Why we don't use the word “Brightening”

Having brown and dark skin means navigating a world that subtly—and not so subtly—teaches you that your skin is something that needs to be “fixed” or “brightened.” This is not just a cosmetic concern; it’s an ideological one that shapes how we see ourselves and each other.

YAMU was born from this understanding, and we are committed to creating a body-neutral brand where everyone feels celebrated. We want YAMU to remind our younger selves—those who felt the weight of societal expectations and wished they could be someone else. We want to hold space for that insecurity and yearning and offer something different: self-acceptance.

YAMU is a love letter to the parts of ourselves we’ve long been taught to hide and a call to reimagine beauty—one that is vast, inclusive, and unapologetically ours.