Is it just me, or does it seem like the beauty industry is either black or white? I'm not only talking about skin color, curly or straight hair, blonde or brunette. Very few brands try to proactively recruit Latinas who are of many beautiful shades and colors. I guess because of our own diversity, the industry expects that each Latina fit herself in one of the two categories mentioned above. It's time to be a bit more inclusive, don't you think?
All women, regardless of skin type, hair color and texture have beauty needs. There's no point to segregating the beauty aisle, when in reality it should be sorted out by universal concerns just like in the "personal health" aisle. If you're looking for band-aids, for example, they don't have "ethnic band-aids," which the brand could hypothetically say (stays longer on brown skin). No such thing, they simply offer "waterproof" or "friction block."
As a lifestyle editor, I see the lack of diversity constantly. For instance, It's nearly impossible to find great quality stock images featuring Latinas. Yes, there are a few, but not nearly as many with Caucasian models. Another issue is the content itself. It is still pretty much the same today, as it was sixty years ago.
It seems grandma is our best beauty authority. When she was around, the industry was still developing, there were only a couple shades of lipsticks, and shampoos. They were expensive, so the old lady was resourceful enough to use ingredients nature provided to enhance her beauty routine. Now, the industry is saturated with products to please every woman's desire, but still Abuela and her potions are the best choice for Latinas. In order to gain clicks, and page views an article must have keywords like: "Home Remedies," "Natural Ingredients," and "Grandma's Favorite." Its 2016 and minorities are the largest consumer group!
Brands should make an effort and really target minorities. Yeah, sure, we've seen Sofía Vergara, Eva Mendes, Génesis Rodríguez, Eva Longoria, Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, America Ferrera and Gina Rodriguez, in a commercial or two, but what about average girls? I know we like to celebrate when one of our own triumph. We all cheer and think: " I'm glad she made it" or "I'm so proud this Latina landed the cover of an X magazine". Enough with the sympathy vote, they deserve it, and should be brand ambassadors.
They represent a large population of women actively using a variety of products, both top-of-the-line and low-end. I encourage beauty brands to include minority women in their general market package. We buy products that work well for us (regardless of the price), but also want to identify with them. Multiculturalism is stronger than ever, and will continue to grow as the years go by. I'm glad to see that a brand like Shea Moisture is taking a stand on African-American beauty diversity. Others should follow! I guess, in the meantime, we can always count on grandma to give us a couple beauty tips.