Youthforia and FoundationGate: How Social Media is Changing Consumer Behaviour and CSR

CAS

Friday, October 17, 2025

Youthforia and FoundationGate: How Social Media is Changing Consumer Behaviour and CSR

Sunita Mathaiya

Youthforia, an independent makeup brand that launched in 2021, quickly gained popularity through its marketing strategy, painting it as eco- and skin-friendly. The brand experienced immense initial success with their BYO Blush, a product that changes colour according to your skin’s pH to give a “universally flattering look,” according to their website. Youthforia’s founder and CEO, Fiona Co Chan, appeared on Season 14 of Shark Tank (which aired in 2023) with the same pitch, securing a deal with Mark Cuban and furthering the brand’s popularity and widening its consumer base. Products eventually retailed on Amazon and Ulta Beauty in response to the popularity and support the brand was experiencing.

FoundationGate:

However, in August 2023, Youthforia launched the Date Night Skin Tint Serum Foundation, claiming it was a “first of its kind” product, with 68% skincare content, a glass skin finish and long-lasting wear. While these attributes almost guaranteed the product incredible success, particularly amidst the appeal of a ‘glass skin’ finish on social media, the product only launched in 15 shades, less than 50% of the industry standard - 40 shades. Backlash was rapid and intense, and a further 10 shades were launched 7 months later. Again, Youthforia had missed the mark, with one of the shades being jet black. Backlash, again, was quick, but this time was far more extensive, with some beauty influencers likening the shade to black face paint. Commentary stemmed from all ends, including cosmetic chemists, makeup artists, and more. An apology was not issued for months, and at that point, support for the brand had dwindled.

This launch had painted Youthforia as non-inclusive, and their ‘attempt’ to resolve that image had only exacerbated the situation. As expected, the internet was not quick to forgive, and Youthforia struggled to make it back to the good graces of the internet. A year after FoundationGate, as TikTok named it, Chan announced the closure of the brand, but made no mention of any causes.

Is this a trend? How other businesses and industries have been affected

While the closure of Youthforia may seem like an isolated incident, sparked by their apparent lack of concern for inclusivity, it speaks to the impact of cancel culture and the fact that brands are almost always treading on thin ice. With ongoing economic difficulties and rising cost-of-living crises in several countries, the public is increasingly focused on the activities and values practiced by businesses, and many have been called out and have lost public support when they fail to meet the standards expected.

Several businesses have been on the receiving end of backlash this year, facing cancellation on social media or boycotts from entire communities. Target, one of the USA’s largest retail chains, was on the receiving end of this treatment when they ended their DEI (diversity, equality and inclusion) policies in January. Minority communities started a boycott in response, resulting in 5 million less shopping trips recorded in the month following their announcement, and a share price drop of roughly 27% from their announcement date. Costco seems to be benefitting from Target’s struggles, with share prices increasing by 8% in the month following Target’s announcement, and have remained steady this calendar year.

Although ending DEI policies is a significant corporate change, smaller insensitivities such as advertising can be just as, if not more, costly:

Balenciaga’s 2022 Gift Shop campaign, featuring children with bondage inspired accessories, caused remarkable backlash from the general public and celebrity figures alike, including closely affiliated figures such as Kim Kardashian, who has been the face of several of Balenciaga’s campaigns. They lost 100,000 followers on Instagram after the crisis, particularly when celebrities began to withdraw their support for the house.
American Eagle’s recent ‘Good Jeans’ campaign with Sydney Sweeney caused controversy surrounding its seemingly racist and white-supremacist messaging using the double entendre between ‘jeans’ and ‘genes’.
E.l.f Cosmetics’ recent ‘E.l.fino & Shmarnes’ campaign, promoting the brand’s affordability, fell flat with the general public for their collaboration with Matt Rife, a comedian known to make light of domestic violence and gender based violence. This comes after several campaigns and statements in support of gender equality, leading to a loss of trust in what E.l.f says in comparison to what they do. As part of a $6.8 billion conglomerate, such errors and choices cannot be overlooked.

Key Takeaways:

Overall, this trend shows the impact of unsatisfactory business practices. Consumers are no longer keeping their dissatisfaction private, but are openly and honestly publicising it via social media in the hopes of making a change. Although the American Eagle and E.l.f Cosmetics controversies have happened too recently to draw any formal conclusions, the cases of Target, Balenciaga, and Youthforia show the options they may have:

Youthforia’s half-hearted apology and attempt to resolve the issue was too little, too late and the brand had no choice but to close, particularly as a privately owned business.
Target is standing firm on their decision to end their DEI initiatives, and continues to reap the losses resulting from the boycott, all while Costco and Walmart continue to grow.
Balenciaga abandoned their attempts to create shock-factor and returned to craftsmanship and luxury. Over time, backlash quieted and consumers returned.

More than ever, brands are in the spotlight, not for their products or services, but for their ethics, values, and practices. Alignment with mission statements and with widely-accepted values is the key to success, and the sharp lens and rapid pace of social media leaves no stone unturned. Marketing departments are now tasked with staying constantly updated and vetting product launches, advertisements, campaigns, and more, in attempts to gain or maintain positive publicity. Industries and sectors are further becoming irrelevant, with the wrath of social media being focused on the beauty, fashion, retail and even transport industries in 2025 alone. Gone are the days where all publicity was good publicity, now, the court of public opinion is more important than ever, and failure to meet expectations carries a heavy and sometimes fatal sentence.

Sources:

Beauty Industry:

https://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/youthforia-shutting-down/

https://beautymatter.com/articles/youthforia-is-shutting-down-after-four-years

https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/youthforia-is-shutting-down-after-four-years-in-business

https://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Article/2025/08/07/youthforia-to-shut-down-following-foundation-controversy-and-backlash/

https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/color-cosmetics/youthforia-brand-closure-1238027372/

https://www.businessoffashion.com/news/beauty/youthforia-closing-down-sale-controversy-tiktok-foundation/

News:

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Style/makeup-brand-youthforia-announces-closure-1-year-after/story?id=124353148

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/28/business/consumer-boycotts-walmart-target

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/target-sales-boycott-shoppers-b2801720.html