When it comes to inclusivity in skin care, there are a lot of brands that get it right. There are few brands that have generational cred for getting it right. Since its inception over three decades ago, Obagi Medical has put inclusivity at the forefront of their ethos by not only formulating medical-grade skin care for all types and tones — they were the first brand to clinically test their products on all skin types and tones.
Testing and formulating for all skin types seems like a no brainer for just about every skin care brand, and while critically important to basically everyone with skin, testing across every skin tone was not standard practice 30+ years ago. But it wasn’t that they simply just found people with different skin tones to try their formulas. What it means is that they were the first skin care brand to test products across the entire Fitzpatrick Skin Spectrum. The Fitzpatrick Skin Spectrum, also known as the Fitzpatrick scale, is a numerical classification based on skin pigment that identifies different skin types based on how their skin responds to the sun. By using the Fitzpatrick scale, Obagi Medical can (and does) formulate solutions from the palest to the most melanated, ensuring equal access to the breakthrough products that have shaped the skin care industry and treat and transform just about every skin concern.
Teresa Greenfeld has worked in fashion and beauty for over 15 years as a writer, editor and content strategist. She has been privileged to work at Carbon38 as a Senior Editor, at OliviaPalermo.com as the Fashion and Beauty Director, and has amassed a resume that includes Vogue, Allure and Elle magazines. Her passions include back-to-back sheet masks, reading peer-reviewed papers on skin care, and obsessive sunscreen application. Though born in Manhattan, she currently lives in LA, and will always consider herself a New Yorker at heart.
Related Articles
