Topicals is transforming the way we relate to our skin through its ‘effective science-backed skincare products and mental health advocacy.’ As a company, Topicals understands its assignment is to empower women and girls to be comfortable in their skin; it is making waves in the chronic skincare world by pushing the boundaries of what the “perfect” skin looks like. AMAKA caught up with Olamide Olowe, the beauty entrepreneur behind the brand to find out why raising awareness about the skincare struggles of underrepresented women and advocating for their mental health is good for business?

The brightly coloured yellow and pink branding of Topicals, a well-thought-out refreshing design, stands out from the usual black and white clinical aluminium tubes. The curated skincare product range is made by scientifically proven, peer-reviewed dermatologists and post-doctoral fellows on its scientific advisory board. 

From its website to its social media platforms to its packaging, Topicals want to enable more people to feel comfortable embracing their flare-ups and feelings, which has been the goal since the brand made its debut on the market in the US in 2020. Marketing guru, Bozoma Saint John, Insecure’s Issa Rae and actress, Yvonne Orji are among the brand's early investors. Topicals has quickly gained a reputation for itself as the skincare brand with the solution for face and body acne that’s desperately needed. 

AMAKA: Topicals is not the first brand you have worked on. You previously worked with Shea Moisture, cultivating SheaGirl. What motivated you to create Topicals as a beauty brand that’s educational and passionate about its consumer's skincare conditions?

Topicals is a skincare brand that transforms people's perceptions of skin through practical solutions for chronic skin problems and mental health advocacy. Studies have shown that patients with chronic skin problems are two-to-six times more likely to suffer depression and anxiety, so I sought to produce a brand and an experience that was equally fun and inclusive.

You mentioned the beauty industry hasn't always accommodated different skincare conditions; how is Topicals filling that void?

I believe there are a few gaps, and the main one is that the packaging of ointments for chronic skin problems is pretty old. For example, if you walk into a medicine shop and travel down a couple of aisles, you'll get to the ointment aisle, where a lot of the products have antiquated packaging. It's black and white, appears very clinical, doesn't break down the medical terminology and why you needed to purchase the product. 

Another significant aspect is that people are embarrassed to talk about their conditions, and I feel Topicals has created an environment which has made individuals comfortable and excited to speak about experiencing flare-ups. We're normalising that skin, like life, is fluid and messy, and perfect skin doesn't exist.  

Topicals is available at Sephora, what does this signify for you as a brand?

 I believe it resulted from both of us looking for each other. I've always wanted folks with chronic skin issues to have products available at Sephora. Retailing and collaborating with Sephora, putting a spotlight on skin problems that people don't typically discuss have been a great experience. The second factor is that people are searching for companies like ours that are inclusive, diverse, practical, and popular. It's been fantastic seeing our partnership's success.

You are the youngest Black woman to raise funding with VC platforms, How did you do it despite being a minority?

It wasn't easy. We accumulated funds for approximately two years and I learned more about myself and the business during this period. I'm glad the money didn't arrive with some of the initial concepts or alternative company versions because it gave me the chance to perfect the purpose of Topicals. 

We had so much success right out of the gate, like a year out, because I spent those two years refining and ensuring we truly understood the consumer. I'm grateful we raised funds because it has allowed us to grow and keep up with client demand. As a result, I consider myself lucky to have our partners.

I'm here for a reason and have a specific talent; therefore, I'm not intimidated by my background. I have been in the past, but when you walk into more and more of these rooms, as Michelle Obama put it, “you've seen them all.” 

I have as much skill as anybody else in the room, and I believe I've utilised it to overcome my fear of speaking up for myself or advocating for others. I'm an example of a young Black woman that’s successful, intelligent, and innovative. I've attempted to make it easier for other Black women and young women to acquire finance to grow their businesses.

Investors understand the power of our brand

What factors do you believe influenced investors to make significant investments in Topicals?

Investors felt this wasn't simply another beauty brand, they recognise it has genuine power behind it. I also consider my experience working at other cosmetic firms, so being youthful helps people understand I’ve seen things and been around the block. However, I did not know everything. I gained a lot of inspiration from being around so many great Black entrepreneurs in the beauty and skincare space who people admire..

How would you define Topicals' relationship with its community and how it distinguishes itself from its competitors?

We represent a highly underserved population, and our products are effective for all skin types, from the lightest to the darkest. Unfortunately, many skincare companies cannot claim their products are suitable for all skin types since they have not conducted adequate research. In product development, we make every effort to be as inclusive as possible. We've positioned ourselves as a brand that feels relevant to the community we're servicing. We present ourselves as a brand that’s not here to change or fix you but rather to cheer you along your journey. Beauty is often promoted as change, and we don't want to transform you. Instead, we want to shift the way you feel about yourself, and I believe that's what makes Topicals different. 

The entrepreneurship journey has been rewarding

What’s challenging about being an entrepreneur and what lessons have you gained on your journey?

Being an entrepreneur gives me the satisfaction of seeing what I envisioned become a reality for others to enjoy. That's what any creative wants to see. However, the challenging part of being an entrepreneur is the different hurdles you go through to get to wherever you want. Being an entrepreneur can also be mentally taxing. So, mindfulness is important to me because when you are mindful of the present, it allows you to forget about the past, not worry about the future, and focus on what you're doing right now.

Social media played a significant role in the introduction of Topicals to your target audience, in particular Twitter. What influenced your decision to maximise this particular platform?

We first debuted on Instagram, but portraying the brand as we desired on the platform was challenging. We planned to make the product fun while being scientific, inclusive and feeling aspirational. We wanted it to feel like a mash-up of diverse concepts that had never been done before. However, there seemed to be no template for how the brand should appear. Hence, it took some time for us to nail down our brand identity.

We worried that because Instagram is so visual-heavy, we wouldn't do well straight away. But I was active in the #skincaretwitter community, where there weren't many companies. With a logo or a colourful avi and a name, people will follow you and tap into the brand on Twitter.

We collaborated with certified aestheticians on Twitter to educate our audience and community. Twitter was a fascinating backdoor for us. So many individuals on the platform were inquiring about skincare, but there was no product to link them to because there weren't many companies with Twitter profiles like they had on Instagram.

Topicals offers a portion of profits to mental health organisations to promote awareness about the correlation between mental health and skin health. Can you elaborate on the significance of mental health and how it’s interwoven into the Topicals brand?

We realised we needed to establish a comprehensive brand since we knew the outside work, such as skin care, face cleansing, treatments and serums were excellent. However, I felt some inner work was also required because we noticed chronic skin conditions was affecting the mental health of our community, and we discovered a significant relationship between the two. We wanted to contribute to that conversation by putting our money where our mouth is, and we have donated over $50,000 to mental health organisations.

Mental health, like chronic skin conditions, has traditionally been a taboo topic. So, it's wonderful to have a business that helps counteract the stigma surrounding it and normalises mental health and beauty. I believe we are beginning to hear people discuss mental health, but very few in a beauty-related context. Toxic beauty standards are a legitimate problem, so Topicals is thrilled to develop tools and start conversations around mental health issues.

How has your Nigerian American heritage influenced your work ethic, especially being a daughter of immigrants? 

In Nigeria, we say, ‘Naija no dey carry last’. This statement is a tribute to the many industrious Nigerians in the diaspora. I consider myself to be a very hardworking and passionate person as a first-generation Nigerian daughter of immigrants and my parents worked hard to bring me here. If I wasn't going to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer, I had better be doing something worthwhile with the investment my parents made in me. This is why you see many Nigerians and Africans in the diaspora doing so well, we are our ancestors greatest aspirations, and we can achieve things they could never have done.