MPHO RANTAO
TENNIS champion Naomi Osaka is venturing into beauty with her own skincare brand for melanated skin.
Osaka announced that she will be launching a sun and skincare line specifically made for darker-skinned people called KINLÒ.
“What drew me toward this project is having memories of being a kid and not knowing how to protect my skin,” Osaka told Business of Fashion. “I only started wearing sunscreen recently.”
Naomi Osaka continues to explain that one of the reasons behind the creation of her skincare line is that she felt that like herself, many darker-skinned people don’t have the right information and education on proper sun care for melanated skin.
In her interview, Osaka explains that each product for KINLÒ is specifically formulated to protect skin under rigorous activities and promises that darker-skinned people who used her skincare line would not see or have to deal with the leftover white-tinted residue on their skin.
She excitedly shared the news on her Instagram account, writing “I never thought I would ever start my own company … I hope these products can help a lot of people and potentially save lives because I really feel that we aren’t protecting ourselves as much as we could.”
She adds that she is working closely on the entire collection with dermatologist Dr Naana Boakye, explaining that KINLÒ intends to create products that are beneficial rather than harsh on the skin.
“This is a public health need. I used to tell people that I didn’t need to wear sunscreen — but even if you have melanin, you need to take care of your skin, and I am passionate about that,” she said.
