Youthforia, the makeup brand that achieved notoriety in 2021 thanks to a significant $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban, is seeking to redress its public image. Leading this new direction is newly appointed product development director, Oby Jemedafe, formerly of Uoma Beauty and Cécred hair care brand.
Jemedafe will bring to Youthforia his extensive experience in the beauty industry and keen understanding of product development. At Uoma Beauty, his development of a comprehensive 51-shade foundation range earned the brand significant recognition upon its debut in 2019. More recently, he served as a product and marketing consultant for pop superstar Beyoncé’s hair care brand, Cécred, known for its offerings for various hair types.
His appointment comes as Youthforia attempts to address a controversial incident from May. The brand prompted widespread dissatisfaction following the launch of 10 more shades of its $48 Date Night Serum Foundation. Many consumers expressed concerns that the darkest shade bore a startling resemblance to black face paint. Discussion escalated when beauty influencer Golloria George (@golloria) produced a viral video that displayed shocking similarities between the now-discontinued shade and a jar of black face paint.
Even chemists threw their hats in the ring. Well-known beauty chemist Javon Ford (@javonford16) dissected the formulation, pointing out that unlike other shades in the series, the darkest shade listed just one pigment – a pure black iron oxide. He noted that this made it unsuitable for human skin with undertones.
Originally launched in September 2023, consumers were quick to critique the 15-shade Date Night Serum Foundation. Despite being marketed as adaptive to skin tone, it was perceived as lacking suitable shades for dark-skinned consumers. The company rolled out an additional 10 shades in March of this year but discontinued shade 600, the controversial darkest shade, in May following the widespread backlash.
The effects of the controversy were far-reaching. Not only did Credo Beauty and Revolve sever ties with Youthforia, but the brand’s direct-to-consumer website traffic also dropped by 30 percent and it reported a loss of around 3,000 social media followers. However, Ulta Beauty has upheld its partnership with Youthforia, continuing to stock the brand in more than 500 doors. Furthermore, Mark Cuban remains committed as an investor despite the controversy.
Addressing the issue, Youthforia CEO, Fiona Co Chan, acknowledged faults in the shade expansion process and expressed regret over rushing the procedure to coincide with another planned launch. Now, with lessons learned, Jemedafe and Co Chan intend to institute several changes to Youthforia’s testing and development processes.
Driving the instituted changes is the aim to cement inclusive formulation at Youthforia’s forefront. Jemedafe stated that all future products would undergo comprehensive testing on all skin types, tones, and ages from the ideation phase to the product launch. Consultants, makeup artists, industry veterans, and influencers are set to be called upon at every stage to ensure proper representation for all individuals.
These efforts form part of a broader company “audit” to ensure that all products meet high standards of representation. Currently, the focus is the Date Night foundation range, but Jemedafe hints that more is to come.
Rebuilding trust within the community is a critical priority for Youthforia. This is emphasized by their CEO, Fiona Co Chan, who said, “We’ve learned a lot from this process. We’re a brand that has always peeled back the curtain for consumers and let them see what it’s like to start and grow a brand, and as we continue to learn and make commitments to improvement, we will continue to share those with our community.”
