Photo by Alison Conklin
Kimberly Hairston-Hicks of Good Beauté
During her previous work for large beauty corporations, Kimberly Hairston-Hicks noticed a need for products catered specifically to black women. Enter Good Beauté—a beauty company “founded by a black woman for black women”—which she launched online in October 2018. The first product that motivated her was sunscreen. There is a myth that people with darker skin tones do not need sunscreen, which is completely false. Everyone needs it, regardless of skin tone or how much they burn. And Hairston-Hicks explains that women with melanin-enriched skin types don’t necessarily gravitate towards using sunscreen due to the white cast it can give. So, she worked with a chemist she knew from her time in the industry, and they created an SPF that was made specifically for black women and wouldn’t give off that white cast when applied. “I always have to have my SPF 50. Not just when it’s sunny,” says Hairston-Hicks. “Every day.”
Customers can shop Good Beauté sunscreen online, along with their vitamin-rich cleanser and a serum that helps to lock in extra moisture. When it came to launching her own business, Hairston-Hicks says, “I didn’t allow fear to stop me from chasing my dreams.”
