In 2018, Hued was born of an appalling disparity in health care: Black and Latinx Americans, the company says, experience 30 to 40 percent poorer health outcomes than white Americans. They're not getting the medical attention they need and deserve, largely due to less access to quality care and fear of having their symptoms dismissed. Hued's platform seeks to solve this problem by making it easier for patients of color to connect with medical professionals of color who truly understand their needs. And now, Vaseline has partnered with Hued to specifically focus on giving people of color better dermatological experiences.
Announced on November 12, this new collaboration seeks to meet the skin-health needs of people of color by providing much-needed, trustworthy resources and access to what Hued and Vaseline call "culturally competent" care — care that can be life-saving.
"Systemic racism and health care inequities negatively impact Black and Brown communities, leading to worse outcomes, including misdiagnoses, untreated conditions, and increased mortality rates for skin cancer," Hued's website reads. "In an effort to eliminate the long-standing bias against and exclusion of people of color in skin health and dermatology, Hued and Vaseline have come together to ignite change and galvanize the medical community to close the gap in care."
When using the partnership's search tool, you choose your insurance, your state, and whether you'd like to have an in-person or virtual appointment. With the results, you can view the extensive profiles of the dermatologists and determine which one seems to be the best fit for you and your skin concerns.
"We currently have over 100 dermatologists within the Hued network, located nationwide, and we're still growing," Hued founder and CEO Kimberly Wilson tells Allure. "We're expanding Hued's dermatologist database by working closely with Vaseline, as well as brand partners like Medscape and Direct Relief, to help us identify dermatologists who are equipped to care for skin of color, regardless of their ethnicity."
The platform will also feature educational resources and expert recommendations on how to care for skin at home, understanding when to speak to a dermatologist, and how to prepare for an appointment.
"Our resources serve as a patient guide as to when to see a dermatologist, important questions to ask before and during the first appointment, and how multiple skin conditions show up on different skin tones," Wilson says. "We want everyone to be equipped with the tools they need to become their own skin health advocate."
Hued's mission to bridge the gap between dermatology and people of color is already making a difference, and with Vaseline's help, there's hope that the gap will eventually disappear altogether.
You can find out more and use the platform at huedco.com/vaseline.
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