Sick of cutesy pink products being the only option for his teenage daughter, one father decided to do something about it. Now, the line of teen skin and haircare products he's created to combat gender stereotypes will be hitting stores in June.
One day, a few years ago, while buying deodorant for his two children (a now-14-year-old daughter and a now-11-year-old son) Sam Farmer, then a stay-at-home dad, noticed something odd on the store shelves. “Looking at the rows of deodorant, I noticed that the girls' section was filled with brands labeled 'Tease' and 'Play It Sexy' — there was even a Playboy line,” Farmer, who lives in Britain, tells Yahoo Shine. “For the boys, all I saw were brands that read, 'Control' and 'Attract.'”
However, it wasn't until Farmer’s daughter mentioned that she couldn't relate to the names and phrases on her beauty products that he began brainstorming.
Farmer shared his plan with his wife, who works as an actress, and enrolled in a one-year course in cosmetics science at a local university. After that, he teamed up with former executives at skincare companies Kiehl’s and Ren. In January 2013, he began selling his own brand of unisex beauty products online.
Simply titled Sam Farmer, the products include shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, moisturizer, and facial and body wash. In June, Farmer’s products will hit store shelves at Space NK, located in New York City and London.
One day, a few years ago, while buying deodorant for his two children (a now-14-year-old daughter and a now-11-year-old son) Sam Farmer, then a stay-at-home dad, noticed something odd on the store shelves. “Looking at the rows of deodorant, I noticed that the girls' section was filled with brands labeled 'Tease' and 'Play It Sexy' — there was even a Playboy line,” Farmer, who lives in Britain, tells Yahoo Shine. “For the boys, all I saw were brands that read, 'Control' and 'Attract.'”
However, it wasn't until Farmer’s daughter mentioned that she couldn't relate to the names and phrases on her beauty products that he began brainstorming.
Farmer shared his plan with his wife, who works as an actress, and enrolled in a one-year course in cosmetics science at a local university. After that, he teamed up with former executives at skincare companies Kiehl’s and Ren. In January 2013, he began selling his own brand of unisex beauty products online.
Simply titled Sam Farmer, the products include shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, moisturizer, and facial and body wash. In June, Farmer’s products will hit store shelves at Space NK, located in New York City and London.
“All I’m doing is providing an alternative to the sexualized messages teens receive from the media,” says Farmer, who posted his own cell phone number on the company website because, as he writes, “I'm fed up with not knowing who is responsible for a product or faceless call centres.”
After a recent story about Farmer was published by the U.K.’s the Guardian, Twitter was abuzz with support for the company.
After a recent story about Farmer was published by the U.K.’s the Guardian, Twitter was abuzz with support for the company.
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