I'm an Expert in Hyperpigmentation—These Products Are Gold for Melanin-Rich Skin

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(Image credit: @urbanskinfounder)

The Lineup is a monthly series where we’re giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of cool fashion people, editors, makeup artists, hairstylists, and estheticians—all the people we trust the most. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can’t-live-without products that make their worlds go 'round.

If you're a beauty lover on TikTok, chances are you've probably seen a certain viral cleansing bar pop up on your FYP again and again. You know the one I'm talking about—it's from Rachel Roff's brand, Urban Skin Rx. Its popularity skyrocketed in 2020 when an influencer shared that it helped her achieve the clearest skin of her life. (The video garnered over one million views overnight.) Since then, the brand has continued to blow up, and for good reason.

The brand is led by Roff, a licensed aesthetician with over 20 years of experience. Before helping people achieve beautiful skin, she was the one seeking help from dermatologists for her own skin woes, including acne and a large, brown nevus mole on the side of her mouth. "They helped me feel better in my own skin, and that's really what triggered my love for beauty and the industry," she says. "Life is short, and I think if something is really bothering you, you should make the investment to fix it and feel better."

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(Image credit: @urbanskinfounder)

At 24 years old, Roff opened her first medical spa in Charlotte, North Carolina, and solely focused on providing skin and laser treatments for patients with skin of color. "There weren't any other med spas treating people with melanin-rich skin—they were being turned away, misdiagnosed, or even worse, scarred or burnt," she explains. Roff says she quickly recognized the need to fill this gap on a larger scale, so she developed Urban Skin Rx, and as they say, the rest is history. "I'm beyond proud of the work we've done so far to elevate and expand the category of clinical skincare for melanin-rich skin tones," she says.

Even after speaking to Roff briefly, I can feel her good energy and enthusiasm for helping others feel more beautiful. It's clear that Roff's passion for helping people feel confident in their skin is reflected in each product she creates, and I can't wait to see what else she'll do for the beauty industry. But for now, she's sharing her go-to picks for achieving a glowy, even-toned complexion, so my future (and yours) is already looking bright. Keep scrolling for her picks.

Skincare Must-Haves

Shower & Hair Essentials

Most-Loved Makeup

Fragrance Faves

Next up: Expensive Doesn't Mean Better—Here's Why I Built My Dream Skincare Brand

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Emma Walsh
Associate Beauty Editor, Branded Content

Emma is an associate beauty editor of branded content. She’s a passionate writer who loves all things beauty, wellness, and personal growth. Before pursuing writing, she worked in influencer marketing at Gallery Media Group, which owns digital brand PureWow. She lives in New York City, where you can usually find her running to a Pilates class or sipping on a green juice in the park.