Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union launch baby care line for ‘melanated skin tones’
"We’re proud to have a range of products that caters to the unique skin care needs of children of color," the couple said.
Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade are getting into the baby skin care game with the launch of their “Proudly” collection for children of color.
The baby skin care line and diaper products were specifically created for Black and brown kids, whose distinct skin concerns have been historically overlooked in the market.
“We’re so excited to officially announce our new baby company, Proudly. As we continue to work on new endeavors together, our goal is to always center our work around being the change we want to see while championing diversity, equity and inclusion,” the couple said in a joint statement, as reported by BuzzFeed.
“With Proudly, we’re proud to have a range of products that caters to the unique skin care needs of children of color that are so often overlooked in the mass market.”
Union and Wade teamed with Pamela Cholankeril, formerly of Estée Lauder Companies Inc., to serve as president of Proudly, and dermatologist Naana Boakye, M.D., helped formulate the ingredients.
“It is imperative that skin care brands take into account the structural and functional differences in melanated skin prior to formulating skin care products,” Boakye said in a statement.
“If not, the ingredients in the products can cause skin irritation, hyperpigmentation, or possibly exacerbate an existing condition. In formulating each and every Proudly product we have taken into account each ingredient that would help maintain the wellness and health of the skin barrier.”
“Effectively, 50.2% of kids born after 2013 have one non-white parent. There are so many people in this category of children that have melanated skin with unique properties. It’s interesting we call it a white space when it’s in support of such a big population,” Cholankeril added.
The official Instagram account for Proudly posted an announcement that read, “Truly excited to announce PROUDLY, an everyday baby care line created specifically for our littlest loves with melanated skin tones from the first truly diverse, representative baby products company founded by @gabunion and @dwyanewade. #proudly”
Proudly will launch later this year via the brand’s website, proudlycompany.com, with a national roll out to retailers in 2022.
Last month, theGrio caught up with Union and Wade to dish about the children’s book they penned in honor of their daughter, Kaavia James.
As the youngest member of the Union-Wade pack, 3-year-old Kaavia has made her mark on the world, earning the nickname #ShadyBaby, due to her no-nonsense demeanor and unenthused, yet adorable, facial expressions.
“We came up with the idea of the children’s book from Kaav. We’ve let who she becomes lead us. The more we were starting to see how folks were interacting with her and her page, we noticed how people believe she writes her own captions (lol) but that many people saw her and her “shade” as freedom,” Union explained.
“So we wanted to develop a children’s book that positioned Black girls as leaders and shade as their superpower. When you think of shade and think of Kaav being “shady,” it’s because someone has not respected her boundaries or has done something she doesn’t like.”
She added, “Shady Baby and the main character is just being evident on good behavior, bad behavior, and a little Black girl leading the account with her friends. It’s sweet and accessible, but rooted in freedom to lead, freedom to be vulnerable, freedom to see accountability as a great thing,” she added.”
The Shady Baby book is now available at bookstores.
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