Youthforia is closing its doors over a year after the indie makeup brand became embroiled in a social media firestorm.
The controversy erupted when shade 600 of its Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation, the darkest in the line, was excoriated by beauty influencer Golloria George as being “tar in a bottle” and “literally jet black” in an April 29 TikTok video that’s racked up 47.4 million views and 3.5 million likes. Credo, Revolve and Thirteen Lune quickly dropped the brand from their assortments. Ulta Beauty continued to carry it.
“My decision to close Youthforia was a tough one – and heartbreaking one,” said Fiona Co Chan, founder and CEO of Youthforia, in a statement. “No one prepares you for how much grief you feel when you decide to close down a brand. But starting small businesses, running small businesses and then deciding to close a small business…all of these different stages are tough, all in different ways. But I’m really grateful for the last four years – as hard as it was, it was a great journey and I have so many memorable experiences. I’m very appreciative of the last couple of years.”
Products on Youthforia’s website are now 50% off. While Co Chan didn’t explicitly address why she’s closing Youthforia, customers are speculating the closure is tied to last year’s controversy. On Instagram, a user with the handle morgan.n.b.r. wrote, “Y’all really bullied a good brand into closure. We cannot have nice things how sad..I will miss Youthforia as I have followed them back when they only had a color changing blush…I am sorry to see them go.”
Others weren’t as sanguine. An Instagram user with the handle _garlicspice wrote, “Y’all were still around? I’ve already danced on your grave.” Cosmetic chemist and consultant Julian Sass reposted Youthforia’s closure announcement to his 68,000-plus Instagram followers using the song “You Deserve It” by JJ Hairston. A caption on the post read, “Good riddance to bad rubbish girl.”
Sass doubled down on the sentiment when contacted for comment by Beauty Independent. “As a consumer, I have zero sympathy for brands who are given all of the tools and ability to be inclusive and they decide not to. Not only that, they decide to spit in the face of their black consumers by releasing a foundation that was literally black face paint and the founder ran around on social media ‘trying to find someone dark enough for this product,’” he says. “It honestly felt like the brand was mocking black people by releasing a product like that.”
He adds, “Consumer backlash is instant. We’ve seen so many brands make missteps and then course correct and improve products in the future. However, the inability to learn from those mistakes in a meaningful way and learn from your community means that this industry is not for you.”
The drama surrounding Youthforia’s Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation dates back to September 2023, when George called out the brand on TikTok for not releasing a foundation shade that matched her skin tone. It had 15 foundation shades at the time. Responding to George’s feedback in a TikTok apology video, Co Chan explained the brand meant to establish “proof of concept” with customers before expanding the shade range.
Facing further pressure, Youthforia introduced 10 additional shades of Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation in March last year, bringing the total to 25 shades. In an interview with Beauty Independent at the time, Co Chan said the brand narrowed the timeline for the expansion’s rollout from 24 months to four months. “There’s limitations in terms of the number of shades I can do, but there’s things I can control,” she said. “The distribution of the shade family, that’s something, and putting feedback into action as quickly as possible, but doing it thoughtfully.”
Unfortunately, influencers, cosmetic chemists, customers and retailers viewed Youthforia’s inclusivity efforts as anything but thoughtful. Soon after George posted her April 2024 TikTok video, cosmetic chemist Javon Ford pointed out that shade 600 contained only pure black pigment. Youthforia responded to the backlash on June 4 last year in an Instagram post that’s since been deleted. It acknowledged the backlash to shade 600 without expressly apologizing.
The post said, “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.”
By September last year, the brand hired Oby Jemedafe, former director of marketing and product development at Uoma and marketing and product development consultant at Cécred, as director of product development. Tasked with steering Youthforia’s inclusivity efforts from the ground up, Jemedafe oversaw 19 key responsibilities across product development leadership, project management, regulatory compliance, product marketing and DEI initiatives such as engaging with the BIPOC community and collaborating with vendors to ensure DEI considerations are integrated into the product development process. On LinkedIn, Jemedafe lists her role at Youthforia completed in March.
Co Chan released a more direct apology about the shade 600 fiasco simultaneously with the announcement of Jemedafe’s appointment. “I just want to be clear, there was never any ill intent when we were creating any of the shades, but a few things did slip through the cracks, and for that, I am genuinely, genuinely sorry. I never want to create products that are negative…but this product really offended you guys,” she said. “It really hurt you guys, and for that, I will always be very sorry.”
Youthforia eventually dropped shade 600 from its range, but the damage had already been done. According to the publication Women’s Wear Daily, the brand’s direct-to-consumer traffic fell 30% after the scandal, and it lost around 3,000 social media followers. Previously, its sales had been advancing at a triple-digit pace.
“You can’t add on inclusivity after the fact,” wrote Dominica Baird, chair of the business of beauty and fragrance at Savannah College of Art and Design and former global director of trends and innovation at Maybelline, in a LinkedIn post on Youthforia’s closure. “A single DEI hire does not undo months of ignoring lived experience. Inclusion is not a PR response. It is a product development strategy. It is a hiring strategy. It is a trust strategy.”
Baird continued, “This is not just about Youthforia. It is a reminder that in beauty, hubris looks like skipping the work. Assuming intention matters more than execution. Believing a good brand story can replace real consumer understanding. Youthforia had momentum, visibility, and a story. But none of that matters if your execution shows you weren’t listening. That is the price of hubris.”
Launched in 2021, Youthforia made a name for itself by proclaiming its makeup products were so gentle on the skin that customers could sleep in them. Its $36 BYO Color Changing Blush Oil, a product that reacted to the skin’s natural pH level to reveal its tint, was a bestseller. In April 2023, it secured funding from early-stage beauty and wellness investment firm True Beauty Ventures, Willow Growth and entrepreneur, investor and ABC television show “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban.
Youthforia appeared on “Shark Tank” in March 2023, and Co Chan asked the sharks for a $400,000 cash infusion for 5% equity at a $8 million valuation. She secured $400,000 from Cuban for 8% equity. Youthforia was Cuban’s first makeup brand investment. The brand generated $2 million sales in its first 16 months, according to financial details it included in its “Shark Tank” pitch. Its sales were projected to more than double in 2023.
Youthforia participated in the inaugural Bridge Mentorship cohort in 2022. Operated in partnership between Beauty Independent and True Beauty Ventures, the program readies emerging beauty brands for scaling and fundraising.
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