Today, the cosmetics-related market in Africa is growing rapidly. While the annual growth rate for the world as a whole is 4%, in recent years Africa has averaged 8-10%.growth rateThe company has been knocking out So why is it growing now? Conversely, what factors have hindered the growth of the cosmetics market in Africa until now? One factor is the color of the skin. Due to historical discrimination and disparities, the development, production, and distribution of cosmetics were all based on "white" skin color, and "black" skin color was never incorporated as a target group. However, the situation is finally changing in recent years. This article explores the relationship between skin color and the cosmetics market in Africa.

Woman being made up (Photo: PxHere [Public Domain])

Skin Gradation

When it comes to race, the typical classification is "black" and "white," with the accompanying division of skin color into black and white. However, actual skin color is by no means simple. From dark brown to light brown, and even beige or light cream, in fact, there are all kinds ofvariationThere are This is related to the birth of mankind and subsequent migration and exchange.

Our ancestors were born and evolved in Africa. Because of the strong ultraviolet radiation in areas near the equator, folic acid, an important nutrient for humans, isDestroyed by ultraviolet lightThe people who remained in the equatorial regions had skin that was rich in melanin pigmentation, i.e., dark brown. Thus, those who remained in equatorial regions had melanin-rich skin, i.e., dark brown skin. On the other hand, those who moved from the equator to areas with less sunlight needed to produce vitamin D, an important nutrient like folic acid, in an environment with less UV radiation. Therefore, it is believed that their skin became lighter in color as they absorbed a certain amount of UV light and became less melanin pigmented in order to produce vitamin D. Thus, skin color changed in a way that adapted to the ultraviolet environment, resulting in slightly different skin colors for people in different regions. Furthermore, throughout history, people have not always stayed in the same environment. Until the present, factors such as people's migration and children being born to parents with different skin colors have complicated the relationship between people's skin and their region, and skin color has become more diverse.

These factors make it impossible to polarize skin color and divide it into "white" and "black" races. To begin withRace."There is no scientific basis for the concept of "the world". It is a concept that cannot be clearly categorized, but has been forcefully classified and created for the convenience of each society. Historically, there have been many cases in which hierarchical relationships were formed through such artificially created concepts of "race," and groups that held military and economic power differentiated themselves from other groups, discriminated against them, and in some cases, did not treat them as human beings. An example is the slave trade and slavery that lasted until the 19th century. In the world, people with beige or pinkish-cream skin were positioned as socially superior, creating a social structure that favored Western countries with large populations of such people. National institutions and policies that played a part in shaping this social structure persisted for many years. In the United States, for example, until the Civil Rights Act of the 1960s, and in South Africa until the abolition of the apartheid policy in the 1990s, a political system that publicly discriminated against brown skin was maintained.

Entrance to the Apartheid Museum (Photo: Paul Seligman /Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

The "skin tone" issue

Although institutions and policies that discriminated against brown skin have been publicly abolished, based on skin colordiscriminationis deeply rooted in many countries and regions. It affects not only people's behavior and language, but also the objects they use on a daily basis. For example, crayons, paints, and stockings are still sold as "skin color" in some countries. Although there are regional differences, such as light orange in Asia and yellowish pink in Europe and the United States, skin tone is usually expressed as a color close to cream or beige, and dark brown is never treated as a skin tone.

Even if the product is not labeled "skin tone," a standard (default) color representing "skin tone" may be reflected on the product. For example.adhesive plasteris one example. The color of the adhesive bandage is intended to assimilate with the skin, but in Europe and the United States, only colors that blend with the skin, such as cream or beige, have been marketed. In recent years, however, various manufacturers have begun offering adhesive bandages that match dark brown skin, and a major U.S.-based pharmaceutical company has begun selling adhesive bandages for a variety of skin colorsYear 2020presented to the public. Furthermore, even in products other than daily necessities, such as prosthetic arms and legs, they are mostly made in beige and cream colors. Under these circumstances, a Nigerian artist has created a dark brown skin-appropriateProsthetic arms and legsbegan to be produced in 2017, creating a buzz. Thus, although products have finally been developed in recent years for a variety of skin colors, they have not yet become commonplace.

In today's digital society, there are also new "skin color" issues that have arisen. Take, for example, the pictograms used when exchanging messages on the Internet. The pictograms used in the products of Apple, a major IT company, were introduced officially as pictograms.2011From,2015The only emoticons provided were those with skin close to cream until the

Emoticons with more skin color variations (Photo: RSNY /Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

In addition, "skin color" is affecting not only products but also the world's latest technology, which may threaten people's safety. Used by police in the U.S., Australia, and FranceIDEMIAThe facial recognition software, "Face Recognition Software," has been shown to make the most errors when recognizing brown-skinned women, making 10 times more errors than so-called "Caucasian women. Therefore, the risk of being incorrectly identified as the culprit is also considered to be highest for brown-skinned women. Although the facial recognition system is used for the purpose of protecting the safety of citizens, it is said that its performance is also affected by the fact that it was developed based on data mainly from so-called "white males. Thus, the concept of "skin color" has the potential to cause serious problems.

The issue of "skin color" is also seen in situations that have a great bearing on people's health. In medical universities in Europe, the U.S., and other countriesdermatologyDark brown skin is rarely used in the training of the "Mere Old Man" except for the purpose of describing special conditions. In the first place, it is used in dermatological treatment and research.Fitzpatrick Scale."There is also a problem with the skin color classification system called the "skin color classification system. It was devised by Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick, who had a profound influence on dermatology, in the course of his research on skin cancer, and classifies skin color into six stages according to its reaction to exposure to ultraviolet radiation. However, three of these six stages represent skin that is light cream or near beige in color. On the other hand, there are extremely few variations of dark brown skin. Because of this problem of "skin color" in medicine, physicians lack knowledge about dark brown skin, which leads to inaccurate diagnoses in skin cancer and other conditions. As a result, treatment is often too late and patients often die.

Beauty" and "skin tone."

In addition to the medical field, beauty-related products are also negatively affecting the health of people with dark brown skin.Ancient Egyptian and Mesopotamian periods.Cosmetics have been used to make the skin appear whiter from the 1950s to the modern era. This, combined with the aforementioned historical discrimination, has led the world to believe that "white skin" isHigh status and privilegesMoreover, it is also possible toSymbol of BeautyThis has tended to be regarded as a "white skin" and marketing has been conducted to take advantage of this. As a result, many women around the world yearn for "white skin" and use products that claim to bleach the skin and make it "whiter.

A "whitening" product sold in Cameroon that bleaches skin color (Photo: Jasmine Halki /Flickr [CC BY 2.0])

In fact, in Africa, women's40% useSome have reported that they are doing so. However, some of these products aremercuryare often contained in these products, the World Health Organization (WHO) warns that they are harmful to internal organs. Mercury-containing "whitening care" products have long been sold by Amazon, a major Internet retailer, after activists campaigning against anti-racism,Year 2020The decision was finally made to stop sales to

Thus, skin whiteness has been considered the standard of beauty in many parts of the world. Furthermore, cosmetics that blended well with dark brown skin were not developed for many years, as the people involved in cosmetics development and the targeted demographic were mainly those with "white" skin. In 1962, a fashion show was held in New York City with the concept of "not being bound by Western beauty standards. In 1962, a fashion show was held in New York,Black is Beautiful.This grew into a movement called This fashion show would be one catalyst for brown-skinned models to walk the runway. The subsequent efforts of activists in all industries, including fashion and music, have helped to change the perception of brown skin in many countries. Furthermore, today, social networking sites such asMedia DevelopmentThe change in the perception of brown skin in the visible form of products has been brought about by the fact that the voices of consumers have been more easily received by the supply side through the

In the midst of these developments, the world's leading cosmetics brands are using foundations (*1) toWide range of colors offeredThe company also began marketing products that included dark brown skin as a target market. This has expanded the sales area to include Kenya, Uganda, and other countries,Expansion into African countriesThe company fulfilled the

Foundation swatches (Photo: Lynn Friedman /Flickr [CC BY-NC-ND 2.0])

Cosmetics Market in Africa

It is not just the fact that the world's major cosmetics brands have developed cosmetics that suit dark brown skin that is enabling them to expand into Africa. There is a market in Africa large enough for these brands to take notice. Of the US$400 billion in profits currently generated by the entire global beauty-related industry,3% (of the total)The African region still accounts for the majority of the market. However, as mentioned in the introduction, the beauty-related market in African countries is showing significant growth and is expected to account for a larger share of the market in the future. In particular, South Africa, which is showing remarkable growth in the sub-Saharan region, had a market size ofUS$4.5 billionThe first two are the following.

Behind the situation of such a growing beauty-related market in Africa is the fact that the consumption of beauty-related products has increased due to the growth of the overall African population. Young people in particular spend a lot of money on beauty and caretrendThe cosmetics market in sub-Saharan Africa, where 70% of the population is under 30 years of age, is expanding rapidly because of the In addition, throughout AfricaurbanizationThe number of people with the ability to spend US$2-$20 a day in the middle class has increased in Africa.More than 300 million peopleThe number of people living in urban areas in Africa is up to In urban areas of Africa, manymiddle classare interested in contemporary trends and spend a certain amount of money on fashion and beauty.

Cosmetics brand from Africa

In addition to the growing cosmetics market in the African region, the development of manufacturing and other technologies and the use of social networking services to help promote and advertise products have made it easier to start a business. Against this backdrop, the number of people starting their own businesses and launching their own brands has increased rapidly in Africa, and the African cosmetics and skincare marketSuccessful expansionThe first time, the company was in the middle of the city. Inside, a largebrandSome are growing into Examples include Suzie Beauty, a leading Kenyan cosmetics brand, and Africology, a South African brand offering natural beauty products. One of the advantages of these local brands is that many of the brand owners are brown-skinned women living in Africa, so they can offer products that are familiar to local consumers based on a good understanding of user needs and the characteristics of brown skin. Furthermore, both demand and distribution channels vary from country to country and region to region.varyTherefore, as a local brand, it must be marketed in a way that takes into account local sales conditions.

Shea butter body care products (Cathkidston /Wikimedia Commons [CC BY-SA 3.0])

It is also important to keep up with local trends. For example, recently in AfricaOrganic cosmeticsare beginning to gain popularity. Used in organic productsraw materialsare shea butter, baobab, and marula nuts. These products are healthy because they are chemical-free and are often made from plants and fruits grown in Africa, making them familiar to people living in Africa. For example, the Kenyan cosmetics brand Susie Beauty began with the concept of providing high quality products for brown skin at affordable prices, and now sells organic cosmetics. The ability to quickly identify such local trends and reflect them in products will also be important to the success of local brands.

Some countries have begun to provide government support for these local brands.Government of Tanzaniahas focused its attention on the growing domestic cosmetics industry and has put forth a policy to support the economy. The idea is to create more jobs and bring economic benefits through this policy.

Knowledge and technologies unique to the African region have an impact not only on the national and intra-African cosmetics industry, but also on the world. In fact, global cosmetics brands and African researcherstie-upIn one case, the company worked to develop products for people with dark brown skin. This effort was mutually beneficial in that it led to more people using the right products for them and also allowed African scientists to obtain the necessary funding for their research.

Success in Africa.brandare also expanding their business outside of Africa. For example, Angel's Lips, a Liberian cosmetics brand, and BMPRO, a Nigerian cosmetics brand, have expanded globally to the UK, US, and Canada.

Women talking at a festival (Katy Blackwood/ Wikimedia Commons/ [CC BY-SA 4.0])

As described above, discrimination against "dark skin" and longing for "white skin" persist even today and are harmful to both health and society. The issue of skin color is also latent in criminal investigations, medical settings, and other situations that have a significant impact on people's safety. Thus, skin problems are not only apparent, but are related to various issues in society. On the other hand, the combination of changing social awareness and the growing size of the cosmetics and skincare market in Africa has led the beauty industry to begin focusing on brown skin, and various brands are producing a wide variety of products. We need to continue to question what diversity and equality of skin color means in all situations, including cosmetics.

1 Foundation is often chosen in a color that is similar to the skin on the user's face and neck.

Writer: Ayano Shiotsuki

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