Millennial Pink Party 2017

As a skincare entrepreneur, I truly believe in the mission of removing the gender-binaryness in skincare brands.

Today, much of the narrative around skincare speaks to ONLY women. These brands often turn to the color pink to style their packaging (and it’s no wonder why: the classic pink has always been emblematic of the "domestic and delicate, the weak,”) and more importantly, prescriptively female language: “Use after removal of make-up.”

Why does it have to allude to make up? Why couldn’t it just say clean skin?

Could I not use this product if I didn’t have make up on already that I was to take off?

These words, and their messaging that alienates anyone who lies outside of that gendered box, need to stop.

Sure, men and women have different skin types. But so does woman A from woman B. And man A from man B. In an industry that is constantly going through so much innovation and development, I’m still awed by the sad fact that there aren’t more gender neutrality in these brands. And what happens when we segregate the two genders? One industry falls behind.

You guys, it's 2017—

it's time that whatever we do, we stop erasing a whole demographic out of the picture.

[founder's note]

"My obsession with skincare began when I got badly burned from an oil accident, and I had to figure out how I could get my skin to heal and regenerate as fast as possible. But after experimenting with every topical solution out there that pretty much did nothing, I realized that the most important aspect of skincare was actually far from lotions and gels-- it was actually about what I put into my body, what my skin absorbed at the cellular level. 

Fast forward one year (after OD'ing on collagen every day)-- I'm excited to announce that I'm debuting @crushedtonic, my ingestible skincare line, at @millennialpinkparty ! 

Reason one because it's such an amazing cause that I'm so lucky to support @laurence_ross and what he is doing for the #humanrightscampaign -- but reason two being that the thesis behind his theme, the millennial pink, perfectly aligns with the vision for my brand: the need to remove the gender-binaryness in brands today. 

The classic pink has always been emblematic of the "domestic and delicate, the weak,” and more importantly, prescriptively female. I'll always remember fighting with my parents about having to wear a pink dress when I was little-- when all I wanted to wear was blue jeans-- and how sanctioned they were about what girls can or cannot wear. It made me hate anything that was only female-oriented growing up. 

And fifteen years later, I still do. Today, much of the narrative around skincare speaks to ONLY women. Flowery, soft, and the traditional type of pink -- with messaging that alienates anyone who lies outside of that gendered box. 

Which is why the millennial pink being recharged as an androgynous color, one descriptive of a generation rather than sex, the reclaim of the traditional concept of pink, speaks to me so much, and why I’m so excited for the opportunity to celebrate what it stands for.

Because it's 2017-- it's time that whatever we do, we stop erasing a whole demographic out of the picture."

 

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