“Remove your lady’s beard”: Skinpositivity influencer Zübeyde Kücük on facial hair and diversity in the beauty industry

“Remove your lady’s beard”: Skinpositivity influencer Zübeyde Kücük on facial hair and diversity in the beauty industry

With 145,000 followers on Tiktok and over 92,000 followers on Instagram, Zübeyde Kücük aka Zübi shares one thing above all with her community: the passion for beauty. Their accounts, which have become known under the name skin.meeting, are not only about products, tips and active ingredients, but also about the topic of diversity in the beauty industry. Because Zübi is a skin positivity influencer and would like to appeal to people with roots in the Mediterranean and the Arabic world who feel left alone with avoidable taboo topics such as facial hair and pigment spots and do not see their (skin) needs being adequately covered. For example, due to a lack of product selection for every skin tone.

We spoke to Zübi about facial hair, shade ranges and the development of the beauty industry:

GLAMOUR: Dear Zübi, you keep drawing attention to the topic of diversity in the beauty industry. In your opinion, how has the beauty industry changed in terms of diversity over the last few years?

The rules of the game have finally been changed. Not only am I proud of it, I feel better about myself and how important it is. The world of beauty must be accessible to everyone, regardless of age, gender or nationality. Shade ranges are now much more diverse and there is something for everyone. I no longer have to mix two shades of foundation to find my shade. I can remember Fenty Beauty launching 40 Foundation Shades straight away and it finally appealed to so many skin types. So you no longer feel excluded. Especially on TikTok, I see so many young people talking openly about problems, whether it’s blemishes, hair, pigmentation or weight. What you used to get a lot of hate for, you are celebrated today. I finally see people I can identify with on billboards. Diversity contributes to society becoming more authentic.

What else would you wish for in the beauty industry in terms of diversity? What else needs to be done?

When I was younger and discovered my first interest in skincare and beauty, there were few people who resembled me in advertising or on social media. Many of the creators or testimonials were blonde, tall, and often a lot fairer than me. I had few role models and I very much hope that the diversity, which has been increasing in recent years, will cause young people to find themselves in us and feel validated.

Especially when you think about how late the topic of acne or other skin problems was addressed openly and figuratively. I struggled with that for many years of my youth. The beauty and skincare world wasn’t as transparent and honest as it is today. Here, too, it is very important, personally for me, to give people help and to tell them that it is totally okay if you struggle with skin problems, because nobody is alone.