Black Lives Matter.

I’m deeply saddened and disgusted by the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless others who have been stolen from the black community. We must say their names. We must remember their lives and we must take action to stop this from continuing to happen again and again.

These murders have ignited an increasing awareness of the hundreds of years of oppression, marginalization and dehumanization of the black community that far too many of us have overlooked until now.

You’ve probably received many emails from brands in the last few days – long overdue recognition of black lives and a pledge to do better. The black community needs to be acknowledged and supported, but we must also be understanding that this rush to do so now after so many decades of silence can be joined with mixed feelings from those who have been trying to get our attention for so long.

Silent complicity is not an option anymore, but I now realize that we stalled for too long and I’m sorry we are only now breaking the silence. To the black members of our community, I stand with you.

Black Lives Matter.

I’ve begun to dive deep into my own personal anti-racism work, actively investigating and increasing my understanding of my own white privilege. It is my responsibility to educate myself, my family and my friends while providing space for healing from the generational trauma that black people have endured for hundreds of years.

I have taken a hard look at the industry in which I operate. One that touts inclusion and tolerance. But the sad truth is that the wellness and clean beauty industries tend to be white washed as a whole. There is a glaring lack of representation and we must do better.

As a company, we resolve to do more. We are actively working to increase the diversity within the brands, artists, creators, influencers and skincare experts we partner with.

We are taking the 15percent Pledge to commit 15% (minimum) of our online store space to black owned clean beauty brands.

To the members of our community who are seeking resources to further educate themselves and their families, we’ve gathered content that we’ve found helpful and inspiring below. This is by no means an exhaustive list. We urge you to do your own research on where you can donate and how you can support the black community, both locally and across the nation.

Demand better from the brands you patron, the influencers you follow and from the government of the cities and country you live in. Embrace this momentum today and every day going forward to pursue real change.

Change and growth are uncomfortable. But it is imperative.

As members of this community, I invite your feedback and vow to continue this conversation on a long-term basis. Posts and hashtags are only the beginning, the real work is just starting.