by Last time we checked, Sephora was already pretty well available for premium skincare. So, you might ask, what has persuaded the UK’s arbiter of cool beauty to free up shelf space for US brand Relevant? We think we can give you the answer in just four words: the brand’s founder, Nyakio Grieco.
Nyakio is a beauty pioneer whose inspiration is truly in her DNA. A pioneering entrepreneur, her passion stems from both her Kenyan heritage and a deep desire to empower other black women through beauty.
Twenty years ago, she founded her first skin brand, Nyakio Beauty, as a love letter to her family’s beauty traditions. “My grandmother was a coffee farmer and my grandfather was a healer,” says Nyakio, the American-born daughter of Kenyan immigrants. “So I was really inspired to celebrate the sophistication of Africa through premium skincare.”
Her story entered a new chapter in 2020 when she was forced to take a leadership role in Black empowerment. “We all witnessed the racial reckoning in America,” she says. “Suddenly, Nyakio became the number one black-owned beauty brand. I started showing up on all these lists and started discovering all these Black-owned brands that I’d never heard of before. I always felt like he was the only one on the shelf, especially in premium skincare.”
Galvanized to help uplift this community, Nyakio established thirteen moons, a retail site showcasing Black and Brown-owned brands from around the world. At the same time, he decided to move away from the brand that bears his name and sold it to Unilever; It was a difficult decision, but, according to her, it paved the way to a new purpose.
“I wanted to debunk the myth that black and brown people only make products for ourselves,” he says. “When it comes to skincare and fragrance, most of the beauty rituals and ingredients we use across the industry come from beautiful, underserved parts of the world.”
It is in this context that Relevant was born. The choice of name was pertinent. “I wanted to focus on truly safe, visible melanin skincare,” she explains. “And by this I mean products that everyone can use, but that really prioritize an underserved consumer in their formulations.”
Nyakio notes that dark skin requires a level of care that may be lacking in conventional formulations. “When we look at melanin-rich skin, we almost always suffer more problems like hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, rosacea and eczema,” he says. “You don’t necessarily see the redness on deeper skin tones, but it’s there. My approach with Relevant is that if you are formulating products with melanin-rich skin in mind, they will probably work for everyone.”
In addition to being designed for all skin types, Relevant is designed to spark joy. With its bright “serotonin in a bottle” style, the brand manages to look premium and irresistibly fun. “I’ve seen the industry become so saturated and I’ve seen the joy taken out of skincare,” Nyakio says. “By using all this color, I hoped it would be magnetic for everyone but also safe for melanin, seen melanin. “My real intention was to make sure no one felt left out.”
The best relevant products.
Red’s beauty editor Lynne Hyland picks out the best relevant products, now available to buy at Sephora in the UK…
Sunburst C+ Relevant Superfruit Serum
It’s called a serum but it’s actually a beautiful facial oil. With stabilized vitamin C at a dose of 15%, non-irritating but powerful, it provides the benefits without burning. Although Nyakio and I have very different skin tones, we both know what it’s like to have too much of this antioxidant powerhouse and I personally find using this formula a pleasure. Not only is it a fantastic shield against free radicals, but it leaves my skin comfortable, silky smooth, makeup-ready, and glowing without being greasy.
Relevant Beam + Glow Eye Serum, £52
All Relevant products are aimed at all ages and all skin tones, with the notable exception of this one. It has what Nyakio calls “tightening active technology” for an immediate smoothing effect on lines (I can see it, for sure), and over time it promises to reduce dark circles. Fingers crossed for that, although the line filtering effect will keep me using it anyway.
Relevant Sol Tone Resurface & Glow Solution, £56
Nyakio and I are in total agreement here: if there’s one homemade skin product that can upset sensitive skin, it’s an acid peel. The Relevant formula was created after Nyakio experienced reactions from other chemical exfoliants and contains five brightening acids plus soothing witch hazel. “It’s done at levels that are safe for all skin tones and is gentle enough for daily use,” Nyakio says. I’ve tried it five times on my acid-averse skin and so far, so good.
Relevant Lights Out Rest Mask, £32
Great name, brilliant product. At the end of a long day, I want a night treatment that I can apply without having to remove it. “I love rest masks. A treatment that you apply and clean seems like a waste to me,” Nyakio agrees. Its formula provides such a delicious facial softness that I am tempted to use it during the day too. The secret of your success? Azelaic acid, dermatology’s all-purpose favorite and something the rest of us are finally understanding.
Relevant 13 Stems Eau de Parfum
Fragrance? In a skincare range? Don’t adjust your screen. This EDP began as a side street, after Byredo superfan Nyakio approached the brand’s nose, Jérôme Epinette, and ended up developing six fragrances with it. This one, the first, has a backstory that’s as compelling as the scent itself (a green blend of cucumber, violet leaf, and green pepper that you can’t stop smelling, with that initial freshness softened by a base of cashmere, amber and white leather). grades).
“I was always very concerned with the ‘blooming’ moments of life,” Nyakio says. “We worry about the new job, the marriage, the babies, but in between those blooms, we have moments of decline where we need to rebuild, and that is what gives us strength and allows us to grow. So I wanted a perfume that celebrated the central stem rather than just the bloom. “If you have a strong stem, you can bloom again and again.”
And what could feel better on everyone’s skin than that?
Where can you buy relevant products in the UK?
BUY NOW Relevant is now available to buy in the UK through Sephora.
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