Less than a week ago, Tati Westbrook, well-known and highly influential beauty Youtuber, launched her beauty brand: Halo Beauty. Instead of releasing makeup or skin care as expected, Tati released a vitamin/beauty booster. Many people, including her followers, descended on her product like a pack of hungry hyenas. People who had just days before been incredibly supportive, were now turning on Westbrook left and right, attacking not just her product, but her as an individual.
Tati wrote in the description box below her launch day video:
“Unfortunately, I had to disable comments due to too much negativity that reached beyond questions & concerns as they turned into personal attacks. I will be making a video next week to address everyone’s questions and concerns. xo’s ~ Tati”
Here is what you need to know about the controversy:
Many of Tati’s followers were disappointed and confused by her choice to release a vitamin. Several comments argued that not only was Tati not qualified to develop a vitamin but they had never heard her talk about supplements on her channel prior to the launch of Halo Beauty.
Tati created an hour long video to address all of the concerns that people had presented, but the negativity did not stop there. People were still skeptical and wary of this supplement that they would be putting in their body.
According to the Halo Beauty website the supplement claims to “promote thick and luxurious hair growth, minimize fine lines and wrinkles, support collagen and keratin production, promote strong and healthy nails, [and] contain anti-gray fighting enzymes.”
The website also stresses the use of the chemical, Ceramide RX. Upon further investigation of this, the chemical is trademarked by Inside Out Beauty Labs, LLC. Tati addressed the creation and ownership of this lab in her video, which you can watch here.
Inside Out Beauty Labs is owned by Tati and her husband, James. This created even more of an uproar as people took issue with her partnership with her husband and the lab itself. Westbrook reassured viewers that the lab is not where the product is manufactured and provided quite a bit of detail regarding the production process.
However, new evidence has surfaced that an ingredient in the supplement may be responsible for decreasing the effectiveness of birth control. An article was recently posted by Allure discussing the claims that saw palmetto, an ingredient supposed to increase hair growth, can interact with some birth control products. The results are unclear as to whether it does have a serious effect, but they advise that users check with their clinician before taking any supplement, not just Tati’s.
After watching Tati’s video addressing the concerns surrounding her vitamin, I’m still taken aback at the amount of negativity that exists on the Internet. I understand that many of the concerns are valid and I had many of the same questions myself after watching the initial launch video. However, I don’t think it’s an excuse for the amount of backlash she has received.
There is a big difference between criticizing someone’s product and criticizing someone’s identity.
One thing that really stood out to me was a comment that Tati made in her video addressing the haters. She encouraged her followers to apply the same amount of skepticism that they were applying to Halo Beauty to every other supplement or vitamin that they may be putting into their body.
She’s right.
There is no reason for Tati to be singled out and attacked just because she is a prominent influencer. You can buy other supplements that are not approved by the FDA––and that doesn’t necessarily make it any safer to put in your body than one promoted by a celebrity. Although Tati’s brand launch may not be what people expected and they are right to question it, they don’t have a right to make her, or anyone, feel attacked.
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