Rafaela Gonzalez: Empowering Women of Color Through Gloryscent skincare
Growing up in Europe, Rafaela Gonzalez always felt self-conscious about her textured hair and darker skin. But rather than letting her insecurities consume her, she decided to take her self-love and acceptance journey to the next level by creating Gloryscent—a premium skincare brand catered towards underrepresented women of color.
“I wanted to create a brand in which WOC are the inspiration rather than the last thought,” Gonzalez tells POPSUGAR.
Gloryscent prides itself on being a “pro-melanin skin-care brand.” It not only caters to women of color but also prioritizes safe and clean beauty products. Gonzalez learned that many other beauty products marketed to women of color contained toxic ingredients harmful to one’s health. Therefore, the brand’s mission expanded to stand for “inclusivity in clean beauty,” providing women of color with safer and more effective wellness products.
The Dominican Republic-born, Gonzalez, draws inspiration from her Caribbean roots, using the island’s indigenous, natural ingredients in many of her skincare products. Gonzalez wants to honor her “beautiful island,” and she highlights ingredients, such as neem oil, derived from the trees she grew up seeing in her backyard. The Behold Brightening Balm ($96) reduces hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and texture while softening the skin. Other Gloryscent products include the Soothing Enzyme Cleansing Gel ($56), Total Body Serum ($63), Urbana Elixir ($54), and the Manketti Oil Serum ($62).
“I felt it was necessary to create and offer a skin routine rather than just one or two products,” Gonzalez says. “If someone wants to transition to clean beauty, they should have the entire collection.”
One challenge was creating seamless products’ formulations without having formal training in the subject. Despite practical obstacles, Gonzalez enrolled in an online school where she could earn her diploma at her own pace, learning how to source her ingredients.
Gloryscent’s mission is to provide tailored skincare solutions to underrepresented women effectively. In the beauty industry where women of color are often sidelined, Gonzalez hopes to inspire and uplift women, building their self-esteem and encouraging them to love themselves beautifully.
“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 to make the best choices for their wellness.”
Last year, Gloryscent was available in JCPenney stores, accomplished through the Thirteen Lune e-commerce site, which helps boost the visibility of POC-owned brands. This year, Gonzalez organized a speaking series titled “Let’s Talk Inclusion in Clean Beauty,” featuring interviews with various founders, highlighting the importance of raising awareness about the toxic ingredients in self-care products marketed towards Latinx women and other women of color.
“This is with the intention to simply educate and not fearmonger,” Gonzalez says. “Knowledge is power.”
In conclusion, Gloryscent is a brand that speaks to women of color, inspiring them to embrace natural beauty while promoting inclusivity in clean beauty standards. Rafaela Gonzalez’s self-love and acceptance journey led to a skincare line that encourages women to feel confident in their own skin. Gloryscent provides tailored care solutions while also empowering women to love themselves beautifully.
