Gender-Inclusive Beauty Brands You'll Be Obsessed With
"Gender-inclusive" is a major buzzword in the beauty industry right now. In the past few years, multiple celebrities have launched gender-inclusive or gender-neutral cosmetics and skincare brands, and even major retailers like MAC have gotten in on the trend. The fact that beauty products aren't just for women is becoming more mainstream than niche, and the number of men interested in purchasing beauty products and cosmetics rose 3% between 2018 and 2021, according to consumer insights firm GWI (via Warc).
But even if you're hearing of the trend for the first time, gender-inclusive and gender-neutral beauty products aren't anything new. Some beauty brands that pioneered gender-inclusive and gender-neutral cosmetics and skincare have been around for almost two decades. Their longevity proves that beauty products made for and marketed to men, and gender nonconforming and non-binary folks, are far more than a passing trend. It's the future of the entire beauty industry.
Here are some gender-inclusive and gender-neutral makeup and skincare brands we're currently obsessed with.
Malin+Goetz
Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz are pioneers of gender-inclusive beauty. In a blog post for their site, Goetz revealed that gender-inclusivity was at the core of their product design all the way back in 2004. Frustrated by the limited choices of men's skincare products and the sheer number of products required to manage their very different skin types, Malin and Goetz created their own options.
For inspiration, they looked to antiquity. Centuries before skincare was sold by corporations, people went to their local apothecary for their skincare needs. The potions, tonics, and lotions available at these apothecaries were formulated by expert herbalists, who used local, foraged ingredients. And, all their concoctions were gender-neutral because the focus was on healthy skin, not gender-based beauty standards.
Goetz and Malin took this approach when creating their products as well, and clearly, it worked out for them since their brand is still considered one of the best in the industry. Check out their Product Finder Quiz to find options that will work for your skin, regardless of your gender.
Jecca Blac
Though Jessica Blackler, a UK-based makeup artist, didn't launch Jecca Blac until 2015, she was at the forefront of gender-neutral makeup long before that. In an interview with Dazed Beauty, Blackler revealed that when she started sharing her makeup tutorials on social media, the majority of people who messaged her were trans women. They were desperate for tips on how to do their makeup for the first time, cover up their beard shadows, and create looks that would help them pass in their daily lives. Blackler realized then that trans women were being completely left out of the mainstream beauty industry, left to fend for themselves, using products that weren't designed for them.
So, she used her experience in the television and film industries to open a studio space where anyone could learn about makeup application, try different cosmetics, and hone their personal style, and the studio quickly earned a reputation for being a safe space for trans women. Blackler offered private and group makeup tutorials and eventually took her skills outside the studio.
Blacker credits her trans clients with pushing her to launch her own cosmetics line based entirely around the philosophy that #MakeupHasNoGender. The core of her brand has always been that makeup is a way to express identity, regardless of gender. Her Correct and Conceal Palette was the first concealer to effectively cover beard shadow, and her campaigns have always featured people of all genders.
TooD
For TooD's founder, Shari Siadat, creating a gender-inclusive beauty brand was a personal mission. Siadat told Quill that as an Iranian-American, non-binary femme, they were always trying to fit a beauty standard that was literally impossible for them to achieve, and they never saw anyone like them in the beauty industry. So, Siadat decided to start a revolution in the beauty industry.
Part of that revolution is rejecting the beauty standards of the West — standards that define beauty as femme, thin, white, hairless, and blond. They explained that these beauty standards and the industry they've launched are deeply rooted in oppressive systems like colonialism, racism, and patriarchy, prizing femininity and whiteness over all other features.
But that's not how Siadat defines beauty. They believe that beauty is about a person's energy and that makeup is simply a way for people to externally express that energy. Siadat is on a mission to overthrow the beauty industry with fun and funky cosmetics that enable people to express their individual energy regardless of their gender, which is why they describe TooD as a "non-binary beauty brand." They want everyone to know that they're "allowed" to wear makeup and wear it any way that feels right for them.
Non Gender Specific
The name says pretty much everything you need to know about Andrew Glass' skincare brand, and that was the whole point. Glass told Spa & Beauty Today that he wanted to put his mission — gender-neutral skincare — front and center in his branding so people knew exactly what his line was about. And he couldn't think of a better way to do that than literally putting it in the name.
Like so many of the creators at the forefront of gender-neutral beauty, frustration with the gendered nature of the beauty industry drove Glass to create Non Gender Specific. In over a decade of working in the beauty industry, Glass saw the divide between "women's beauty products" and "men's beauty products" grow wider and wider. He was baffled by the fact that the beauty industry couldn't seem to move beyond the binary or the concept of gender in general. Like many of his cohorts in the gender-inclusive skincare space, he understood that skin really isn't gendered and decided to develop skincare products that acknowledged that reality. As Glass put it, he wanted to create beauty products for "literally for every human." So, he did.
His core products — the Everything line – focus on packing as many benefits into one product as possible and ensuring those products meet the needs of any human looking for better skin.
Noto Botanics
Gloria Noto spent years as a celebrity makeup artist, so she had all the expertise needed when she decided to launch her own line of makeup and skincare. Noto's work in the beauty industry also shaped her philosophy that beauty products exist so that everyone can express their most authentic selves. And that philosophy is at the core of Noto Botanics. In an interview with BLDG 25, Noto explained that she set out to create clean skincare products and cosmetics that could be adapted to fit anyone's beauty goals.
All her Color + Glo cosmetics go on sheer, for a subtle brightening effect. But they can also be layered to create bold, shiny looks. So, the makeup is perfect for both masculine folks who just want a hint of color and femme folks who want that perfect color pop.
Noto's skincare line is just as gender inclusive as her cosmetics. Though she admits people assigned male at birth often have different skincare needs than people assigned female at birth, her products are so simple and basic that they fit everyone's needs.
Good Light
Good Light founder David Yi learned everything he needed to know about the magic of a daily skincare routine when he was a young boy, watching his father. Yi told Thirteen Lune that his dad's daily skincare routine was more than just a routine, it was a "ritual." He explained that his father set aside special alone time each day to meticulously take care of his skin, applying multiple products. As Yi got older, he began to understand that this ritual was how his father practiced self-love and took care of his physical and mental health.
Because of the example he got as a child, skincare has never been gendered for Yi. And when he set out to create his own skincare line, he knew he wanted to create products that people of all genders could use to create self-love rituals like his father's.
Yi also knew that he wanted his products to change the dominant messaging of the beauty industry. His brand's motto is "beauty beyond the binary." He wants to erase the idea that beauty is just for women or femme folks as well as the idea that gender is even just men and women or masculine and feminine. Yi wants to use beauty to show people that gender is anything but binary. All of Yi's skincare products are made from simple, natural ingredients that help bring out each individual's inner light.
The Panacea
In Korea, where The Panacea is based, traditional ideas about gender have been deeply rooted in the culture for centuries. Terry Lee, the beauty brand's founder, wants to change that. He told Galore that his skincare line shows customers that beauty is not just for women, it's also for men and everyone else.
While he was developing his bare bones, three-step skincare routine, Lee's team spoke to people of all genders to find out what they wanted, what they needed, and what they wished for in skincare products. It came as no surprise to Lee that, regardless of gender, people wanted pretty much the same things: products that leave their skin looking fresh without leaving their skin feeling slick or smothered. So, Panacea focused on creating a cleanser, moisturizer, and sunscreen that gave people of all genders the look and feel they desired.
As one of the only Korean beauty brands selling gender-inclusive skincare, Lee believes that Panacea has the power to change people's ideas about skincare, beauty, and gender by showing people that great skin looks good on everyone and everyone can achieve that look with the same basic products.
Trixie Cosmetics
Few people outside the beauty industry understand how makeup can transform and inspire the way drag queens do. So, it makes perfect sense that former "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars" winner Trixie Mattel created his own makeup line, Trixie Cosmetics.
Trixie, whose real name is Brian Michael Firkus, set out to create cosmetics that "celebrate a heightened sense of femininity" even when they're being worn by non-femme people. Performing in drag is all about having a moment in the spotlight, getting to be the diva, the star, and Firkus wanted his makeup to allow anyone, regardless of their gender, to put on the face they want for their star moment. He also wanted his makeup to invoke fun and play, which is why the line is designed around vintage toys. The colors are bold and bright and the packaging is quirky and nostalgic. Think of your Barbie salon set from 1987.
Trixie's blushes, bronzers, lipsticks, and eyeshadow enable anyone to make a bold statement and show off their fun, femme side.
Morphe
Social media influencers have played a major role in redefining who makeup is for, and Todrick Hall has been one of the most influential in that change. Hall told Glossy that he's always loved wearing makeup, but that there was a time in his life when he was too nervous to wear makeup in public. As a Black gay man, he didn't want to stand out any more than he already did. But eventually, he realized that hiding his love of makeup was hiding a major part of his true self.
So, he set out to change the narrative around who can wear makeup. The culmination of this journey happened in 2021 when Hall teamed up with Morphe Beauty to create a gender-inclusive Pride makeup line. Hall said one of the major reasons he chose to collaborate with Morphe was that the brand's leadership proved that they were committed to the LGBTQIA+ community year-round, not just during Pride month.
One demonstration of that commitment is Morphe's partnership with GLSEN student ambassadors, called the Student Squad. These gender-diverse teens and young adults work to educate people in their education communities about LGBTQIA+ issues, and they look amazing while doing so thanks to the makeup Morphe provides them as part of the partnership. Morphe, along with its partners, is on a mission to show people that makeup can help anyone stand out in all the right ways.
Milk Makeup
In 2017, Milk Makeup teamed up with David Yi's cosmetics brand Good Light to create a campaign focused on raising awareness around gender and beauty. They interviewed seven young models to find out how they defined gender and how gender defined their relationship to beauty. Many of the people they interviewed were non-binary or gender-fluid. Some presented more masculine, others more feminine, and some said their gender changes from day to day or moment to moment.
Each of the people involved in the campaign used Milk Makeup to create looks that expressed their unique identities and genders, showing that anyone can use makeup to help tell the story of who they are. While some of the models created soft, feminine looks with Milk's products, others used the same products to give their look a masculine edge.
Milk Makeup also takes its commitment to gender inclusivity further than its campaigns. As of July 2022, about 3% of the company's employees were non-binary or gender non-conforming, and about 11% identify as men; impressive numbers for a female-dominated industry.
Haus Labs
Absolutely no one was surprised when Lady Gaga announced that her beauty industry debut with the makeup line Haus Labs would be gender-inclusive. The Grammy-award-winning performer, who's made an entire career out of pushing fashion and beauty boundaries, told Good Morning America that she believes makeup is a medium for self-love and that self-love has no gender boundaries. She wanted Haus Labs' products to give people the opportunity to create a unique look that helped them love themselves and become confident enough to show the world their true selves.
Gaga also wanted her brand to disrupt the "rules" that define what is and isn't beautiful so that everyone can define beauty for themselves. Part of this disruption included hiring models of all genders, skin colors, and backgrounds for Haus Labs' launch campaign as well as subsequent campaigns.
Though several celebrities have launched gender-inclusive beauty brands in the past few years, Haus Labs was one of the first. Its success paved the way for other celebs to launch their own gender-inclusive lines.
Pleasing
When you think of a gender-fluid aesthetic, the first celeb who pops into your mind is probably Harry Styles. For Styles, clothing has no gender. He's just as comfortable in jeans and a hoodie as he is in slacks and a lacy, tailored blouse. And more often than not, he's rocking a bold, colorful manicure. Styles is redefining the intersection of gender and beauty.
When he announced on Instagram that he was launching his own beauty brand, Pleasing, in 2021, it made total sense that his line was for men, women, and anyone in between. Styles told the media that he wanted to develop beauty products that weren't aimed at hiding or correcting people's flaws. He wanted to create products that helped highlight people's natural beauty. With that in mind, his initial line included a two-in-one lip treatment and eye pencil, a variety of simple nail polishes, and a moisturizing makeup primer.
Humanrace
For Pharell Williams, skincare is a basic tenet of well-being. He believes that engaging in an intentional, daily skincare ritual is part of the essential self-care that keeps each of us thriving. That philosophy is what inspired his gender-inclusive skincare brand, Humanrace.
The name reflects Pharell's core belief that we are all part of the same human race and that every member of that race deserves to take care of themselves the same way. When skincare is relegated to certain types of people or certain genders, people are denied the right to well-being. In his own words, "Humanrace doesn't differentiate by race or gender. We're creating for humans; we are all born in the same skin and Humanrace celebrates this."
Humanrace's carefully and ethically formulated products are designed to work for people with all kinds of skin, regardless of gender. They are also designed to be paired together to create a skincare routine that makes each customer feel like they're devoting time and care toward physical, mental, and emotional health.
Fenty Skin
Rihanna's beauty brand, Fenty, has been transforming the beauty industry since it launched. And in 2020, she furthered that transformation with the launch of Fenty Skin, which she promised would be "the new culture of skincare."
The launch video started like a typical beauty campaign, with gorgeous women of all colors flaunting their perfect skin. Then, about halfway through, Lil Nas X and A$AP Rocky showed up, their skin just as radiant as any of the women's. The video ended with a message about how Fenty Skin would change the way the world thinks about skincare. In an Instagram post announcing the launch, Rihanna wrote, "That's right baby...@fentyskin is for my fellas too! No matter who you are, you deserve to have great skin!"
Rihanna said that she'd always wanted an easy skincare routine that really worked for anyone, but couldn't find one. So, she created it herself. Though gender-inclusive skincare brands were nothing new, Rihanna was one of the first celebrities to launch a gender-inclusive beauty line.