After relative silence since President Donald Trump was elected for a second term, beauty and wellness brands are speaking out against federal immigration enforcement practices in Minneapolis following the fatal shootings of two residents, mobilizing donations, organizing employee actions and directing customers toward grassroots efforts.
The response is expanding Friday into a nationwide day of action, as businesses across the country commit to an economic boycott, coordinated donations and employee participation in community support efforts. Minnesota-based brands including Lip Esteem, HiBar, Terrain Brazilian Botanicals and Blncd Naturals are participating, along with those outside the state such as Fūm, Everyday Oil, Unbound, Mater Soap and Kush Queen.
Cocokind, Krave Beauty, Remedy, Educated Mess, Dieux, Experiment and Chillhouse have committed portions of sales to immigrant advocacy organizations. Momotaro Apotheca, Undefined, Rizos Curls, Eadem, Bright Black Candle and Ritual Skincare are among several beauty and wellness brands that have posted on social media to express solidarity with Minnesotans opposing the tactics of federal immigration enforcement and suggesting ways their followers can act such as contacting lawmakers.
The brand actions follow United States Border Patrol officers tackling 37-year-old Alex Pretti to the ground and killing him on Jan. 24. Earlier in the month, on Jan. 7, 37-year-old Renée Good was fatally shot in her car by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross. Both incidents occurred amid Operation Metro Surge, a joint ICE and Border Patrol initiative that brought a large federal law enforcement presence to Minneapolis and Saint Paul in December.
Bruna Valente, an immigrant, Minnesotan and founder of Terrain Brazilian Botanicals, says, “I stand and speak from an immigrant founder’s perspective who, for the first time in almost 20 years here, has felt unwelcome. Personally, I’ve checked on and supported families affected in deeper ways than I have, sometimes with a hug or words of hope, other times with grocery bags.”
Brands may be apprehensive about publicly criticizing the actions of the U.S. government, risking lost business or retaliation. However, Allison Vaillancourt, founder of Minneapolis-based Blncd Naturals, believes that silence from local brands is akin to a tacit endorsement of the actions of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.
“Enough is enough. Right now, our neighbors are being terrorized by federal immigration actions happening in our own backyard, and it is essential to stand with them,” she says. “If you’re a Minnesota-based business or brand and you choose not to say anything, that silence is still a statement. Being vocal is part of taking responsibility for the communities that support your work and your livelihood.”
Many beauty and wellness brands have previous experience navigating perilous political issues dating back to the Black Lives Matter protests after George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis in 2020. And they tend to speak to audiences receptive to their messages.
Beauty and wellness brands’ customers are primarily women, and women’s approval of Trump has been low and is dropping, with the most recent polls showing it in the 30% to 35% range. A poll from YouGov and The Economist finds 46% of Americans now favor abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, compared with 43% who want to keep it.
Visibly emotional during a beauty editor call Tuesday to unveil her brand’s latest launches, Lindsay Holden, co-founder of Minneapolis-based Odele, says, “The scope, scale and human impact of what’s happening here in Minneapolis is quite frankly, staggering. Minnesotans pride ourselves on inclusion, optimism and a deep sense of civic responsibility, not for credit, but because it’s the right thing to do.”
On Jan. 26, the haircare brand posted on its Instagram account urging people to visit Stand with Minnesota, an online donation directory listing grassroots organizations and campaigns to support in the state. Holden explains she was following the lead of community members responding to the situation with “care, courage and responsibility.”
“We chose to use our voice to shine a light on the humanity behind the headlines, to acknowledge both the horror and the hope that exist side by side right now and to help serve as a resource for a community that is showing so much love, support and solidarity for one another in this moment,” says Holden. “The long and the short of it: See something, say something and, perhaps most importantly, do something.”
Allison Vaillancourt, founder of Minneapolis-based Blncd Naturals, is encouraging people to seek out organizations with boots on the ground in Minnesota like the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota, ACLU of Minnesota, Twin Cities Food Justice, Unidos MN and Monarca. “Donate if you can, share their resources and boost their calls to action, and just as importantly, call and email your elected representatives and demand solutions that prioritize safety, dignity and basic human rights,” she says. “Real change comes from sustained pressure and collective action.”
HiBar has donated $1,800 worth of personal care products, including deodorants, face washes and haircare samples to be delivered to locals who aren’t leaving their homes for fear of being apprehended or harassed by ICE agents. “We are offering flexible work hours to employees so they can participate in community support,” says HiBar president and co-founder Nora Schaper. “Our warehouse manager has 3D-printed and distributed thousands of whistles.”
Nearly every brand and founder that has spoken out about Minnesota has received some backlash, usually in the form of lost followers or comments telling them to stick to beauty. Dieux co-founder and chief brand officer Charlotte Palermino, an outspoken Trump critic and skincare influencer, took one such comment and responded to it with a social media video highlighting how issues in the political sphere like tariffs and employee benefits impact a beauty business. Dieux donated a lump sum of $10,000 and a portion of sales proceeds to Immigrant Law Center and MN Together.
In a caption on the video, Palermino wrote, “You’re a person before you’re an influencer ❤️ you can and should speak up. Critical thinking doesn’t stop with evaluating sunscreen. I encourage everyone who can to get LOUD…Immigration is a civil issue. ICE shouldn’t have guns or be militant in the first place. They are bringing violence to the streets, so get rid of them. Not with my tax dollars.”
