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Naomi Osaka is a Japanese professional tennis player who has been ranked as number one according to the Women's Tennis Association and is the first Asian player to hold the top ranking in singles. In her career, she has won the Grand Slam singles championship four times and is concurrently the reigning victor at the US and Australian Open. Further than sportsmanship though, Osaka is a multifaceted public figure. With her biracial culture, Japanese and Haitian, she is an activist and has publicly expressed her support of the Black Lives Matter movement. In 2020, she was deemed Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year for her public activism and was also included in Time’s annual list of 100 most influential people in the world.
Earlier this year, Osaka stepped into the beauty and skincare game with her company, KINLÒ. The newfound skincare brand “[pays] homage to [Osaka’s] bicultural heritage in the meaning of the name, with both KIN and LÒ meaning 'gold' in Japanese and Haitian Creole, respectively.” An overarching goal of the company is to create “a sustainable personal care brand built for underserved communities.” In an interview for her September cover story with Women's Health magazine, Osaka dishes details on KINLÒ, its mission, and the significance of sunscreen.
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Spending much time outdoors, Osaka understands the cruciality of sun protection but also is aware that not all do. With the aim to address the notion that those with darker skin tones are not in need of sunscreen, Osaka states "I never imagined how eye-opening the statistics on skin cancer in Brown and Black skin would be." The misunderstanding that people with darker skin tones do not need sunscreen is due to the rich melanin in their complexion. The truth, though, is that SPF is beneficial for all in that it defends against harmful UV rays and prevents skin cancer.
She continues, "It wasn't enough to make products that didn't turn our dark skin white and didn't have harsh chemicals. I also wanted to dispel the myth that just because you have dark skin and don't burn means you don't need to take care of and protect that skin." KINLÒ is set to launch in the fall and is presumed to include a sunscreen or sun protection aimed product. Osaka has made it her mission to help combat the untruthful misconception regarding sun care and with KINLÒ, hopes to will "protect and rejuvenate melanated skin tones."
