Spooky season isn’t the only focus in October, as this month also symbolizes Breast Cancer Awareness. Whether you’re honoring your loved ones with the traditional ribbon, rocking your pink, or walking for the cure, our favorite beauty brands are opening their wallets to support research with a few limited-edition releases that are worth adding to the routine.
Essence has played a huge role in sharing the stories of Black women and their breast cancer journeys, like media personality Ananda Lewis who was diagnosed with stage three of the disease in 2020, or legendary singer Mary J Blige, who recently learned the depths of breast cancer. “I didn’t know about breast cancer or mammograms until I was 40,” Blige said during the “Screening the System: A Dialogue on Bias and Breast Health panel. “I found out about it at the GYN. They don’t discuss this when we’re children. They don’t say, ‘Go get a mammogram.’ You learn about this as you get older. So they don’t speak about it, and that’s why they end up in the hospital with two weeks to live, and now you know about it.”
According to the American Cancer Society, statistics show breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death for Black women, and have an unfortunate 41% mortality rate than white women. A growing number of factors, from genetic differences to structural racism, largely contribute to the lack of care Black women receive to potentially fight the disease. We’re diagnosed with an advanced stage by detecting too late or unlikely to receive recommended treatment, likely due to unaffordable healthcare or simply not being heard. Putting off a mammogram can also increase the risk of concern, which makes the screening vital to configure the next steps.
While there are plenty of ways to support breast cancer research this month, some of our favorite brands are combining beauty with philanthropy. A percentage of proceeds from select products are being donated to aid in finding the cure. Health is wealth, and these eight labels, including Amika and Clinique, are helping us look as good as we should feel.
Amika
If you’ve walked through Sephora, a shelf full of brightly and groovy-designed products probably caught your eye. Amika, the vivid hair care line, is offering their highly rated Soul Food Hair Nourishing Mask ($48) this month, with $4 of the purchase being donated to HairToStay, and nonprofit organization dedicated to helping breast cancer patients grow and maintain their hair through scalp cooling technology. Soul Food is packed with ultra-rich ingredients like jojoba oil and sea buckthorn superfruit for juicy curls and smooth hair.
Bobbi Brown
“Alexa cue “Lipgloss” by Lil Mama,” because this Bobbi Brown duo is a must for an everyday look, especially this month. The Proud To Be Pink mini set ($35) is a crushed oil-Infused gloss featuring Bellini, a shimmy nude, and Free Spirit, a creamy soft pink. Exclusively sold at Nordstrom, Bobby Brown will donate 100 percent of the purchase until it reaches its goal of $110,000 until June 2023 or while supplies last.
Bumble & Bumble
Haircare line Bumble & Bumble has the ultimate heat protectant for those silk presses you’ll sneak in this season. Not only does the bestselling Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil / UV Protector Primer ($32) tame unwanted frizz for a long-lasting soft finish, but it’s been upgraded with a limited edition pink packaging. For each bottle sold, Bumble & Bumble will make a 50 percent donation until it reaches its $80,000 goal from now until June of next year.
Clinique
Is it possible to have too many moisturizers? Absolutely not. Give Clinique’s Great Skin, Great Cause Moisture Surge ($44) this month with its posh pink twist. With a mix of Glycerine, sodium hyaluronate, and cucumber extract, the refreshing gel cream is lightweight and leaves a plump finish. The leading skincare brand is donating $10 from each sale until they’ve reached the $490,000 goal until supplies last.
Estée Lauder
2022 marks the 30th anniversary of Estee Lauder’s support of breast cancer research. This year, the skincare line is celebrating with a limited edition ribbon design of the Advanced Night Repair Serum ($110) which helps to reduce the look of aging to reveal radiant and moisturizing skin from the moment you wake up. Estee Lauder is making a large donation with 20% of purchases as well as a pledge for $15 million over five years. The collectible serum is available for purchase through June 2023.
Kiss
We’ve all had those last-minute beauty supply store runs to snag a pair of wispy lashes or a new set of nails from Kiss. Now the reliable brand is offering a few pink selections to stock up on and give back, including Hope ($9), a matte millennial pink manicure. Kiss is donating 10 percent of each purchase towards breast cancer research.