauty, they should have the entire collection,” she says.
Challenges and Triumphs
As someone with no formal training in skin-care formulation, Gonzalez faced significant challenges while creating Gloryscent. “Initially, I was completely unaware of the process of formulation and there were no physical schools I could locate, and frankly not something I [was] able to do because I was already in college,” she says.
However, this lack of resources did not discourage her, and she found an online school where she could work towards her diploma at her own pace. Through this experience, she learned how to source her own ingredients and began creating the nutrient-packed products she envisioned.
It was a big achievement for Gonzalez when Gloryscent was offered in JCPenney stores through the Thirteen Lune e-commerce site, which helps boost the visibility of POC-owned brands. However, her biggest accomplishment is hosting a speaking series about inclusivity in clean beauty. Titled “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty,” this series features interviews with 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.
Gonzalez says she hopes to provide education and empowerment to women of color, encouraging them to make the best choices for their wellness. “I’m working towards bringing awareness to healthier options of self-care, building up and encouraging women to love themselves,” she adds.
Conclusion
Through her brand Gloryscent, Rafaela Gonzalez redefines beauty standards for women of color and provides them with safe and clean beauty products. Her mission is not only to showcase inclusivity in clean beauty but also to provide education and empowerment to women of color, encouraging them to love themselves.
Gonzalez’s journey to create a skin-care line that promotes inclusivity and self-love is inspiring. She serves as an example that with hard work and determination, anyone can overcome challenges and create positive change in their industry.
