Our eyes are typically greeted with a traditional default color of fleshy pink nude when we open a box of bandages. But have you ever wondered why this is the standard color? Perhaps you don’t think twice about the shade if it closely matches your skin tone.
However, for those who don’t see themselves in someone else’s version of nude, spotting a box that matches their skin tone can feel so much more inclusive.
Color abounds in our world, so it’s unclear why soft-pink is always at the forefront. Other hues can easily be included to better suit and embrace the diversity of different skin tones.
Several bandage companies have since jumped on board to show that this concept is indeed an important one. As a result, they’ve paved the way for others to follow. And we’re here for it!
Embracing Diversity With Multiracial Bandages
Explore which brands are becoming more inclusive when it comes to bandage shades, and where to purchase yours.
Band-Aid Brand Ourtone
While it may have taken some time to get there, this bandage giant has finally delivered on inclusiveness, with its Ourtone Band-Aid. Band-Aid shares a powerful message on Instagram which reads, “We hear you. We see you. We’re listening to you.”
Band-Aid offers a range of multiracial skin shades from light, medium, and deep shades of brown and black skin tones. As a leader in the bandage industry, the company wants to portray a product that is inclusive of everyone by embracing the beauty of diverse skin types.
A number of Instagram influencers, including celebrities such as Jamie Lee Curtis, have applauded Band-Aid’s multiracial movement, deeming it “CRUCIAL.”
However, one reviewer of the Ourtone Band-Aid shades summarized the movement best, “Finally, ‘my’ nude. It took forever, but it’s finally here. It’s a quality Band-Aid too. Kind of brought tears to my eyes when they arrived.”
Tru-Colour Skin Tone Bandages
With a history of supporting diversity in healing since 2014, black-owned bandage company Tru-Colour believes in each individual’s beauty. With their tough, flexible, and latex-free design, these made-to-match skin tone bandages are safe for sensitive skin and will last for a long time.
One reviewer shared, “We are a mixed race family and it’s nice to have something for everybody.” Another reviewer said that these bandages are popular at work. “I’ve never had so many folks get excited over bandages and that they actually match our skin tone.
Browndages
A black-owned business since 2018, Browndages has been hailed as the perfect latex-free bandage for brown skin. Bandages come in five beautiful shades of brown, reflecting a spectrum of brown skin tones.
One reviewer, a classroom teacher was thrilled with the selection, “I bought these to use in my first-grade classroom. They absolutely loved getting to pick the bandage that was perfect for them.”
Another educator suggests that all educators purchase these as part of their inclusion practices in the classroom. “Teachers—pay attention and purchase for your classroom. Just a small way to say ‘I see you.'”