Youthforia - Black Paint or Foundation Shade?

When a brand releases black ink as a foundation shade

You'd think by now that foundation shade ranges would have evolved to encompass all skin tones, or at least we would be past discussing the need for foundation shades to suit everyone, but the beauty industry has proven otherwise. This week, Youthforia, a skin-first makeup brand, sparked controversy, reigniting the discourse on inclusivity within the beauty industry, particularly for those with darker skin tones. A stark reminder that clearly, we still have a long way to go.

In March 2024, Youthforia unveiled 10 new shades to broaden their infamous Date Night foundation range, a skin tint serum touted for its sleep-safe formula. However, the issue lies in the execution. Last year, the brand faced backlash for releasing a limited range of shades - with the darkest shade being a golden caramel - leaving many darker-skinned consumers feeling overlooked. Despite promises to rectify this, the new additions missed the mark yet again. Among the newly released shades, the darkest shade resembles black face paint, a glaring oversight that only served to exacerbate tensions.

Last week, TikTok creator Wumi Afuye vented her frustration in a video upon encountering the new shades at Ulta. She says, "I promise you this foundation shade is worse than any foundation shade scandal you’ve ever seen." In the video, Afuye proceeds to compare the darkest shade, 600, with the second-to-darkest shade, 590, revealing the former's disconcerting resemblance to pure black. The video, which has now garnered significant attention, highlights the inadequacy of Youthforia's efforts.

In response, Youthforia issued a communication to its "insider crew," attempting to clarify the intentions behind the darkest shade, 600. However, the rationalisation that this shade was formulated based on feedback and testing in Dubai, catering to just two individuals, raised some eyebrows regarding the brand's strategic decision-making and inclusivity efforts. To be honest, their explanation falls short, and for me, raises questions about the brand’s commitment to genuine inclusivity.

And it’s not only Wumi Afuye. In another damning critique, beauty and lifestyle content creator Golloria George shed light on the lack of nuance in Youthforia's shade range. Testing shades 599 and 600, George emphasised the absence of a suitable match for her skin tone. With shade 600,  appearing according to her “jet black” rather than a viable foundation option. “There’s no undertone, no depth, no dimension, and that’s a problem.”

The repercussions of Youthforia's misstep reverberated throughout the industry, even prompting scrutiny of their product formulations. Cosmetic chemist Javon Ford's analysis revealed a huge contrast in the ingredients used for lighter and darker shades. They found that the darkest shade only has one colour, black iron oxide, essentially a pure black pigment, while the later shades used a combination of three pigments - to achieve that real skin tone. It just highlights systemic issues in shade development and representation, it’s basically happening at every stage. “This problem is so avoidable,” he explains. “This brand does not care about us.”

The repercussions of Youthforia's misstep extend beyond the confines of a single product launch. Despite ongoing discussions and actual real progress, instances like these serve as poignant reminders of the entrenched biases and the very real challenges faced by consumers with darker skin tones in an industry that prioritises Eurocentric beauty standards. Meaningful change requires more than just token gestures; what is a 10 shade expansion, if it doesn’t even cater to the consumer you’re targeting? When will we move forward with this?