No One Is Impressed By Youthforia's Apology
Youthforia has finally addressed the controversy sparked by its darkest foundation shade, a seemingly pitch black tone that critics have described as "tar in a bottle."
Founded in 2021, Youthforia specializes in "makeup you can sleep in," according to its website and social media. In an episode of Shark Tank that aired in 2023, founder Fiona Co Chan secured a $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban, an achievement that set the stage for Youthforia's hero product launch: Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation.
When the foundation released in 2023, Black creators voiced their disappointment with the shade range, which included four medium to deep options. In a now-deleted video, Chan responded by stating that the product launch was a “proof of concept" to see if the foundation caught on among consumers.
A year later, Youthforia again found itself at the center of conversation regarding how brands should, and shouldn't, handle shade development. In early March, the brand added 10 new shades to its Date Night foundation range — indication that Youthforia was listening to its customers.
But shoppers quickly noticed that the darkest shade, 600 Deep, wasn't photographed on a model. Instead, Youthforia's TikTok posted a video (it has since been deleted) of Chan attempting to find a model whose skin matched the foundation color. She eventually found one at a mall in Dubai.
Once customers got their hands on 600 Deep, they began to understand why it was so hard for Chan to find a model. In a video that has amassed over 38 million views, beauty influencer Golloria George tries the foundation on, noting that it looks more like black paint than makeup.
Lifelike foundation shades are formulated with a range of pigments to match the varying undertones (cool, neutral, olive, warm) in people's skin. Cosmetic chemist Javon Ford pointed out that Youthforia's 600 Deep contains only one pigment: CI 77499, or black iron oxide.
"When we say that we want you guys to make shades for us, we don’t mean to go to the lab and ask for minstrel show black,” George says in her viral video. “What we mean is to take the browns that you have made, create undertones and do what you need to do in the lab so it’s a darker shade of brown.”
Youthforia didn't do much to respond to the (very valid) concerns of creators like George. The brand limited comments on its official Instagram account, which remained silent posting for the entire month of May.
On June 4, Youthforia finally addressed the situation. "We care about our customers and as we continue to drive change, we are creating a new position internally dedicated to examining both our current products and those in development so we can best meet your needs," its latest post declares.
A page on Youthforia's website elaborates on the role, dubbed Director of Product Development. Key responsibilities include managing the brand's product development process in "alignment with Youthforia's brand values and DEI goals," assessing the company's current and upcoming products "to identify opportunities for expanding shade ranges and inclusivity," and leading "initiatives to increase representation and inclusivity in product offerings."
Onlookers aren't exactly impressed. "Just went to look at the job. Why is this a DEI director AND product development position?" one comment, "liked" over 400 times, reads.
"What an unbelievably disappointing response — zero acknowledgment or accountability and after weeks of silence nonetheless," another states.
Others highlight perhaps the most disheartening part of the saga: shade 600 Deep is, at the time of publishing, still available to purchase on Youthforia's website.
