A New Generation of Skincare Brands Are Popping Up and They Are Changing the Industry

A new generation of skincare brands are popping up and they are changing the industry. Meet the Newest Gen-Z beauty CEO’s

Claudia Teng and Olamide Olowe, co-founders of Topicals.

In the fall of 2019, Olamide Olwe and Claudia Teng decided to forgo plans to apply to medical school and set out to build a skincare line that catered to people like themselves.  Two years later, 24-year-old co-founders and CEO of Topicals ultimately secured $2.6 million in funding from superstar investors that includes actresses Issa Rae and Yvonne Orji, Bozomo Saint John; the CEO’s of Warby Parker and Casper( to name a few) and successfully created a mission-driven science-backed and clinically tested skincare brand that treats chronic skin conditions such as eczema and hyperpigmentation.

“I was really excited as a Black woman to be in a position where our company was highly sought after,” Olowe told Allure. Their goal is to help people transform the way they feel about skin. They wanted to create balms and salves that made treating skin an act of self-care rather than a chore to fix their concerns.  “Everyone’s aspiration is to have clear skin,” says Olowe.

With launch delays due to the pandemic and to support the Black Lives Matter movement. The pair used social media to speak to consumers and get their message out.  Even now, they often go to Twitter to get feedback about their products. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder amidst nationwide protests that saw law enforcement using extreme measures to subdue demonstrators, Topicals took to its social channels to share how to care for skin after being tear-gassed. Topicals launched online with two sku’s Faded a brightening and clearing gel for dark spots and Like Butter for to restore dry flaky skin, in select Nordstrom stores, selling out in Sephora in just 48 hours.  And a percentage of all sales are donated to  to mental health organizations like Therapy for Black Girls, Fearless Femmes 100, Sad Girls Club, and JED Foundation. Ya’ll give these girls their flowers now! They deserve it.