The Skin of Color Society (SOCS) has begun rolling out a new series of videos tackling misconceptions around and nuances in how skin diseases and conditions affect people with darker skin tones.
The educational clips released so far are grouped under two headings: “Ask the Expert” and “MelanatED,” the latter of which was first introduced last year, according to the organization’s announcement unveiling the initiative Monday.
All feature board-certified dermatologists from the SOCS leadership team breaking down the impacts of conditions like psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis and acne on skin of color. Additional videos offer information about hairstyles that can protect the scalp, as well as sunscreen use, skincare routines and “a fresh look at aging,” plus a segment warning against the misinformation about skincare that abounds on social media.
The video series was created during SOCS’ annual Media Day earlier this year and expands SOCS’ existing library of expert-starring educational videos. Even more clips will be added to the series throughout this year, according to the organization, and all are designed to help educate doctors, patients and the general public.
As with last year’s batch of educational clips, the newest videos are sponsored by a handful of skincare developers spanning both the pharmaceutical and consumer product spaces. This year’s sponsors include Johnson & Johnson and Arcutis Biotherapeutics, both of which also backed the 2023 series, in the former category, joined by Clinique, EltaMD and Procter & Gamble in the latter.
The sponsorship re-up comes as J&J continues to ramp up its health equity efforts and shortly after the Big Pharma unveiled study data showing that its psoriasis drug Tremfya is safe and effective across all skin tones.
Meanwhile, Arcutis recently launched a new educational campaign of its own around seborrheic dermatitis, the materials for which include information specifically about how the disease can present in darker skin tones and testimonials from patients of color.