Naira NYC Interview With Acaderma1
From West Africa to East Asia to South America, Acaderma harnesses some of the best botanicals from around the globe in their skincare line. For certain ingredients they are the first and only brand to do so, take, for example, kinkileba, a popular tea in Senegal. While the ingredient has been in use there for millennia, Acaderma is the first to do so in skincare form.
One of the reasons why Acaderma is so cutting-edge with its ingredients is because the brand is helmed by Dr. Shuting Hu (pictured above), an award-winning cosmetic scientist who holds a Ph.D. in biological science (which she earned at age 23(!)) with a specialization in phytochemistry and skin biology.
I spoke to Dr. Hu about traveling the world to find new botanicals, which Acaderma products are best suited to women of color and what it’s like to run every aspect of a global skincare brand.
What differentiates Acaderma from other skincare brands?
The most important part is that we have unique and exclusive ingredients that I discovered in my research. We don’t rely on ingredient suppliers or private label factories; we do the research and development ourselves. We know exactly what an ingredient is and why it’s good for the skin. For a plant extract, we know all of the components inside not just the functions it has. We keep everything transparent for our customers. We won’t just help you solve your skin problems, we’ll teach skin knowledge for the future. Most of our team and founders are from academia —professors, plant biologists, dermatologists, and chemical engineers.
Which of your products are particularly suited to women of color?
I think all of our products are good for women of color, however here are two products that could be uniquely helpful for deeper skin tones. We have a Star Light corrector to help with dark spots and Invisible Shield which is a potent antioxidant serum. All women, but especially those with darker skin tones, are at higher risk for free radical damage. Our serum can help discourage free radicals which are created through environmental factors such as sunlight and pollution. Darker skin tones are more easily damaged by visible light as it generates more free radicals, and the Invisible Shield protects women of color from this.
