Art

nigerian sister entrepreneurs create sunscreen specifically for black skin

May 17, 2017

Creating a solution for a common problem black people face when it comes to skin care and beauty products, Nigerian sisters and entrepreneurs Chinelo Chidozie and Ndidi Obidoa created their community-driven beauty line, Bolden. Using locally produced shea nuts from Burkina Faso, Bolden centers women of color and their unique, overlooked skincare needs, like hyper-pigmentation created by unprotected sun exposure.

“A lot of black people don’t wear sunblock because they don’t see the damage immediately. There’s an issue with education around sunscreen in the black community,“ Chinelo told OkayAfrica. “Even though skin cancer doesn’t affect people of color as much as it affects people with white skin, that makes it more dangerous because it’s often not caught until it’s in an advanced stage.”

In addition to misconceptions about skin damage and dark skin, another reason why black folks tend to skip the sunscreen is the milky film coating that most brands leave on skin that’s not white. “[When buying beauty products] I always ask myself, ‘Is this a product that will leave a white cast on me?’ and then I realize, whoever made the sunblock probably didn’t have me in mind,” Chinelo continued. “As consumers, we’re so used to trying products to see if they’ll work. In 2017, that’s not okay.”

Bolden’s skin brightening SPA moisturizer, along with their entire product line, aims to help fill in these gaps in skincare needs for WOC by creating more options for a wider range of skin types and complexations.

By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor

Photo via OkayAfrica/Bolden

Photo via Bolden

https://www.facebook.com/BoldenUSA
https://twitter.com/BoldenUSA
https://www.instagram.com/boldenusa/

*Erin White is an Atlanta-based writer and AFROPUNK’s editorial and social media assistant. You can follow her on Tumblr or friend her on Facebook. Have a pitch or an inquiry? Shoot her an email at erin@afropunk.com.

Related