My Story
How years of struggle led to Melanitude
Aaliyah Thompson
Founder, Melanitude
Ispent my entire childhood ashamed of my skin. The acne started when I was 12—angry, painful breakouts that left dark marks long after they healed. My mother took me to dermatologist after dermatologist, and each one prescribed the same thing: harsh creams that burned my face, antibiotics that upset my stomach, and advice that never worked.
“Just wash your face more,” they’d say. “Use this benzoyl peroxide.” “Try this retinoid.”
What they never said was that my melanin-rich skin needed a completely different approach. The treatments that worked for lighter skin left me with more hyperpigmentation than I started with. Every breakout became a dark spot that lasted for months. I felt trapped in a cycle I couldn’t escape.
By the time I was 23, I had spent thousands of dollars on products and treatments that made my skin worse. I was angry, frustrated, and desperate.”
That’s when I stopped looking for answers from doctors who didn’t understand my skin. I started doing my own research—reading medical journals, joining online communities, talking to older Black women who had figured out their skin decades ago. I learned about post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. I learned why certain ingredients trigger inflammation in darker skin. I learned that the skincare industry had been ignoring us for decades.
It took me three years of trial and error, but I finally cracked the code. I learned to introduce actives slowly. I learned which ingredients fade dark spots without irritation. I learned that my ashiness wasn’t from lack of lotion—it was from barrier damage. I learned that double cleansing changed everything. I learned that my grandma’s shea butter routine had science behind it.
My skin transformed. Not overnight—it took months—but it transformed. The breakouts stopped. The dark spots faded. For the first time in my life, I looked in the mirror and felt proud.
But I was angry. Why did I have to figure this out alone? Why wasn’t there a single guide that understood melanin-rich skin? Why did every skincare resource assume lighter skin was the default?
So I created what I wish I had when I was 12 years old—a complete guide designed exclusively for Fitzpatrick 4-6 skin. No generic advice. No guessing. Just solutions that actually work.”
Melanitude is my answer to every young girl who’s been told her skin is “difficult.” It’s my answer to every woman who’s spent thousands on products that don’t work. It’s my answer to a beauty industry that has ignored us for too long.
Your skin isn’t the problem. The lack of education is. And I’m here to change that.
Our Mission
To provide skincare education designed exclusively for melanin-rich skin. No compromises. No generic advice. Just honest, research-backed solutions that honor the beauty and complexity of Black skin.
Unapologetically Black-First
We don't adapt white skincare advice for Black skin. We start with Black skin and build from there.
Science-Backed
Every recommendation is grounded in dermatological research specific to melanin-rich skin.
Accessible
No $200 serums. No gatekeeping. Real solutions at prices that don't require a second mortgage.
Join the Movement
Thousands of women have transformed their skin with Melanitude. You're next.