A laser hair removal company sparked debate after its purported email about not working with Black creators on a new campaign went viral.
In the clip, which has now amassed 313,700 views as of Friday, content creator Bella shared a purported screenshot of the email. Displaying it on the screen, she said, “Come here and read this email that this company just sent me. Let’s read it together.”
“Attention,” the email read. “Not to be offensive in advance. This time we are promoting products related to de-melanization […] so Black creators are excluded from the partnership.”
“Putting aside all the obvious issues with the email and the contents of the email, I just want to know why the email was sent to me out of all creators,” Bella said. “And I’m not even going to start getting on the companies that send out mass emails to anywhere between 20 to 100 creators. Disgusting.”
“First of all,” she added, “very unprofessional. Second of all, people’s information is getting leaked —people’s rates, people’s personal information, this company now they just sent that email to me. Also, if you have to start an email by saying not to be offensive in advance, don’t send the email. It’s offensive. And that lets me know that you knew it was offensive.”
“And if you see a brand called Ulike on TikTok, don’t shop with them.”
In the comments, other TikTokers were horrified to hear about Bella’s experience. “What even is de-melaninizing?” one asked.
“So, TikTok what you gonna do?” another said, tagging the company.
Another creator also shared an uncomfortable experience they had with Ulike.
“Ulike offered me THOUSANDS to do a video,” the comment claimed. “I went on their website and it says ‘not safe for use’ under the melanin skin tones.”
@melanin.monroeee1 ♬ original sound – Tik Toker
In fact, numerous commenters pointed out that Ulike, as an IPL hair removal product, isn’t safe for darker skintones.
“I was told that certain laser products are harmful for melanated skin and we couldn’t use them,” the commenter explained. “Which is probably why they said that. But they definitely need to use better verbiage.”
Responding to the comment, Bella elaborated her concerns: “HONESTLY I lowkey see it, BUT them saying it’s a de-melanization thing is like, ‘Huh?” Also, then why send it to black creators?”
In an email statement to the Daily Dot, Bella added, “I believe it was largely a language barrier issue, but either way, I think it should be highlighted for change in the future!”
Ulike didn’t immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment via contact form.
