Fenty set the bar for inclusivity in 2017 for complexion products when it launched, with conventional brands following suit expanding shade ranges, but clean beauty has lagged behind—until now.
Credo has launched a new in-house color brand with 43 shades of foundation collection and primer called Exa. The High Fidelity Semi-Satin Foundation sets a new bar for clean beauty complexion products with its inclusive range at an accessible price point.
Exa boasts its clean formula surpasses the performance of top-selling conventional formulas with buildable, medium-to-full coverage in a dewy-natural finish while including a robust anti-pollution ingredient blend that uses micro-algae to shield skin from free radicals and aggressive urban dust. The primer mimics conventional primers by providing a long-wear semi-matte finish and blurring properties, yet is made from 97% natural ingredients.
Credo believes “clean” doesn’t stop at an ingredient list, so the Exa packaging was designed to be as eco as possible—materials were chosen based on both how the material is sourced and how it can be responsibly discarded.
“We recognized very early on that there is a real lack of diversity in shades,” Credo co-founder and Chief Operating officer Annie Jackson told WWD. “None of these brands at Credo are owned by a big company. They’re usually self-funded or with a small capital investment. It’s expensive and hard work to get the shades right and the diversity you need, so they go in without it—and it’s unacceptable.”
While the lack of diversity the industry seen in the shade range of complexion products may be unacceptable, it is also representative of business realities. Many color brands, especially those backed by makeup artists, have the desire for extensive and inclusive shade ranges but have been limited by the financial investment required and/or the physical constraints at retail. It is important to acknowledge that both Fenty, incubated by Sephora-backed Kendo Brands, and Credo don’t have the same constraints as other brands. They have both changed the game (and that is a great thing for consumers and the industry), but had the shelf space and the capital required to make those statements.
“Credo is in a financial position to go there, to make a real difference in the clean beauty market,” said Dawn Dobras, Chief Executive Officer at Credo. “Forty shades is a considerable financial investment, but we have an opportunity to serve the market in a different way.”
While launching 40+ shades may not be a possibility for most brands playing in the complexion category, kudos to Fenty and Credo for using their platforms to fill the void and push the conversation of inclusion and accessibility forward.
It was reported that new product launches from Credo are in the works, but details are under wraps. Credo launched the Exa range under its own brand name with a dedicated website, which might indicate Exa may have a life outside the four walls of Credo.
