Naomi Osaka smiles while wearing a visor and holding a tennis racket over her shoulder
Naomi Osaka celebrates after defeating the United States' Jennifer Brady in the women's singles final at the Australian Open in February 2021.
Andy Brownbill/AP
  • Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka launched her own skincare brand, Kinlò.
  • The brand, which makes sun-protection products, is made specifically for people with melanated skin.
  • Osaka previously partnered with Levi's and Nike, but it's her first foray as CEO of her own line.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.

Tennis star Naomi Osaka has officially entered the skincare business.

On Tuesday, the four-time Grand Slam champion launched Kinlò, a skincare brand made specifically for people with melanated skin. Osaka will serve as the brand's founder and CEO, and she said in a statement that Kinlò will be a "mission-first brand."

"Through my personal experience and learnings, I have found that Black, Brown, and other melanated skin toned communities are often an after-thought in the discussion and research surrounding sun care, including being excluded from clinical studies on skin cancer," Osaka said. "Additionally, there is a lack of sun protection products being made with melanated skin in mind."

A post shared by KINLÒ (@kinloskin)

Kinlò will offer a handful of products at launch: an eye cream, a lip balm, an after-sun mist, and a mineral-based sunscreen without the white cast that other sunscreens sometimes give off. The company said it plans to expand into other products that provide protection or help with recovery from both the sun and blue light.

The company got its name from the word "gold" in both Japanese and Haitian Creole - "kin" and "lo," respectively - in a nod to Osaka's heritage. Kinlò is backed by A-Frame, a company that partners with celebrities to create personal care brands created for underserved communities, as well as Initialized Capital, Endeavor, Billie Jean King, and Desiree Gruber, the founder of the agency Full Picture.

While this is Osaka's first foray as CEO of her own line, she's partnered with brands and lent her creative vision to other projects in the past. Osaka has designed a line of swimwear with Frankie's Bikinis; created apparel collections with Levi's, Nike, and Adeam; and has been named a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton.

With Kinlò, Osaka will be following in the footsteps of other tennis greats like Serena and Venus Williams, who have both launched their own clothing lines, and Maria Sharapova, who created her own candy company, Sugarpova.

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