LATEST DEVELOPMENT
Beauty industry faces criticism for systematically sending inappropriate products to Black creators, allegedly to manufacture outrage and redemption narratives.
INDUSTRY TALK
"It's literally the white savior complex of beauty, and I'm sick of it. You're teaching a whole generation of people that they are still an afterthought, no matter how much work we put in earning our space in beauty."
POPSUGAR
KEY ALLEGATIONS
Creator Jackie Asamoah highlights:
Brands deliberately sending unusable products
Waiting for public callouts from Black influencers
Using criticism to inform "fixed" products
Positioning brands as responsive heroes
Exploiting Black labor instead of doing initial research
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Industry patterns include:
Persistent exclusion of darker skin tones
Problematic shade naming conventions
Performative inclusion marketing
Post-criticism "redemption" campaigns
Continued afterthought treatment in 2025
INDUSTRY IMPACT
Consequences identified:
Mental and emotional toll on Black creators
Teaching new generations they're afterthoughts
Forcing unpaid consultation work
Manipulating consumer emotions
Perpetuating white savior narratives
THE BOTTOM LINE
Despite years of advocacy, beauty brands continue exploiting Black creators' critiques for marketing redemption arcs rather than building inclusive products from the start.