I am very sorry to have to interrupt anyone’s holiday spirit with this message, but I cannot wait until the New Year to say it:
KYRA’S SHEA MEDLEYS DOES NOT AND WILL NEVER SELL SKIN BLEACHING PRODUCTS OR ANY PRODUCT THAT PROMOTES THE OPPOSITE OF YOUR OWN NATURAL BEAUTY OF EITHER YOUR HAIR OR SKIN. WE WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER SELL BULLSHIT LIKE THAT.
(Yes, I just cursed, and I am not sorry about it!)
“We got the message Kyra, but what made you say this?”
Thanks for asking! A few days ago, I received my 3rd inquiry from someone asking if one of our Butter Creams can help lighten their skin because someone told them that it helps with dark spots. Let me clear up the confusion for anyone with this negative perspective. YES, we do sell a natural Shea Butter Cream that helps reduce the appearance of dark spots, acne, and age spots. NO, it does not bleach or lightens the skin you were born with.
“Kyra, it is only 3 clueless people that requested this type of product from your natural beauty company. They clearly misunderstood the purpose of the Hydrate + Refresher Butter Cream. Why are you so upset when all of your other customers get it?”
BECAUSE I AM DISTURBED!
I honestly never imagined having to defend my products in this way. Did I make the wrong assumption that most, if not all, adults know the difference between dark spots and melanin-enriched skin? If so, I am sorry and would like to take a moment to educate. Dark spots (aka age spots or scientifically known as melasma) are typically caused by aging and sun damage. Melanin-enriched skin can be found in almost all ethnicities, but more commonly in people of African-descent. The first people who inhabited this earth came from Africa, the world’s largest continent and…(let me stop. You did not ask for a history lesson).
(Note: This picture belongs to Stylish Curves on YouTube. It is intended for educational purposes only. Stylish Curves does not endorse Kyra’s Shea Medleys.)
Did my team and I not make it clear enough that we handcraft natural, vegan, and multipurpose Medleys that contain “ABSOLUTELY NO Sulfates, Petroleum, Silicones, Mineral Oil, Parabens, Phthalates, Artificial Colors, Isopropyl Alcohol, Lanolin, Animal By-Products and NO Animal Testing”? Really though. We put this message on dang near every page on our website, on the product labels, throughout our social media channels, and every blog or news outlet that has ever written about us says the same things about us. How much more clarity do you need?
(Note: We have included a picture of the full label of our Hydrate + Refresher (Night Therapy) Butter Cream, but you can also see the full list of ingredients on the product page.)
I try to avoid controversial conversations and I am upset that I even have to say any of this, given that my brand has always been about uplifting natural beauty. We have always been about inspiring women to embrace their hair and love their skin while encouraging others to do the same. However, I refuse to be silent when my brand’s reputation is on the line even if it’s just “3 clueless people”; I refuse to be silent when our products are wrongfully associated with poison; and I refuse to be silent when people are literally dying in their efforts to change who they naturally are to fit into mainstream society’s view of beauty.
Examples:
- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/21/health/breast-implants-cancer-deaths.html
- http://people.com/bodies/mom-of-two-dies-butt-implants/
We are just a couple days away from the 2018 new year and for this to even be a conversation at all is annoying. Has this world learned nothing? It is ridiculous to see the blatant racism behind brands whose marketing and advertising campaigns demote darker skin.
Examples:
(Image by Complex News)
In my opinion, it is sad to see celebrities and influencers with millions of fans finding ways to lighten their skin. Whether through bleaching creams or excessive makeup, their actions should NOT be glorified as they promote self-hate.
Examples:
- https://www.essence.com/celebrity/lil-kim-responds-skin-bleaching-accusations
- https://www.therichest.com/rich-list/most-shocking/10-celebrities-who-shockingly-bleached-their-skin/
To reiterate my previous statement, Kyra’s Shea Medleys frowns upon this and anything that promotes the opposite of self-love and natural beauty.
From my experience, it is highly likely that someone is going to ignore the main focus of this article and try to find some way to say that I am undermining the health of people with medical conditions. PLEASE DON’T! I understand that some people really do have skin conditions, such as Bilateral periorbital hematomas (also known as “raccoon eyes”) which causes very dark circles around the eyes. I am not against anyone looking to address their health issues like raccoon eyes, dark spots, blemishes, etc.
Our Hydrate + Refresher Butter Cream helps to reduce the appearance of dark spots and scars caused by acne, bug bites, and blemishes.
- IT IS NOT a bleaching cream.
- IT DOES NOT contain the chemicals used in such dangerous products.
- IT WILL NOT alter the naturally beautiful skin you were born with.
There is nothing more I can say to emphasize this message. I admit I was offended when I received those 3 inquiries, but I quickly realized that they just did not know. Either way, it was my responsibility to give them excellent customer service while shedding light on the issue. I decided to write this blog in hopes of providing some awareness. And if you are confused about our Medleys, the KSM website, or anything else related to natural hair and skin beauty, please ask or comment below. You can email us at [email protected]. Thank you.
Best,
Kyra Nicole
CEO and Founder | Kyra’s Shea Medleys, LLC
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