Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka has partnered with Walmart to bring her suncare brand, KINLÒ, to a wider audience. Starting April 30, 2022, the line specifically designed for people with melanated skin will be available in 2,500 Walmart stores across the country and on walmart.com. This exclusive partnership aims to increase awareness and accessibility of suncare products for diverse skin tones.
KINLÒ, which means "gold" in Japanese and Haitian Creole, was created by Osaka to address the unique skincare needs of Black, Brown, and Asian Pacific communities. The brand focuses on providing clean products that protect and nourish melanated skin while also raising awareness about health risks associated with sun exposure. To ensure the effectiveness and safety of her products, Osaka collaborated with top experts, including Dr. Naana Boakye, founder of Bergen Dermatology in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
“Naomi is truly a pioneer in her work to build a future of skincare that is formulated for melanated skin, while shining a light on the unmet skincare needs affecting people of color,” said Angel Beasley, Merchandise Director, Beauty, Walmart U.S. “Adding the KINLÒ product line to Walmart aligns squarely with our mission to better serve the needs of all of our customers. Walmart is ultra-focused on reflecting our diverse customers and advancing racial equity.”
The KINLÒ product line includes a range of sun protection items, such as tinted and SPF 40 moisturizers, sunscreen sticks with SPF 30, and sun spot brightening moisturizers. Each product is priced at less than $15, making them affordable and accessible to a wide range of consumers. In addition to protecting the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, KINLÒ products also contain skin-soothing natural ingredients like squalane, niacinamide, aloe vera, and hemp seed oil.
“Growing up playing tennis, I never liked using sunscreen because of the white residue and I assumed my natural melanin would protect me anyway, but that's not actually true. I got a bad sunburn the first time I went to Australia, and then I started doing more research and learned that people of color have a significantly lower skin-cancer-survival rate,” said Naomi Osaka, founder, KINLÒ. “I started KINLÒ to educate others about proper sun protection, no matter what they look like or where they live. Offering KINLÒ products at Walmart is a huge step in bringing suncare awareness and accessibility to a national level.”
Osaka's partnership with Walmart aligns with the retail giant's mission to better serve the needs of all customers and advance racial equity. By offering KINLÒ products in their stores and online, Walmart aims to reflect the diversity of its customer base and promote the importance of sun protection for all skin types.
“Born as a direct-to-consumer brand, KINLÒ’s retail expansion with Walmart will not only allow us to bring high-quality products formulated with natural ingredients at an accessible price point to millions of people around the country,” said Mia Meachem, president, KINLÒ.
As consumers become more conscious of the importance of using sunscreen regularly, the availability of KINLÒ products in Walmart stores across the country makes it easier for people of all backgrounds to access safe and effective sun protection. Moreover, this partnership opens up new opportunities for other independent brands owned by underrepresented groups to expand their reach and partner with major retailers.
KINLÒ was formulated in partnership with Dr. Naana Boakye, Dermatology Director for KINLÒ, who is raising awareness and educating people of color on skin cancer, sun damage prevention, and the mortality rate of skin cancer cases within the Black community, as well as amplifying the conversation on accessible suncare products for melanated skin tones.
