Tennis star Naomi Osaka spends a lot of time in the sun. Now, she’s launching a skincare line, Kinló, which is targeted for people of color.
Osaka, who is of Japanese and Haitian heritage, is focused on educating people with darker skin about the importance of protecting their skin.
“I realized only recently how little people with melanated skin know about sunscreen and skin protection,” she said, noting a common assumption is that only people with light skin need to protect themselves.
Awareness
Osaka was shocked by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report showing lower survival rates among non-Hispanic Black people with melanoma than among non-Hispanic white people.
“There’s a lack of awareness in the skin color community regarding skin cancer,” said dermatologist Dr. Naana Boakye, MD. “People of color feel that skin cancer doesn’t affect us because of our increased melanin. When it does affect us, the prognosis is poor because it’s diagnosed in the later stage.”
She says people with darker skin, such as African Americans and Hispanic people, tend to have a natural SPF of 13 — but that’s not enough to protect from skin cancer risks and aging.
Entrepreneurial vision
Osaka is on a mission to help people of color get educated about their skin, including wearing sunscreen consistently.
“Once I learned about the misconceptions that people with melanated skin have about sun and skin protection, I knew that I wanted to develop a line that offered great products specifically made for people of color,” she said.
Osaka connected with Dr. Boakye, who’s helping design the Kinló products. She credits Dr. Boakye with helping her learn about the science. GoDaddy helped build the platform and site. “I was able to bring my entrepreneurial vision to life,” said Osaka.
The skincare line will launch in fall of 2021 with five products, including tinted face lotions with SPF 40 and 50, respectively, as well as a lip balm. All the products will be under $20.
Daily ritual
Dr. Boakye advises everyone to wear SPF 30+ sunscreen and sun protective clothing daily, including wide brim hats to cover the face and neck and sunglasses.
Osaka, the number two tennis player in the world, agrees: “I always wear sunscreen and reapply when I’m outside playing or training,” she said, noting she also wears sunscreen indoors to protect against the blue light rays coming from her phone and computer.
She advises everyone, “Just make applying sunscreen a daily ritual and you can keep yourself protected.”
To stay informed about all things Kinló, please visit https://kinlo.com/.
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