Relevant is the hottest new skincare brand to arrive at Sephora
Last time we checked, Sephora was already pretty well served for premium skincare. So what, you might wonder, has persuaded the UK’s arbiter of beauty cool to clear shelf space for US brand Relevant? We think we can give you the answer in just four words: brand founder Nyakio Grieco.
Nyakio is a beauty pioneer whose inspiration is truly in her DNA. A trailblazing entrepreneur, her passion stems from both her Kenyan heritage and a deep desire to empower other Black women via beauty.
Twenty years ago, she founded her first skin brand, Nyakio Beauty, as a love letter to her family’s beauty traditions. “My grandmother was a coffee farmer and my grandfather was a medicine man,” says Nyakio, the US-born daughter of Kenyan immigrants. “So I was really inspired to celebrate the sophistication of Africa through premium skincare.”
Her story entered a new chapter in 2020 when she found herself thrust into a leading role in Black empowerment. “We were all witnessing the racial reckoning in America,” she says. “All of a sudden, Nyakio became the number one Black-owned beauty brand. I began showing up on all these listicles and I started discovering all of these Black-owned brands that I'd never heard of before. I’d always felt like I was the only one on the shelf, especially in premium skincare.”
Galvanised to help elevate this community, Nyakio established Thirteen Lune, a retail site showcasing Black and brown-owned brands from around the world. At the same time, she chose to step away from her namesake brand, having sold it to Unilever; a difficult decision but one she says opened the path to a new purpose.
“I wanted to debunk the myth that Black and brown people only make products for ourselves,” she says. “When it comes to skincare and fragrance, most of the beauty rituals and ingredients that we use across the entire industry come from beautiful, marginalised parts of the world.”
It’s within this context that Relevant was born. The choice of name was pertinent. “I wanted to focus on truly melanin safe and melanin seen skincare,” she explains. “And by that, I mean products that everybody can use, but ones that are really prioritising an underserved consumer in their formulations.”
Nyakio points out that dark skin requires a level of care that can be absent from mainstream formulations. “When you look at melanin-rich skin, we almost always suffer more from concerns like hyper-pigmentation, hypopigmentation, rosacea and eczema,” she says. “You don't necessarily see the redness on deeper skin tones but it’s there. My approach with Relevant is that if you’re formulating products with melanin-rich skin in mind, they’re probably going to work for everyone.”
As well as being designed for all skin types, Relevant is designed to spark joy. With its bright, 'serotonin in a jar' styling, the brand manages to look both premium and irresistibly fun. “I’ve watched the industry get so saturated, and seen the joy being taken out of skincare,” says Nyakio. “By using all this colour, I hoped it would be magnetic for everyone but also melanin safe, melanin seen. My real intention was to ensure nobody feels left out.”
The best Relevant products
Red beauty editor Lynne Hyland picks out the best Relevant products, now available to shop at Sephora in the UK...
Relevant Sunburst C+ Superfruit Serum
It’s called a serum but in reality this is a beautiful facial oil. Featuring stabilised vitamin C at a non-irritating yet potent 15% dose, this delivers the benefits without the burn. Even though Nyakio and I have very different skin tones, we both know what it’s like to have too much of this antioxidant powerhouse, and personally I’m finding this formula a delight to use. Not only is it a fantastic free radical shield, it leaves my skin comfortable, silky-soft, ready for make-up, and glowy without being greasy.
Relevant Beam + Glow Eye Serum, £52
All Relevant products are aimed at all ages as well as all skin tones, with the notable exception of this one. It’s got what Nyakio calls “active tight technology” for an immediate smoothing effect on lines (I can see it, for sure), and over time it promises to reduce dark circles. Fingers crossed for that, although the line-skimming effect will keep me using it regardless.
Relevant Sol Tone Resurface & Glow Solution, £56
Nyakio and I are in firm agreement here: if there’s one DIY skin product with the potential to upset sensitive skin, it’s an acid peel. The Relevant formula was created after Nyakio experienced reactions from other chemical exfoliants, and features five brightening acids plus soothing witch hazel. “It’s done at levels that are safe for all skin tones, and it’s gentle enough for daily use,” says Nyakio. I’ve given it a whirl five times on my acid-averse skin and so far, so good.
Relevant Lights Out Resting Mask, £32
Great name, brilliant product. At the end of a long day, I want a night-time treatment I can crash out in, with no need to remove. “I love resting masks. A treatment you slather on and wipe off feels very wasteful to me,” agrees Nyakio. Her formula gives such luscious, facial-like softness, I’m tempted to wear it during the day too. The secret of its success? Azelaic acid, dermatology’s multi-purpose favourite and something the rest of us are finally catching on to.
Relevant 13 Stems Eau de Parfum
Perfume? In a skincare range?! Do not adjust your screen. This EDP started as a side avenue, after Byredo superfan Nyakio approached the brand’s nose, Jérôme Epinette, and ended up developing six fragrances with him. This, their first, has a back story that’s as compelling as the scent itself (a ‘can’t stop sniffing it’ green blend of cucumber, violet leaf and green pepper, with that opening freshness softened by cashmere, amber and white leather base notes).
“I was always so concerned about life’s ‘bloom’ moments,” says Nyakio. “We care about the new job, the marriage, the babies, but in between those blooms, we have fall-down moments where we need to rebuild - and that’s what gives us our strength and allows us to grow. So I wanted a perfume that celebrates the core stem instead of just the bloom. If you have a strong stem, you can bloom over and again.”
And what could sit more beautifully on everyone’s skin than that?
Where can you buy Relevant products in the UK?
SHOP NOW Relevant is now available to shop in the UK via Sephora.
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