Kim Kardashian is under fire by those who claim that her new skincare line, SKKN by Kim, is a rip off of Lori Harvey's SKN by LH, which launched last year. She is also accused of co-opting the name from a Brooklyn-based skincare salon SKKN+.
Last week Kardashian took to Instagram to announce the official launch of her brand.
“I’m excited to finally introduce to you SKKN BY KIM, a rejuvenating nine-product skincare ritual that I have developed from start to finish,” her post read. ‘I’ve been so privileged to learn about skin and skin care over the years from the world’s top dermatologists and estheticians, and every bottle from my new line is filled with the knowledge I’ve accumulated along the way.”
The nine items in her new skincare line, include a cleanser, a toner, an exfoliator, a hyaluronic acid serum, a vitamin C serum, a face cream, an eye cream, oil drops, and night oil. Kardashian claims her new skincare range contains clean, science-backed ingredients designed to nourish all skin types, tones, and textures at all stages of maturity.”
Industry watchdog, Diet Prada was quick to call out Kardashian for her latest act of co-opting ideas from Black figures.
Cyndie Lunsford, the owner of SKKN+, said she's been operating her two skincare since 2018. She also noted that she filed for the the trademark of SKKN+ on March 28th, two days before Kim Kardashian filed for hers.
Other netizens also noticed the striking similarities between Kardashian’s and Harvey’s brands and couldn't wait to share their thoughts.
“Did Kim Kardashian really name her skincare like SKKN because Lori Harvey already took SKN???” one user asked.
“Kim naming her skincare brand SKKN when Lori Harvey’s skincare brand name is SKN doesn’t sit right with me,” the post read. “Seems like they’re stealing from a black woman for the thousandth time.”
Back in October, Harvey unveiled SKN by LH with a cleanser, a toner, a vitamin C serum, an eye cream, and a niacinamide cream."
“We created SKN with YOU in mind,” her post read. “We believe selfcare starts with a regimen as simple as your daily #SKNcare routine…Just wait, our easy 5 step system will have you loving the #SKN you’re in.”
In an interview with Vogue, Harvey explained her vision behind the creating her brand,
“I have rosacea and would struggle to find the right products to use,” she said. “Then, I got into modeling, and between shoots and backstage at runway shows you have so much makeup being put on your face. My skin was constantly going through it. So after using, like, 20 different products on my face at one time, I felt like there had to be a simpler way for me to get my skin looking the way I wanted it to.”
