The beauty industry is broken on inclusivity. Not because brands don't talk about it — they do, loudly, across marketing materials and social media. But because most skincare is still formulated for Fitzpatrick I–III skin, with melanin-rich skin treated as a marketing afterthought rather than a formulation priority.
The evidence is everywhere. Clinical trials for skincare actives overwhelmingly feature lighter skin. Dermatology textbooks show presentations of skin conditions primarily on white skin, training clinicians to miss or misdiagnose the same conditions when they present differently on darker skin. Major skincare ingredients were validated for efficacy and safety on a narrow demographic, then marketed to everyone as if the science applied universally.
This isn't a messaging problem. It's a science problem. And it affects millions of people with melanin-rich skin every day.
The Fitzpatrick Problem: How the Skincare Industry Standardized on Lighter Skin
The Fitzpatrick skin phototype system, created in 1975, was designed to classify white skin for UV dosing in psoriasis treatment. Types V and VI (brown and black skin) were added later as an afterthought to a system that had already embedded lighter-skin assumptions into its very structure. This foundation matters because it still shapes how skincare efficacy is measured today.
The scale's limitations are well-documented. A 2024 study of 92 patient records found that only 37% had consistent Fitzpatrick classifications across notes — 30% had multiple conflicting classifications in the same chart. Statistical analysis reveals the scale's inadequacy for dark skin: variance in skin tone measurements was 353.35 for Black participants and 53.70 for Latino participants versus only 11.37 for white participants. The scale lumps enormous diversity into just two categories.
The Monk Skin Tone Scale, released in 2023, provides six categories for medium-to-dark skin versus Fitzpatrick's two, with each tone mapped to objective measurements. A 2025 JAAD letter recommended that dermatology not overlook this tool. Yet most skincare companies still build their clinical trial programs and product claims on Fitzpatrick categories designed before darker skin diversity was seriously considered.
Why Formulation for Lighter Skin Became the Industry Standard
Clinical trial bias:
Black and African American participants comprise only 7.9% of dermatology clinical trial participants despite making up 13.6% of the US population. Only 30% of recent psoriasis trials met a diversity threshold of ≥20% minority enrollment. This means the evidence base for most skincare actives is built on a narrow demographic.
Presentation masking in darker skin:
Inflammation in darker skin appears as violaceous, gray, or brown hues rather than red, causing erythema to be visually obscured by melanin. Standard clinical assessment tools calibrated for visible redness fail in dark skin, leading clinicians trained on lighter-skin presentations to miss or misdiagnose eczema, rosacea, and contact dermatitis.
Historical formulation choices:
Most active ingredients were developed and validated on lighter skin. Once an ingredient became standard, it persisted. Brands building products decades later inherited these same actives without re-testing safety or efficacy on melanin-rich skin, perpetuating the bias forward.
Cost and inertia:
Reformulating products for melanin-rich skin requires additional clinical testing, ingredient adjustments, and supply chain changes. The easier path is marketing existing products as inclusive rather than reformulating them to be truly inclusive.
What Real Inclusivity in Skincare Formulation Looks Like
Inclusive skincare formulation means understanding melanin-rich skin's structural and biological reality. This is different from marketing. Formulation inclusivity accounts for how melanin density affects ingredient penetration, how inflammation presents without visible redness, how post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) develops more severely in darker skin, and how certain actives can trigger irritation that worsens — rather than improves — the very conditions they're meant to treat.
Melanin-rich skin has structural differences that affect product performance. Darker skin contains larger, individually dispersed melanosomes (the organelles that produce melanin) rather than the clustered melanosomes in lighter skin. This provides superior UV protection — but it also means that the visible effects of exfoliation, actives, and hydration can look and feel different. A product that visibly brightens lighter skin might not appear to do anything on melanin-rich skin, even if it's working biochemically.
African American skin features a thicker stratum corneum, higher baseline elasticity, greater skin thickness, and naturally delayed photoaging compared to lighter skin. But it also shows different patterns of aging, barrier recovery, and sensitivity. Products tested on lighter skin may over-penetrate in darker skin (causing irritation) or under-penetrate (reducing efficacy). Testing only on lighter skin hides both problems.
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation is the invisible crisis. PIH is the most common acquired pigmentary disorder in melanin-rich skin populations. Incidence of PIH following acne in darker skin tones can reach 65%. Yet most acne treatments — from benzoyl peroxide to retinoids — were validated for efficacy on lighter skin, without measuring their impact on PIH risk in darker skin. The result: products prescribed to treat acne can paradoxically trigger the dark marks that persist long after the breakout heals.
Real inclusive formulation tests for PIH risk. It means choosing exfoliating acids (like mandelic acid) that penetrate slowly and reduce inflammation, rather than glycolic acid which can irritate and worsen post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. It means testing retinoid concentrations on darker skin to find the threshold between efficacy and irritation that triggers PIH. It means understanding that inflammation in melanin-rich skin doesn't announce itself with redness — so safety claims based on "no visible redness" miss actual irritation.
Marketing Inclusivity vs. Formulating for Inclusivity: Where Most Brands Fail
Many skincare brands market inclusivity without reformulating. They expand shade ranges, hire more diverse marketing talent, and make statements about celebrating all skin tones. These are genuine improvements. But they don't change the underlying product architecture.
When a brand uses darker skin tones in marketing but formulates the product for lighter skin, it creates a false promise. The customer sees themselves represented, buys the product expecting it to work for their skin, and then experiences the gap between what the marketing suggested and what the formulation delivers.
Real inclusion requires:
- Clinical testing on Fitzpatrick IV–VI skin types at the development stage, not after launch
- Reformulation of actives to account for melanin's effects on ingredient penetration and sensitivity
- Testing specifically for post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation risk in darker skin
- Understanding how inflammation presents without visible redness in melanin-rich skin
- Choosing ingredient combinations that address melanin-rich skin's specific needs, not lighter skin's needs applied universally
The FDA's Diversity Action Plan (released as draft guidance in June 2024, expected to be finalized by June 2025) will require all pivotal and phase 3 trials to specify enrollment goals by age, ethnicity, sex, and race — and explain any lack of diversity. This is a regulatory shift toward what should have been standard practice decades ago. But it also reveals how far behind the industry still is.
The Key Differences Between Marketing Inclusivity and Formulation Inclusivity
Marketing inclusivity:
Using diverse faces in advertising, making statements about celebrating all skin tones, expanding brand accessibility, highlighting founder backgrounds. These matter for representation. But they don't change whether the product works differently on melanin-rich skin.
Formulation inclusivity:
Testing actives on Fitzpatrick IV–VI skin before product launch. Adjusting ingredient concentrations based on how melanin affects penetration. Measuring safety and efficacy across skin tones simultaneously, not sequentially. Reformulating to reduce PIH risk in darker skin. Choosing ingredients that address darker skin's specific architecture and biology.
Clinical trial representation gap:
Black and African American participants are dramatically underrepresented in dermatology trials. Without diverse trial populations, efficacy and safety claims cannot be applied universally. This is why products "tested on all skin types" often mean tested on lighter skin, then marketed to everyone.
The perception problem:
Customers with melanin-rich skin can feel the difference between a product formulated for their skin and a product formulated for lighter skin and marketed to them. Brands that invest in genuine formulation inclusivity earn trust that marketing alone cannot create.
What Loved01 Customers Experience: When Formulation Actually Accounts for Melanin-Rich Skin
As a darker skinned person, I am always fighting the effects of dry skin, and the ashy appearance from it. With the Loved01 - Face & Body Moisturizer those problems go away. I have applied to my hands it made a tremendous difference and the moisture lasts. — SoonerFan
This body and face moisturizer is just what I needed for my melanin skin. This gives me the boost in hydration I've been looking for. This moisturizer keeps my face feeling soft and it doesn't make my face feel dry. — Chrissy94c
I love this body wash! I can only use very gentle products on my skin and this product has been wonderful. I love that it is designed for my darker skin tone, that the ingredients are so gentle, and that it smells so nice. Leaves my skin feeling super soft. — krisseyv92
Frequently Asked Questions About Inclusive Skincare
What brands are truly inclusive?
True inclusivity in skincare means formulating for melanin-rich skin at the product development stage, not adding shade ranges after the fact. It requires understanding the structural and biological differences in darker skin tones, testing efficacy and safety across Fitzpatrick IV–VI skin types, and tailoring product architecture — not just marketing messaging. Look for brands that publicly discuss their clinical trial demographics and make ingredient adjustments specifically for melanin-rich skin, not brands that simply use diverse models in advertising.
Why does inclusive skincare cost more?
Formulating inclusively requires additional clinical testing, ingredient sourcing, and supply chain investment. Brands that reformulate for melanin-rich skin from the development stage incur higher costs than brands that develop one formula and market it universally. However, truly inclusive skincare doesn't always cost more — some brands prioritize inclusivity without premium pricing. Cost reflects investment in testing, not inherent ingredient expense.
How can I tell if a product is formulated for my skin?
Look for clinical data specific to darker skin tones, not just "tested on all skin types." Check if the brand publicly discloses trial demographics. Read customer reviews from people with similar skin tones to yours. Pay attention to how the product performs on melanin-rich skin specifically — does it leave ashy residue, does it irritate without visible redness, does it trigger dark marks after breakouts? The best test is real-world experience, either your own or from customers who share your skin type.
What is post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation and why does it matter?
Post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) is dark spots or patches that appear after inflammation — acne, eczema, or even aggressive treatments like strong peels or laser procedures. PIH is the most common acquired pigmentary disorder in melanin-rich skin and can persist for months or years. It matters because products meant to treat acne or inflammation can paradoxically trigger PIH if not carefully formulated for darker skin. Inclusive skincare specifically tests to minimize PIH risk.
Does my skin really need products formulated for melanin-rich skin specifically?
Not necessarily — a well-formulated product works for all skin tones. However, products specifically formulated for melanin-rich skin often address concerns more relevant to darker skin (PIH prevention, ashy residue, irritation that triggers dark marks) and tend to be gentler while remaining effective. The real question is whether a product was tested on skin tones similar to yours. If efficacy and safety were proven only on lighter skin, that evidence gap matters for your skin.
What Comes Next: Building the Inclusive Skincare Industry
The industry is slowly shifting. The FDA's push toward diversity in clinical trials, the adoption of better skin tone scales like the Monk system, and the visibility of Black dermatologists and skincare scientists working to fill the evidence gap — these are structural changes that matter. But they're not fast enough for the millions of people whose skin concerns have been ignored by the skincare industry for decades.
Real inclusivity in skincare isn't a marketing strategy. It's a commitment to understanding melanin-rich skin's biology, reformulating products accordingly, and backing those claims with clinical evidence. It means acknowledging that a product developed for lighter skin doesn't automatically work the same way on melanin-rich skin — and testing that assumption rather than assuming it away.
The brands that will win over the next decade are those that treat inclusivity not as a box to check but as a foundational design principle. They test on diverse skin tones from day one. They reformulate when the data demands it. They listen to customers with melanin-rich skin and adjust accordingly. And they do this not because it's good marketing, but because it's the right way to do skincare science.
Dig Deeper: Related Guides
- Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation: How It Forms and How to Prevent It
- What Melanin-Rich Skin Needs (and What Most Brands Get Wrong)
- Why Sensitivity Presents Differently in Melanin-Rich Skin
- Beyond the Fitzpatrick Scale: Why Skin Tone Classification Matters
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