In 2023, two years after its debut, the brand stumbled into its first big scandal. Critics who claimed that the spectrum of skin tones was not adequately represented in the selection of only 15 foundation hues included some well-known beauty influencers. Youthforia is a company well-known for its Shark Tank debut.
Well-known beauty influencer Golloria used TikTok to draw attention to the issue by likening the foundation to “tar in a bottle.” In a widely shared video, she demonstrated striking similarities between the black face paint and the foundation. Golloria’s video went viral, receiving 1.3 million likes and 17.9 million views.
In addition, Golloria compared the second-darkest shade, 590, to the problematic shade 600. The stark contrast between the two hues highlighted how unsuitable Youthforia’s option was for those with darker skin tones and brown complexion.
Youthforia’s shade selection has already drawn criticism. In October of last year, Golloria expressed worries about shade 495, since it turned out to be misaligned. In an interview with TIME, she expressed her unhappiness at the brand’s ongoing failure to represent darker skin tones accurately.
Los Angeles-based Javon Ford, a TikToker and cosmetic chemist, criticized Youthforia for employing “pure black pigment” as its deepest color when more subdued tones use a blend of pigments for a more realistic representation.
