This Black-Owned Makeup Brand Puts Eczema & Acne-Prone Skin First!
The beauty industry has undergone a major and much-needed change in the last decade. A market once ruled by traditional brands and corporate top dogs has finally become a lot more diverse, with much smaller, niche beauty brand names taking center stage as the new-age movers and shakers of cosmetics. Industry analysts have coined this shift the ‘indie boom.’ What materialized it is this crazy little thing called social media, which helped hone in on the industry’s persisting diversity gap across all beauty categories.
And while we urged traditional beauty brands to do better, it’s the lesser-known names that were putting in the work to create a more inclusive and diverse beauty space for next-gen beauty lovers. One of these indie labels was clean beauty brand Range Beauty. Founded by Alicia Scott, Range Beauty foregrounds conversations around acne, eczema, and melanated skin, spotlighting the lack of acne and eczema-specific beauty lines for women of color.
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Today, they house a beautiful line of eczema and acne-centered makeup “for the forgotten shades.” In the five years since the brand’s inception, Range Beauty has evolved from an under-the-radar name to a trailblazing beauty powerhouse. (FYI, just last week, they scored a $150,000 investment on Shark Tank, so they’re a pretty big deal rn!)
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We got the opportunity to sit down with founder Alicia Scott to chat more about her brand story, the state of shade inclusivity in beauty, and how Range Beauty is helping bridge the skincare race gap in cosmetics.
What was lacking in the industry that inspired your early thinking of the brand?
I was working in the New York fashion industry in different roles ranging from designer’s assistants to sales and PR for designers. Anytime I was backstage for a campaign or fashion show, I noticed Black models coming to set with their makeup kits. I asked a model why she had her own kit, and she replied, “I had an MUA tell me they didn’t have anything for my skin tone in their kit, and I had to go down the runway bare-faced.” She took it as her responsibility to find products with the closest match to bring with her, moving forward.
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Hearing her words resonated with me because my collection was [also] lacking. Not only was it difficult to find a brand that carried products for my skin tone, but most brands used sensitive skin-triggering ingredients that would inflame my eczema and acne. I wanted to create a makeup solution that merged both these worlds.
In the past five years, we’ve seen many makeup brands finally scrap their one-nude-fits-all approach to cater more to melanated skin and its diverse undertones. What are your thoughts on the current state of the beauty industry when it comes to shade inclusivity?
Honestly, more is still needed because diverse ranges aren’t the norm yet. Inclusivity shouldn’t have to be called out and spotlighted; it should be normalized and expected. Also, it shouldn’t only be left to Black-led or POC-led brands to make sure all skin tones and undertones are represented across a range of products and in marketing.
What does shade inclusivity mean to you?
Shade inclusivity goes beyond foundation shades. It should carry across product options [as well]. I also believe it goes beyond just products and into genuine marketing, [too]. If I scroll on your Instagram page and it takes me five scrolls before I see someone who looks like me or I notice the same [thing] on your website, I feel like that’s not a company for me.
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For Range, I make sure we don’t airbrush our images and are inclusive of all kinds of user-generated content because our brand is for the forgotten shades and skin types. So many big brands are fearful that their makeup or skincare will be associated with acne, which is why you mostly see people with clear skin as the ‘after use’ image in commercials and ads. We’re dismantling that idea in the beauty industry.
Range Beauty continues to spotlight conversations around acne, eczema, and melanated skin. Could you share the backstory behind your skin-centric approach to cosmetics?
Yes, this stemmed from my journey with eczema, which started in my senior year of college and then acne shortly after. When I decided to launch Range, I did a lot of research around the lack of clean, inclusive makeup. I was shocked to see that Black women are exposed to two times the number of toxic beauty products than any other group.
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Along with this, acne and eczema are most prevalent in Black women. We care about our skin, but the options for us are limited. I wanted to create at least one additional alternative that placed skin health first, [and] pigment second.
What makes Range Beauty stand out from other clean beauty brands?
Our approach to formulations differs from the norm in the makeup world. We build from the botanicals and clean ingredients that are skin-centered first and then incorporate shades and undertones that are often missed. I also have a personal tie to the brand with my skin journey, which makes it easier to speak about ingredients, things that work for me, and annoying symptoms I get too — [to provide] that extra relatability.
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How did you go about choosing the clean ingredients in your range to tailor to acne, eczema-prone, and sensitive skin?
A lot of the ingredients we use helped soothe and relieve my eczema acne, like calendula flower, french clay, and argan oil. Ingredients that we leave out are mainly ones that I’m allergic to or irritate my skin or others. As we develop products, there is research around what is helpful to these skin conditions.
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What is the most rewarding feedback you’ve received from a customer?
There is this one review I always carry with me. A woman wrote us on IG saying she has rosacea and her skin was red, cracked, and peeling. Her dermatologist previously told her that she wouldn’t ever be able to wear makeup because it would irritate or worsen her skin. She came across Range, gave our foundation a try, and for the first time in two years, she was able to wear makeup comfortably.
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That’s so huge to me because I just want people to feel confident in their skin, and sometimes you want to put on makeup to cover your dry patches, acne, or redness, and you should be able to do so without having to worry about how the makeup is going to leave your skin.
In addition to getting a special shoutout from Beyoncé, what are some other memorable highlights that the brand has experienced so far?
Definitely receiving our first grant from Jackie Aina, then our first investment from a Black-women-led VC firm called Fearless Fund. And most recently, our appearance on Shark Tank!
Tell us three Range Beauty products you can’t live without!
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Our Bali Face and Body Oil, $25, is major for soothing my eczema. Also, our True Intentions Hydrating Foundation, $29, and Bronzing Primer, $26, because the primer is amazing by itself as a moisturizer and also mixed with the foundation for a cooling BB cream.
What’s next for Range Beauty and any new launches you can tease?
I’m so excited for our future! I’m continuing on my mission to bring attention to the underrepresented by launching the Range Impact Fund this year. It’s a fund that will provide free access to dermatologists for people of color in need of assistance for their skin conditions who otherwise cannot afford or have access to a derm. We’re aiming to launch this spring!
We seriously can’t get enough of this brand and its products — fangirl mode in full effect! Stay clued up on all things Range Beauty here and shop their trending best sellers online and at Target stores right now. Happy shopping!
Disclaimer: Every product we review has been independently selected and tested without bias by our editorial team. Although some brands allow affiliate links, we never take payment to review products, so we may earn a commission if you purchase a product by clicking on one of our links.
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