Youthoria shutdown carries a valuable DEI message

Youthforia shutting down is a real reminder that trying to be inclusive without actually involving the communities you claim to serve can cost more than reputation. It can cost your business, says Rich Miles CEO + founder of The Diversity Standards Collective.

Youthforia’s demise stands as an example of the damage a misstep can cause. 

Founded by Fiona Co Chan in 2021, the brand initially gained prominence with its viral BYO Blush, marketed as makeup safe to sleep in. In 2023, the brand secured a $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban on ‘Shark Tank’, his first beauty brand deal on the show. Additional funding followed from True Beauty Ventures and Willow Growth Partners to fuel expansion into Ulta Beauty, Amazon, and other retail channels.

In 2024, however, Youthforia faced a major controversy with its Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation at the centre. Critics highlighted the initial lack of inclusive shades for darker skin tones, and a subsequent extension of darker shades was criticised for relying solely on jet black pigment.

The backlash from influencers, cosmetic experts, and consumers led retailers like Credo Beauty, Thirteen Lune, and Revolve to drop the brand, causing a sharp decline in online traffic and social media engagement.

The brand announced its closure in January 2025, though specific reasons beyond the scandal remain unclear.

Dealing with backlash

The brand’s jet black shade didn’t match any human skin tone. It looked like a Photoshop Pantone swatch made into makeup with little real-world testing. Influencer Golloria George was one of many Black makeup artists who called it out. Her reaction, shared widely across TikTok, echoed a larger frustration: a lack of authentic inclusion. The backlash was swift and ultimately fatal for the brand.

But here’s the contrast: Golloria also called out Rhode Beauty for similar shade range issues. In response, Hailey Bieber brought her in to help develop more inclusive shades, a powerful example of how listening and acting can restore trust and even strengthen a brand.

What can brands learn from this?

Inclusion without collaboration is assumption. You can’t build for a community you don’t invite in.

Brands should test early, test widely. More diverse input = better outcomes.

Consumers and their allies notice what your brand does. This wasn’t just Black consumers walking away. White and non-Black audiences lost trust too. Authenticity matters to everyone.

This is a hard moment for the Youthforia team, no doubt. But it also shows how preventable this could’ve been, with real engagement, proper testing, and a willingness to look beyond an internal lens.

Inclusion isn’t just a value, it’s a practice.