Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka is foraying into the skincare world.
The 23-year-old four-time Grand Slam champion announced Tuesday that she would be launching Kinlò, a “new functional skincare brand developed by Naomi Osaka specifically for people with melanated skin tones,” which is underserved by the broader market.
“I never thought I would ever start my own company, but I’m super excited to announce that I’ll be launching KINLÒ, a new brand of skincare products developed to protect and rejuvenate melanated skin tones,” Osaka wrote in the caption of her announcement. “I hope these products can help a lot of people and potentially save lives because I really feel that we aren’t protecting ourselves as much as we could.”
Osaka, who is of Japanese and Haitian descent, was inspired by both ethnicities for this brand – “Kin” means “gold” in Japanese, “lò” means “gold” in Haitian Creole.
“What drew me towards this project is having memories of being a kid and not knowing how to protect my skin,” Osaka told Business of Fashion. “I only started wearing sunscreen recently.”
Kinlò’s initial launch will feature an SPF 40 tinted face lotion that also protects blue light, an SPF 50 tinted face lotion formulated specifically for activity, a restorative body spray, recovery lip balm and recovery eye cream. The tinted formulas promise to blend without residue, and all of the items are affordably priced under $20.
The line is set to launch fall 2021 and will be sold direct-to-consumer via Kinlò’s website, as well as through a yet-to-be announced third-party retailer.
“For me, this project is something that requires more than just being a spokesperson,” said Osaka. “This is a public health need. I used to tell people that I didn’t need to wear sunscreen—but even if you have melanin, you need to take care of your skin, and I am passionate about that.”
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