Welcome back to Skin by TBS.
Black beauty is projected to hit $31.6 billion by 2034—and the industry's repositioning fast. This week, Estée Lauder revealed a full-scale pivot to Global Majority markets: M·A·C enters Sephora US for the first time, brands launch on TikTok Shop Southeast Asia and Amazon Mexico, plus deeper India investments.
This is why we exist. Skin by TBS covers the full beauty spectrum—skincare, haircare, makeup, and wellness—for the Global Majority. From Lagos to Mumbai to São Paulo, we're tracking what matters. Beauty businesses serving the Global Majority solve similar problems but can't see each other's breakthroughs. Investors miss opportunities in undertracked markets. Consumers struggle to find products tested on their skin and hair. We are building the intelligence layer that connects this fragmented ecosystem, so you can find everything in one place: from skincare science to textured hair innovation, new launches to market movements across Asia, Africa, Middle East, Latin America, the Caribbean & Diaspora markets.
New reader highlights: Welcome to Franchesca Hashim @ Good Weather Skin | Bashiru Shardow @ Charlotte Mensah
Warm wishes,
Deepa
What Matters Right Now
New Report: Black Beauty Market Set for $31.6B Boom
A new market analysis released this week projects the global Black beauty market to surge from $9.2 billion in 2024 to $31.6 billion by 2034, growing at a rapid 13.2% CAGR. The report identifies social media's influence in promoting diverse beauty standards and the rising consumer demand for specialized products for melanin-rich skin and diverse hair textures as key drivers of the "strong momentum". (More)
Estée Lauder's Big Pivot: Earnings Reveal a New Global Playbook
1 big thing: The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) reported its Q1 2026 results on Thursday, showing a 3% organic sales jump and its first margin expansion in four years. But the real story isn't the modest recovery; it's the clear, aggressive pivot to new channels and markets. ELC is actively diversifying away from its struggling US department store heritage and placing its bets on the platforms and regions defining the future of the skin of colour industry. (More)
Why it matters: This isn't just one move; it's a multi-pronged global strategy revealed all at once:
US: The blockbuster news is that M·A·C Cosmetics—a brand built on shade inclusivity—will enter Sephora US stores and Sephora at Kohl's for the first time in early 2026. This is a massive channel shift to regain relevance with the US consumer.
Latin America: ELC is accelerating its e-commerce push in Mexico, launching Clinique, The Ordinary, and its flagship Estée Lauder brand on the Amazon Mexico Premium Beauty store.
Southeast Asia: The company is capturing the digital-native consumer by launching The Ordinary on TikTok Shop in Malaysia and Singapore.
India: ELC announced the winners of its BEAUTY&YOU India 2025 incubator program in October, doubling down on nurturing homegrown Indian brands in partnership with Nykaa.
The bottom line: ELC is now in full pursuit of the Global Majority consumer, and it's clear on the new battlegrounds: TikTok Shop in Southeast Asia, Amazon in Latin America, and Sephora for the US diaspora.
Strategic Moves
Woolworths Doubles Down on Africa, Launches Premium Beauty in Kenya
What's happening: South African retailer Woolworths has launched its new "world-class" beauty hall in Nairobi's Sarit Centre, marking its first major beauty concept outside of South Africa. The launch brings highly sought-after global brands like Fenty Beauty, The Ordinary, and Laneige to the Kenyan market for the first time, alongside its own WBeauty line.
Why it matters: This isn't just a standard expansion; it's a major strategic "doubling down" on the continent. The move is fueled by the beauty division's massive success in South Africa, where sales doubled to over 1 billion rand (approx. $58M) in the last two years, with plans to double again. Woolworths is signaling its confidence in the rising demand for premium beauty in Africa and positioning Kenya as a key "trendsetting" market. (More)
C-Beauty's JOY GROUP Acquires 80-Year-Old Italian Hair Brand
What's happening: Shanghai-based JOY GROUP, the C-beauty powerhouse behind Judydoll, announced its acquisition of Foltène, an 80-year-old Italian dermatological haircare brand renowned for its clinically-backed anti-hair loss products. (More)
Why it matters: Instead of just exporting its own C-beauty brands, JOY GROUP is acquiring established European heritage and R&D to instantly gain a foothold in the high-growth, science-led scalp care market. It's a clear signal that C-beauty giants are now playing on the global stage, buying international assets to build a multi-category, global portfolio.
K-Beauty Goes Mass Market in the UK
What's happening: Major UK high-street retailer Superdrug has just launched a massive K-Beauty expansion, adding ~400 products online and in-store. (More)
Why it matters: This move officially democratizes K-Beauty in the UK, moving it from a niche category found in specialist e-tailers or prestige stores (like Sephora) to an accessible, mainstream staple. It signals that UK consumers are fully educated on K-beauty principles and are ready to buy it alongside their everyday essentials, forcing brands to compete on the mass-market shelf.
Funding Watch
Dabur Launches ₹500 Crore ($60M) D2C War Chest for India: Indian FMCG and Ayurveda giant Dabur announced on Oct 31 the launch of 'Dabur Ventures', a new investment arm with a ₹500 crore (approx. $60M) fund. Dabur is officially going on the offensive to acquire or invest in digital-first, new-age brands. The fund is explicitly targeting high-growth D2C startups in personal care, wellness, and Ayurveda to capture the Gen-Z market and accelerate its own "shift toward premium offerings." This move, following HUL's recent acquisition of Minimalist, signals a major trend: India's legacy giants are now planning to buy their D2C and Gen-Z relevance. (More)
Maesa Magic Incubator Winners: Maesa announced the winners of its 2025-2026 Magic Incubator, an initiative supporting founders from underrepresented communities. The winners include TONAL Cosmetics, founded by Christal Alert to create inclusive SPF 50 foundation-skincare hybrids; Amoureux Beauty, founded by Jeanine Mojum to create high-performance formulas for reactive skin with texture and hyperpigmentation; and Rizo Radiance, a drinkable beauty brand founded by Jeffrey Stewart. (More)
New Brands to Watch
Ayurveda-Inspired Sensual Wellness (USA): Vira, founded by Shruti Viradia, has launched as an Ayurveda-inspired sensual wellness brand. It aims to merge skincare and sex care with a debut line of five products, including a multiuse body oil (Nectar), a pH-balancing mist (Dew), and an arousal oil (Ember).
Project Qaafi (India): Founded by Aahan Chatterjee, Project Qaafi is a new design-led brand aiming to "buck Ayurvedic clichés." The Estée Lauder BEAUTY&YOU finalist is intentionally avoiding influencer marketing to build a cult, global brand (like Le Labo or Aesop) that redefines the "made in India" aesthetic. (More)
Innovation Update
Aveda's R&D Breakthrough for Textured Hair Color: A new study from ELC's Aveda brand (highlighted in its Oct 30 earnings report) details an innovative method to measure hair dye fade. The new testing method works "irrespective of hair type and texture or background color". This is a crucial step in inclusive R&D, as it allows formulators to finally get accurate performance data on how color fades on textured and dark hair, moving beyond the industry's historic reliance on light-haired testing swatches. (More)
Skin of Colour Science
Including updates from the Fall Dermatology conference in Las Vegas (Oct 23-26)
Rethinking Hyperpigmentation Management: At the Fall Clinical Dermatology Conference, experts highlighted new evidence-based approaches for melasma and hyperpigmentation in skin of colour.
Why it matters: The consensus is moving beyond just hydroquinone. For safer, long-term maintenance, experts are prioritizing non-hydroquinone topicals like azelaic acid and cysteamine. For tough cases, oral tranexamic acid is now a key adjunctive therapy, addressing the vascular components of melasma, not just the pigment. (More)
Diagnosing Prurigo Nodularis in Skin of Colour: Also at the Fall Clinical Conference, dermatologists presented a new visual guide for diagnosing Prurigo Nodularis (PN).
Why it matters: This condition, which causes an unrelenting itch, is three to four times more common in skin of colour. Experts stressed that on deeper skin tones, the primary sign is often post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, not the classic redness seen on white skin, a critical distinction for early diagnosis and treatment. (More)
New AI for Inclusive Cancer Detection: Researchers at Fox Chase Cancer Center and Temple University have developed a new AI tool for detecting skin cancer that is more accurate for all skin tones.
Why it matters: Most AI models are trained on lighter skin and fail to detect melanoma in darker skin. This new tool, trained using the 10-shade Monk Skin Tone (MST) scale, is designed to be "fair and accurate," helping to close the dangerous diagnostic gap that leads to later-stage diagnoses in patients of colour. (More)
Consumer Intelligence
Africa’s Youth Demand Tailored Solutions: Africa's 400 million-strong youth demographic is driving demand for "culturally relevant" beauty. The key challenge isn't product, but infrastructure; unlike K-beauty, A-beauty lacks a strong local retail ecosystem, forcing founders to build their own D2C networks to scale globally. (More)
LATAM's Cross-Cultural Boom: The Latin American beauty market is surging (+13% growth), but the excitement is being driven by "outside influences," according to new data from Circana. Middle Eastern fragrance brands are seeing "double- and triple-digit growth" in the region, while an Asian influence is sweeping skincare, with a Japanese brand now ranked #1 in Brazil. (More)
Global Brands Flood India: The rate of foreign brands entering India has more than doubled post-pandemic (27 in 2024 vs. 12 prior). Beauty players like Chanel Beauty and Supergoop are intensifying their focus, using digital platforms like Nykaa to capture the fast-expanding consumer base. (More)
India's "Import-Only" Era Is Over: India's digital-first, under-30 consumer is forcing a strategic shift from global giants. The old "import-only" model is no longer enough; players like Shiseido and Estée Lauder are now investing in local manufacturing and deep localization to win. (More)
Shopping Heroes
Editor-approved guides & latest launches.
Editor Approved Guides
The Concealer Edit: Marie Claire UK’s Ata-Owaji Victor has curated a list of the best concealers for dark skin tones, highlighting the extensive shade ranges and performance of hero products like the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and Huda Beauty's #FauxFilter Concealer. (More)
Latest Launches
Scalp & Hair:
Hairstory: The new Styling Gel is formulated to control frizz and define curls, offering heat protection up to 450°F for heat styling, air drying, or slick-back looks without crunching or flaking.
Skincare:
Superegg: The new Soft Strength Rich Resilience Cream is a rich, breathable moisturizer designed to restore skin's strength and barrier function using neuropeptides and Ectoin to protect against UV, pollution, and blue light.
Naturium: The Ultimate Brightening Duo targets discoloration with a Multi-Bright Milky Toner (using an azelaic acid derivative and licorice root) and a Multi-Bright Advanced Serum, to refine tone while "conditioning the skin barrier".
JLO Beauty: Have a new hydrogel patch (That First Take Define & Depuff Eye Mask) formulated with a hyaluronic acid complex, niacinamide, and caffeine.
Forest Essentials Rasa Activating Serum: Inspired by the ritual of Ushapana (the first drink of water in the morning), this lightweight Ayurvedic serum delivers a hydrating blend of botanicals. (More)
Makeup:
Huda Beauty: The new Blush Filter Palette is a quad of high-shine, light-reflecting powder blushes. The collection includes palettes like "Rose Berry" and "Toasty Peach" to create a "wet look" on the cheeks.
Estée Lauder: The Futurist Blushmaker Dewy Cheek Tint is a new water-cream blush with shades like "Skinny Dip (warm terracotta)" and "Elevator Smile (rich berry)". (This product is not out yet)
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