Founders of Topicals

Gen Z has been dominating the market as both creators and consumers of skin care, makeup and beauty. And Topicals skincare is no different. Launched in 2020 by founders Claudia Teng and Olamide Olowe, this women of color owned brand has been making waves across the industry with their philosophy of beauty inclusivity. Both on track to study and become dermatologists at the time, these two young ladies found a gap in the market for beauty lovers such as themselves and wanted to create products that targeted chronic skin conditions while creating formulas that would be beneficial for all skin types and tones. They pivoted their career goals, started a business and haven’t looked back since! You go girls!

Brand story about Topicals

Growing up with chronic skin conditions of their own; Claudia battling severe eczema and Olamide dealing with hyperpigmentation and pseudofolliculitis, they wanted to create a brand that not only safely and effectively treated these skin issues, but also educated their young audiences. They are part of a new movement of consumers turned educators and entrepreneurs that champion unfiltered videos and photos along with beauty inclusivity. And for brands who don’t embody this new philosophy of transparency and positivity, these Gen Z-er are definitely NOT afraid to call them out. Topicals set out to change how beauties feel about their own skin, taking away the negativity surrounding having a skin condition and the idea that we must do whatever possible to “cure” ourselves of a terrible chronic issue.

Almost 1 in 4 people suffer from a chronic skin condition. With such a high percentage rate, the founders were disappointed in the fact that so little of the research and clinical trials featured communities of colors. The two women were shocked to find so little research on the quality, efficacy, and longevity of skin care ingredients on people of color. The lack of diversity in the beauty industry prompted them to create an inclusive community and make it a mission to make sure their ingredients and their products worked for everyone. For example, many skin lightening ingredients such as hydroquinone, a depigmentation agent, can be very harmful to beauties with darker skin tones. This is often found in many products that claim to reduce dark spots and hyperpigmentation. This idea perpetuates the toxic culture of “white” or “light” being the ideal standard of beauty. In an effort to change these perceptions, Topicals wants to shake up and reexamine the beauty industry standards by creating a positive and inclusive community where beauties treat their skin as an act of self-care rather than an act of fixing or correcting.

Topicals Duo for Everyone

Topicals Duo for Everyone The brand launched with two products: Butter, a hydrating mask meant to gently soothe, calm and hydrate dry and irritated skin, and Faded, a gel cream meant to help minimize hyperpigmentation and brighten the skin. A few other skin loving ingredients such as niacinamide, colloidal oatmeal and tranexamic acid are also found in some of the brands products. All of Topicals products are formulated with high quality ingredients that are scientifically studied, peer reviewed and are safe for all skin types.

For many young people, having a skin condition like acne, hyperpigmentation or eczema can lead to becoming self-conscious in their appearance, low self-esteem issues and even mental health issues. Because of this, some of the profits of the brand are also donated to various mental health organizations helping young people. We just love it when a brand creates amazing products as well as create an amazing community of people who also love to give back. We could definitely use more love in this world! Love your skin and love yourself!