When Alicia Keys launched Keys Soulcare in Dec. 2020, it was to address a new dimension of wellness and self-care that creates products that nourish not only one’s physical wellbeing, but also one’s soul.
The brand, just over a year old, expanded its portfolio on March 2 with its next set of ritual-based beauty products. There are seven new products, including an illuminating serum, a cleansing balm, a toner and a body gua sha tool, bringing the full assortment to 20 products. The products are referred to as “offerings” and have affirmations on their labels, such as “I give myself permission to glow” and “I am devoted to this moment.”
“What we’re up to with Keys Soulcare is much more than just skin deep. It’s really about transforming the beauty industry and the concept of beauty,” Keys said in an interview with Glossy. “Offerings allow us to [create] a conversation and a community, and talk about routine and how to turn it into a ritual.”
Part of the community-building is the brand’s editorial site, which is within its e-commerce. Called “Stories,” it’s populated by articles written by “lightworkers,” rather than writers and editors, and falls under the categories of mind, body, spirit and connection. The attempts to introduce new terminology to the beauty industry alongside product affirmations are just two examples of how Keys wants to affect change.
Keys spoke with Glossy about her long-term goal for changing the beauty industry, the personal rituals she practices and the meaning of her last album. Answers have been slightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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How do you try to create a ritual out of your routines?
“I try to find special moments that mean something. Often, we try to figure out how to create time for ourselves and how to do it and follow through with it. You say it and think it, but don’t do it. Or you do it, but you’re already so burnt out that it’s not preventative. Doing it before burnout is the goal. Even things as simple as mantras and affirmations are highly effective and powerful rituals that I do, especially when I’m not feeling great.
I do it with my kids, too. My youngest son, Genesis, is a little bit of a hot pepper. If something is bothering him to the point of a meltdown, [then] I talk to him a lot about the control we have over our energy, and creating a mantra and what he wants to bring forth to himself today. I also love baths and sometimes read while in the tub or relax completely. Journaling is another big one for me. [I] will write a stream of consciousness or reflect on what’s happening and how I feel.”
Do you consider Keys Soulcare a lifestyle brand?
“Keys Soulcare is about a perspective and a point of view and how to implement these pieces into our daily lives. That’s why I call products ‘offerings,’ because it is an offer to join a practice of paying attention to yourself, even if it’s for five minutes while getting ready for work or getting ready for bed. I definitely see Keys Soulcare as a lifestyle. It’s something you adopt and a way of thinking and a way of being.”
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What long-term impact do you want to have on the beauty industry?
“We’re trying to evolve the dialogue around beauty and even what beauty standards mean, and what [those standards] do to us as humans. As women, we get caught up with feeling like we’re supposed to look a certain way or present ourselves a certain way. It’s powerful to change existing concepts and allow beauty to be on the inside and how you’re fulfilling your soul and spirit. What makes you beautiful is when you are content and self-confident and know yourself.”
Is there any connection between what Keys Soulcare is doing now and your Dec. 2021 album, “Keys”?
“My album is about being unafraid of your greatness. It is about not shying away from who you are, who you want to be and everything that you already have inside of you. That’s a big theme for me in my life. In many ways, I have been heavily influenced by other people’s opinions and thoughts. That’s why I turned to meditation. And when I did, it shifted my energy within myself, my decision-making process and my confidence level. You have to melt away all the [standards and expectations] programmed into us that we judge ourselves on, like staying in our lane or being a certain way, or even what success is. There is absolutely a correlation between the album ‘Keys’ and Key Soulcare. [The album] ‘Keys” mission is to remove all that programming so you can be as brilliant as you are, and Key Soulcare supports that journey.”
