The Glossy Beauty Podcast

Glossy is proud to present Unfair, a podcast about the global skin-lightening industry and everything it touches, from the demand for lighter skin to the beauty companies selling to it.In episode three, Unfair explores the deep -- and often surprising -- history of the market for skin-lightening that existed in the United States and South Africa.Unfair is hosted by Priya Rao, executive editor at Glossy, and produced by Digiday senior producer Pierre Bienaimé.

Glossy is proud to present Unfair, a podcast about the global skin-lightening industry and everything it touches, from the demand for lighter skin to the beauty companies selling to it.In episode two, Unfair covers the health problems and psychological harm these products pose to consumers at large. We hear from Minnesota and California state health department workers, the World Health Organization, and Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar.Unfair is hosted by Priya Rao, executive editor at Glossy, and produced by Digiday senior producer Pierre Bienaimé.

Glossy is proud to present Unfair, a podcast about the global skin-lightening industry and everything it touches, from the demand for lighter skin to the beauty companies selling to it.In four episodes, Unfair will explore the industry’s origins, history, systems of regulation and its future.Unfair is hosted by Priya Rao, executive editor at Glossy, and produced by Digiday senior producer Pierre Bienaimé.

Glossy is proud to present Unfair, a podcast about the global skin-lightening industry and everything it touches, from the demand for lighter skin to the beauty companies selling to it.In four episodes, Unfair will explore the industry’s origins, history and systems of regulation. It will also lay bare the societal and health problems presented by these products, whether found on store shelves around the world or sold as bootleg items on online marketplaces.This narrative series will hear from academics, activists, dermatologists, government employees and industry analysts to bring listeners a fuller understanding of this segment of the beauty industry.Unfair includes more than 30 voices, like those of U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar and former Miss America Nina Davuluri. The podcast will uncover how familiar consumer packaged goods companies and their customers have a lot to win or lose, especially as these companies seek to walk a line between progressive marketing and profits.Unfair is hosted by Priya Rao, executive editor at Glossy, and produced by Digiday producer Pierre Bienaimé. Subscribe to the Glossy Beauty Podcast now on Apple Podcasts -- or wherever you get your podcasts -- to hear the first episode on Thursday, September 17.

80% of Foreo's business comes from Luna, a small line of handheld gadgets that promise to clean the face through vibrating silicone bristles. Despite the demand for the brand as <a href="https://www.glossy.co/beauty/how-beauty-device-brands-are-avoiding-clarisonic-fate">facials have only recently resumed in cities like New York</a> -- "business is amazing," said Beki Hoxha, the vp and gm of business operations for Foreo Americas -- the Swedish company won't be making any changes to pricing."There's nothing in the world that is the 'white truffle' of technology, that we'll actually charge $1,000 and be able to justify it," Hoxha said on the Glossy Beauty Podcast. "That's why we follow the model where Luna 1 launched at $199 -- Luna 2 came out and was a much better, improved product, but it didn't go higher in price."Hoxha talked about TikTok's big advantage over incumbents like Facebook and Instagram, what makes for a great influencer in 2020 and how one of their product lines caters to the "anti-anti-aging" crowd.

It hasn't been the best year to start a whole new venture in beauty. But Victoria Beckham Beauty has done just that, launching in September 2019 and already tackling a huge market that brands with less star power might hesitate to tackle: China.Co-founder and CEO Sarah Creal (formerly of Estée Lauder) pointed to China's claim to have "the most advanced social media" as one of the big attractions to the region. "It will inform the rest of our digital strategy in the other parts of the world where we sell," Creal said on the Glossy Beauty Podcast. Despite retail interest, the brand is sold exclusively online.Victoria Beckham Beauty is primarily selling skin care in China, alongside a few makeup items on Tmall, the Alibaba-owned e-commerce platform."We are seeing upticks in eye makeup, and that makes sense because of the mask-wearing," Creal said.The pandemic has meant an uncertain forecast for growth in the direct-to-consumer company's first full calendar year. But sales have grown by double digits in recent months, said Creal. "And I don't see that slowing down. I only see that increasing." Three-quarters of customers have returned to make a purchase, she said.

For skincare brand Youth To The People, the death of retail comes to what kind of store you're running. "I think the luxury stores, the specific stores, will actually do really well because people will want that customized, very succinct experience," said co-founder Joe Cloyes on the Glossy Beauty Podcast. "Whereas I think the bigger stores, people are realizing how easy it is to buy online."The company's own pop-up store in Los Angeles, which only lasted a few months until January of this year, was in the former camp, said Cloyes. He and his cousin (and fellow co-founder) Greg Gonzalez are still planning on opening their own space at a later date.Youth To The People also sells through Sephora, it's biggest partner, but "we want people to come in and generally walk into something unique," Gonzalez said. "When you walk into a strong retail environment, especially one that's specific to a brand, you feel the essence of that brand. You know it. There's something specific you can call out."

Cara Sabin joined Sundial Brands as its CEO last December. That was when the coronavirus pandemic was a regional story rather than a global one, and before months of social unrest would renew the challenge for companies to hire and serve diverse groups."We are so fully in support of these conversations around supporting Black founders and businesses," Sabin said on the Glossy Beauty Podcast. "At SheaMoisture, we developed what we call a 'Shea List' -- a listing of over 100 businesses that we admire, first and foremost, but that we've also personally invested in to help cultivate and help them grow." SheaMoisture also announced a $1 million fund for founders of color.In addition to SheaMoisture, Sundial's brands include Nubian Heritage, Madam C.J. Walker and Nyakio. Sundial Brands was acquired by Unilever in 2017.One brand Sundial Brands recently partnered with is Brown Girl Jane, which was founded by three Black women. "Through that partnership, we're encouraging consumers to take the 'Brown Girl Swap' pledge, where they take five of their existing beauty products and swap them for products that are founded by Black women," Sabin said.

The pandemic has made Ulta Beauty's most progressive goals tougher to reach, but the beauty retailer's president, Dave Kimbell, doesn't want to put them on hold."Increasingly, guests of all ages and all types are making choices based on their values," Kimbell said on this week's episode of the Glossy Beauty Podcast.This is coming to life most dynamically in Ulta's Conscious Beauty platform, which debuts fully in October and focuses on "five pillars:" "clean ingredients, cruelty-free, vegan, sustainable packaging and positive impact," Kimbell said.Sustainable packaging is the one Ulta Beauty (and the industry as a whole, according to Kimbell) can flex on most. "We probably have the most runway ahead of us to drive greater change and have a more positive impact as it relates to packaging," Kimbell said. Last month. Ulta announced that by 2025, half of its in-store packaging will be either recycled, bio-sourced, recyclable or refillable.As for economic headwinds, Kimbell is optimistic that beauty will enjoy a rebound after the end of the pandemic."There will be in some ways I think a new renaissance in beauty, a new resurgence in beauty," Kimbell said.

Before joining Sephora, Sol de Janeiro's premium body products had another retailer stumped. "They said, 'You know, we don't know what to do with you guys,' recalled Heela Yang, one of the company's three founders and its CEO, on the Glossy Beauty Podcast. The company's butt cream, foot cream and body hair lightener put them apart from brands in beauty. "And then she said, 'You know, I think Sephora might be really into you guys.' And she was right."Yang founded the company with Camila Pierotti and Marc Capra in 2015. It partnered with Sephora the following year, going into stores nationwide weeks after its Bum Bum Cream for the derrière and its foot cream performed well on Sephora's site.A few years ago, Yang said, it was unclear whether the market for upscale products for the body was even sustainable. "If we had made a decision based on the size of the premium body care category back then, we probably wouldn't have launched this brand," she said.According to Yang, the company started with the idea of sharing Brazil's inclusive beauty culture before it started a product line. Yang lived in Brazil for a time (as did Capra), and Pierotti is from Rio de Janeiro. "There is something that starts in the beach culture of Rio -- that beauty is not any sort of universal standard to achieve, it is a feeling. Feeling comfortable in your own skin and feeling happy in your own skin. Brazilians love taking care of their bodies," said Pierotti.In the months since the Covid-19 pandemic went global, Sol de Janeiro has pivoted from in-person promotion of its products and events to a DTC-focused model. Its first fragrance, launched in mid-March just as the world came to a halt, had to be quickly shipped back from Sephora stores to fulfill online orders. But, the company's digital business is three times what it was last year, Yang said, and now makes up almost half of its total business.