May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and brands throughout the beauty sector have been doing their part in introducing beneficial initiatives and supporting charities. Over the years the beauty industry hasn’t always been an advocate for mental health, advertising products that claim to hide so-called imperfections, but in recent years that has begun to change. Mental Health America recently reported that 21% of adults (50 million people) are experiencing at least one mental illness. With mental health issues on the rise, beauty brands are using their platforms and power to encourage conversations about the issue, raise money for charities, and offer resources to help those in need. BeautyMatter has put together some of the standout initiatives this Mental Health Awareness Month:

Pinterest x Maybelline: Maybelline's “Brave Together” initiative was initially created to help combat mental health, anxiety, and depression in youth. The cosmetics brand has now partnered with Pinterest to further its efforts by highlighting different ways younger audiences can find healthy and creative ways to tackle anxiety and depression. A creator editorial spotlight will see Pinterest Creator Ambassadors make content that is both informative and exciting. The first persons work to be spotlighted is Pinterest Creator Ambassador of 2023 Isabelle Dias, who will be sharing mindfulness activities, healthy coping strategies, and inspiration for weekly reset routines across May. Dias stated that she is “proud to be working with Pinterest and Maybelline to inspire others through simple self-improvement tips, from wellness ideas that fit into our busy schedules to personal development tips for women. It’s so important to give issues like emotional wellbeing a platform and I’m looking forward to continuing to create content that helps people prioritize their mental health.” The campaign carries on from Pinterest’s continued commitment to prioritizing users' mental health. The platform has already invested $5 million in Purpose Partners to fund creative expression and social connection–based work to improve mental health, while Maybelline has pledged to donate $10 million between 2020 to 2025 to various mental health organizations.

Dove: In time for Mental Health Awareness Month, Dove has released new research regarding the effects of social media on young people’s mental health alongside Cost of Beauty: A Dove Film, which explores real-life consequences of harmful beauty content to raise awareness and inspire action to make social media safer. The film follows Mary who is recovering from an eating disorder and her journey, set to the song “You Are So Beautiful” performed by singer Self Esteem, through snippets of her life showing her growing up and developing an eating disorder; we then see multiple people in recovery from eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders, depression, and anxiety. The campaign backs legislation to regulate social media content, and brings together NGO partners Maudsley Charity, Parenting Mental Health, Global Action Plan, 5Rights, and Girlguiding to provide access to mental health resources for young people, and work to make social media safer.

Skin Proud: In order to shift the focus to positivity, Skin Proud has introduced the Pay It Forward For A Brighter Future initiative, which will see the brand use its platform to champion a range of youth mental health organizations that are doing important work for Gen Z.  The brand will also be donating a portion of their proceeds to the mental health charity voted for by Skin Proud’s consumers. The charities include: The Trevor Project, Project UROK, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, To Write Love on Her Arms, Child Mind Institute, and Crisis Text Line. They have also put together an interactive Skin Proud Brighter Future Bingo t allows consumers to tick off certain challenges such as “bring in a morning treat for your work colleagues,” “donate to a charity,” and “offer your seat to someone who needs it more than you.”

Saks Fifth Avenue: The retailer has collaborated with mental health advocate, author, and wellness influencer Yasmine Cheyenne to curate an assortment of beauty and wellness products that encourage positive well-being. The curated list of over 140 products, including Chillhouse Chill Globes Ice Massage Facial Tool, Elemis Pro-Collagen Rose Marine Cream, and Aesop Gloam Personal Fragrance, sees 10% of sales being donated to nonprofits in the mental health space. Cheyenne will also produce a range of custom content that will be published across Saks-owned digital platforms and social media channels.