by Last time we checked, Sephora was already pretty well served for premium skin care. So what, you might ask, convinced the UK beauty arbiter to clear shelf space for a US brand Relevant? We think we can give you the answer in four words: the founder of the brand Nyakio Grieco.
Nyakio is a beauty pioneer whose inspiration is truly in her DNA. A pioneering entrepreneur, her passion stems from 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 doctor,” says Nyakio, the US-born daughter of Kenyan immigrants. “So I was inspired to celebrate African sophistication through world-class skin care.”
Her story entered a new chapter in 2020 when she found herself playing a leading role in Black empowerment. “We were all looking at the racial divide in America,” she says. “Suddenly, Nyakio became the leading Black-owned beauty brand. I started showing up on all these lists and I started discovering all these Black owned brands that I hadn’t heard of before. I always felt like I was the only one on the shelf, especially in premium skincare.”
Galvanized to help elevate the community, Nyakio was founded Monday eleven, a retail site showcasing Black and brown owned brands from around the world. At the same time, she chose to retire from her namesake brand, after selling it to Unilever; a difficult decision but one she says opened the path to a new purpose.
“I wanted to dispel the myth that Black and Brown people only make products for ourselves,” she says. “When it comes to skincare and fragrances, most of the beauty rituals and ingredients we use across the entire industry come from beautiful, marginalized parts of the world.”
It is within this context that Teematha was born. The choice of name was relevant. “I wanted to focus on real, safe melanin and skin care with visible melanin,” she explains. “And by that, I mean products that everyone can use, but products that really prioritize an underserved consumer in their formulations.”
Nyakio points out that dark skin requires a level of care that can be absent from mainstream formulations. “When you look at melanin-rich skin, we always suffer more from concerns like hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, rosacea and eczema,” she says. “You don’t necessarily see the redness on deeper skin tones but it’s there. My approach with Material is that if you’re inventing products with melanin-rich skin, they’re likely to work for everyone.”
As well as being designed for all skin types, Material is designed to spark joy. With the bright, ‘serotonin in a jar’ style, the brand manages to look premium and fun. “I saw the industry becoming so saturated, and I saw the joy being taken out of skin care,” says Nyakio. “By using all this color, I hoped it would be magnetic for everyone but also safe melanin, visible melanin. I wanted to make sure no one felt left out.”
The best Relevant products
Red Beauty editor Lynne Hyland picks the best of the Top Matter products, now available to shop at Sephora in the UK…
Superfruit Sunburst Serum C+ Relevant
It’s called a serum but this is actually a beautiful facial oil. With stabilized vitamin C at a non-irritating but powerful 15% dose, this delivers the benefits without the burn. Although Nyakio and I have very different skin tones, we both know what it’s like to have too much of this antioxidant power, and I personally love using this formula. Not only is it a great free radical shield, it leaves my skin feeling comfortable, silky-soft, ready for make-up, and glowy without being greasy.
Material Beam + Glow Eye Serum, £52
All of the Relevant products are aimed at all ages as well as all skin tones, with the notable exception of this one. It’s got what Nyakio calls “active firm technology” for an immediate smoothing effect on lines (I can definitely see them), and over time it promises to reduce dark circles. Fingers crossed for that, although the line-skimming effect will keep me using it regardless.
Sol Tone Material Resurfacing & Glow Solution, £56
Nyakio and I are in agreement here: if there’s one DIY skin product that can wreak havoc on sensitive skin, it’s acidic skin. The Material formula was created after Nyakio experienced reactions from other chemical exfoliants, and features five brightening acids plus soothing witch hazel. “It’s made at levels that are safe for all skin tones, and it’s gentle enough for daily use,” says Nyakio. I have swirled it five times on my acidic skin and so far, so good.
Outdoor Material Lights Relaxation Mask, £32
Great name, great product. At the end of a long day, I want a night treatment that I can crash into, without needing to remove. “I love relaxation masks. A treatment that peels and clears is a waste of time for me,” agrees Nyakio. Its soft formula gives such a luscious, facial-like, I’m tempted to wear it during the day too. The secret to success? Azelaic acid, dermatology’s all-purpose choice and something the rest of us are finally catching on to.
Relevant 13 Waterfall Eau de Parfum
Perfume? In a skin care range?! Do not adjust your screen. This EDP started as a side avenue, after Byredo superfan Nyakio got in touch with the brand’s nose, Jérôme Epinette, and ended up developing a fragrance with him. This, the first of them, has a back story that is as strong as the scent itself (a green blend of cucumber, violet leaf and green pepper, with that initial freshness softened by cashmere, amber and white leather base. notes).
“I’ve always been so concerned about the ‘bloom’ moments of life,” says Nyakio. “We appreciate the new job, the marriage, the children, but between those flowers, we have moments of collapse where we need to rebuild – and that is what gives us our strength and allows us to grow. So I wanted a perfume that celebrates the core stem instead of just the flower. If you have a strong stem, you can bloom again and again.”
And what could sit more beautifully on everyone’s skin than that?
Where can you buy relevant products in the UK?
SHOP NOW Relevant material is now available to shop in the UK through Sephora.
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