Emmy-winning talk show host, game show host, and former NFL superstar Michael Strahan of “Good Morning America” has entered the beauty and skin care business, joining other Black celebrities in the struggle to create products uniquely formulated for melanated skin.
About Michael Strahan Daily Defense
Michael Strahan Daily Defense, a skin and shave routine for all men is an inexpensive skin and shave line, was created by Strahan with biotechnology company Evolved by Nature, WWD.com reports. It will include a face and beard wash, shaving lotion, face and neck moisturizer, post-shave balm, and conditioning beard oil (ranging from $12 to $14 at retail).
All skin types were considered when formulating the collection, with a special nod to the TV personality’s daily needs and active life.
Initially launching online and at local CVS pharmacies, the Texas Southern University alum says his aim with the venture is to promote a healthy skin regimen for men, who often neglect themselves or hide their grooming products because they think it makes them look weak or feminine.
“There’s this whole machoism thing,” Strahan believes. “We think it’s not cool or manly to have great skin. There’s a stigma against it and it’s usually product you borrow or hide on the back shelf in the bathroom.”
Celebs Entering the Skincare Space
He also understands there is a vacuum in the market that calls for quality care in the men’s grooming market.
“I definitely think there’s a white space and opportunity for us,” he said of the company that will be another addition to his self-titled brand, created in 2015, that already features athleisure wear, denim apparel, and accessories.
“From our launch with apparel to today’s debut of a skin and shave collection, all of our products under the Michael Strahan brand are designed to help people look and feel their best,” the businessman shares.
Adding, “a perfectly fitting suit has always helped me feel more confident but dressing well is only a piece of the equation. Taking care of your skin is an important component of developing a daily routine. Michael Strahan Daily Defense grew out of my own need for a quality, hassle-free daily skin care regimen that really works.”
This could be intimidating for some men, he understands, but hopes it will inform men that skin care is not laborious, “only takes a minute,” and is “no different than taking a shower.”
Other Black celebrities and influencers have launched successful skin care lines.
Singer Alicia Keys launched KeysSoulcare, a dermatologist-developed skin nourishing effort that reminds the consumer that “beauty is more than skin deep,” but requires “care for the whole self — body, mind, and spirit.”
Similar to Pharrell’s brand Humanrace, a brand that seeks to nurture skin from the perspective of zeroing on the common thread that all people need for maximum care, specifically, protection from the sun.
Other chart toppers with skin care brands are DJ Khaled’s BLESSWELL company, a CBD-based men’s grooming line, RICH by Rick Ross, an affordable luxury grooming brand made with caviar, champagne, and Kona Coffee extract, and Ciara’s recently launched OAM (On A Mission) line, a vitamin C brand hitting the market on Sept. 15.
Lori Harvey’s Skn by Lori Harvey and Tai Beauchamp’s CBD-based Brown Girl Jane are two products ripe for the market, while actors Jada Pinkett Smith’s Hey Humans brand and Gabrielle Union’s (along with her husband Dwyane Wade) PROUDLY celebrates clean, natural and culturally sensitive products for people of color. The Wades’ product is especially interesting, as it is a baby care brand specifically created for brown bundles of joy.
While all of these offerings have (or will soon) make their mark, the champion of the space is millennial billionaire Rihanna.
The singer’s Fenty Beauty, which she recently sold a 50 percent stake in a joint venture to luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, is currently worth $2.8 billion. Debuting in the market in 2017 as a makeup brand with the aim to match all complexions, she used her popularity to shut down all the competition in her lane. Her skincare brand has made an equally dynamic impact in the space, honoring its mission to be “clean, vegan and eco-friendly.”
Strahan’s Strategy for his Line
Strahan is joining a strong fraternity of beauty-conscious cultural stakeholders hoping to change the mindset about self-care on the most basic level with the largest organ of the human body.
And he believes he is ready.
“We’re proud of this new chapter for Michael Strahan,” he said. “And of these game-changing products designed for all men, to encourage them to tackle the day with confidence.”
