What was the Youthforia scandal? Foundation controversy explained as beauty brand shuts down after 4 years
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Cosmetic brand Youthforia (Photo: Instagram/ @youthforia)Beauty brand Youthforia announced shutting down its business after four years. On Monday, August 4, 2025, the company uploaded a statement on their official website and Instagram account announcing its closure.
In the post, its founder, Fiona Co Chan, wrote:
"I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of your wonderful support over the past few years. It's been a dream to create such a beautiful brand - but unfortunately, I've made the hard decision to shut down Youthforia."
The development comes a year after the company faced backlash last year for its Date Night foundation. It initially faced criticism for its limited range for darker skin tones and later for launching a subsequent extension featuring what appeared to be just jet black pigment.
Fiona Co Chan pitched Youthforia in season 14 of SharkTank
Fiona Co Chan launched Youthforia in 2021, gaining popularity with its BYO Blush, a color-changing blush oil. Talking to ABC News, Chan described her decision to shut down as a tough and heartbreaking one. She elaborated that no one can prepare for the "grief" of closing down a brand.
Her statement on Instagram added:
"I look back at these past few years with such love, and appreciation. THANK YOU for being a part of that journey- and I appreciate it so much."
Per the message, the brand was holding a closing-out sale on its website, offering all products at a 50% discount.
Chan appeared in season 14 of Shark Tank (2023), pitching Youthforia's line of products as plant-based makeup that one can even "sleep in." She eventually walked away with a $400,000 investment from Mark Cuban. Notably, according to Business of Fashion, this was Cuban's first deal with a beauty brand.
Per the outlet, in 2023, the cosmetics company ended up securing another round of funding from True Beauty Ventures and Willow Growth Partners. The deal helped it to expand into retail channels like Ulta Beauty and Amazon. In addition to Shark Tank, the company had been featured in magazines like Allure and Vogue.
In May 2024, Youthforia faced backlash after several beauty influencers criticized its Date Night Foundation.
Per their website, initially launched in October 2023, the foundation was the first of its kind, skin tint serum-based foundation. It featured 15 shades. However, many Black beauty influencers called out the company for not including options for darker skin tones.
According to Good Morning America, Chan reportedly shared a video (since deleted) explaining that the launch was a "proof of concept" to check if the product worked. In a subsequent post (since deleted) she apologized, adding more shades were being developed.
Youthforia rolled out 10 additional tints in March 2024. However, by May, netizens called out the brand for the foundation's tones being similar to jet-black face paint. In May, TikTok user Golloria George reviewed Date Night Foundation's darkest shade, "600." The clip showed George not being able to blend it with her skin tone. Notably, she likened it to "jet-black face paint." She even applied the said color to the other side of her face to show that the two colors appeared identical. Quoting the influencer, GMA wrote:
"When we say that we want you guys to make shades for us, we don't mean to go to the lab and ask for minstrel show black.What we mean is to take the browns that you have made, create undertones and do what you need to do in the lab so it's a darker shade of brown."
The TikTok went viral, with millions of views, and began calling out Youthforia online. The backlash ended in their retail partners, like Credo Beauty, Thirteen Lune, and Revolve, pulling their products from shelves. Their online and social media traffic, too, decreased.
The brand's website is currently holding a closeout sale with all products at a 50% discount.
TOPICS: Youthforia