The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on everyone’s life but more so on medical workers who are at the forefront of the fight against the disease. There are now almost two million reported coronavirus cases worldwide and more than a quarter of them are in the US, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Nurses, doctors, and healthcare workers are spending long hours in the hospitals pulling off back-to-back shifts caring for patients. And that, of course, is taking a toll on their mental as well as physical wellbeing.
From dry hands due to the constant hand washing to breakouts and acne because of the personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks and face shields that they have to wear throughout their workday, skincare problems have unfortunately become another stressful part of their lives.
That’s why beauty brands are stepping up and donating not just money but also much-needed products directly to frontline responders. A lot of large companies such as L’Oreal and Clarins are now using their factories to produce hand sanitizer that is shipped to hospitals in Europe and the US. But they are also sending out beauty products.
“In the coming weeks, as a way of supporting healthcare professionals in their fight against the epidemic, the Clarins Group will donate 30,000 moisturizing creams to hospitals,” stated Olivier Courtin-Clarins, the managing director of the Clarins Group on the company’s website.
Similarly, French luxury company L’Occitane en Provence has shipped over 10,000 hand creams to the NHS (National Health Sevice) and hospital workers in the UK that is currently experiencing an increase in the number of COVID-19 infections and deaths. L’Occitane will also distribute 25,000 units of soap and hand cream to hospitals in Paris in addition to the 70,000 liters of hand sanitizer that it’s producing in France.
Elizabeth Arden is also showing its support by donating essential skincare products to healthcare workers both in the US and UK. The beauty company announced that it is shipping 4,000 Eight Hour Skin Creams directly to hospitals in both countries.
The company is also part of Beauty United, a global coalition of over 50 beauty brands among which Clinique, Caudalie, Goop, and the Estee Lauder Companies that are currently fundraising to help provide PPE and donate personal care products to healthcare workers.
Haircare brand Fekkai has sent 4,000 units of dry shampoo and 260 hand creams to hospitals across the country. And another professional haircare company, It’s a 10 Haircare, announced that it will donate over 211,000 products including shampoos, conditioners, and hand cream worth $5.4 million to hospitals, homeless shelters, and people going through financial difficulties in the US.
New York-based brands have mobilized to help hospital workers in the state that is now the epicenter of the outbreak. Milk Makeup donated $250,000-worth of skincare products to NYC frontline responders in city hospitals. The brand also teamed up with Wu-Tang Clan on an online initiative that raised over $106,000 in 24 hours.
Similarly to the impact the pandemic has had on the fashion industry, beauty companies have also been hit very hard by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many brands have shut down their brick-and-mortar stores relying only on online sales. The pandemic has affected supply chains and product development forcing companies to delay product launches. So given the financial blow to the industry as a whole, it is especially reassuring that beauty brands are still doing their part by helping to alleviate the burden and provide much-needed self-care products to medical workers.
