Ex-Google executive on starting skincare line for melanin-rich skin with dermatologist mom

Davlyn Mosley is a former Google tech executive behind the luxury skincare product Namesake, a line of dermatologist-approved skincare essentials that cater to people of color. Mosley uses clinically tested ingredients, passed down to her from her mother, Dr. Lynn McKinley-Grant, who is a dermatologist.

According to her, the ingredients used in making Namesake are gentle enough for ultra-reactive skin and the ingredients work without introducing irritation. Also, the product is built with simplicity in mind, holding space for the importance of a skincare routine, while achieving effectiveness in as few steps as possible, she added.

According to Mosley, she used to spend time at her mother’s dermatology practice and in hospitals and it allowed her to learn about the ins and outs of skincare, from new products to the latest treatments.

“I started Namesake with a singular goal in mind: to create a skincare line specifically catered towards the care of melanin-rich skin,” she notes on the website of her company. “It needed to be powerful enough to target the particular concerns of my own skin type, focusing on brightness, elasticity retention, and smoothness. And it also needed to be gentle enough to work on my own ultra-reactive skin.” 

She adds that after scanning through the existing products on the market and being unable to find anything that covered those bases, she decided to create her own, and that is how Namesake started. 

When she first launched her company, she brought on her mother as a Dermatology Advisor. Her mom received her M.D. at Harvard Medical School and trained in dermatology at NYU. She is also a certified dermatologist and an associate professor.

Mosley was constantly FedExing samples from L.A. to D.C. to enable her mother to examine the ingredients to be used including looking at the scent and texture. Her mom made sure that they avoided ingredients that her patients did not react well to. 

According to Hola, Namesake delivers dramatic results: “Polyhydroxy Acids (PHAs) gently exfoliate for a smoother, brighter complexion. Rosehip Oil works as an anti-inflammatory to soothe the skin and Butterfly Bush to refine texture, strengthen the skin barrier and reduce hyperpigmentation.”