Band-Aid will make bandages in a wider range of skin tones, but some people say it took far too long
- Band-Aid recently announced that it would soon sell bandages in a wider range of colors that cater to more diverse skin tones.
- On social media, some people said the new product launch was long overdue, and mentioned that other brands have created more inclusive bandages for some time.
- A Band-Aid representative told Insider the company used to sell bandages in a wider range of skin tones in 2005, but stopped due to a lack of demand.
On Wednesday, Band-Aid announced in an Instagram post that it would start selling bandages in a wider range of colors to better accommodate a diverse range of skin tones.
In the post, the brand said it wants to "embrace the beauty of diverse skin," and created four new shades of its bandages to uphold that goal.
"We are dedicated to inclusivity and providing the best healing solutions, better representing you," the Instagram post read. Band-Aid also said it would donate to the Black Lives Matter movement.
But people on Instagram and Twitter users say that Band-Aid's new product line is long overdue, and that many lesser-known brands have already created more inclusive bandages for people of different skin tones.
Twitter and Instagram users are skeptical of Band-Aid's motives for creating the new product line
Some social media users said the company was moving in the right direction, but others criticized the timing of the launch.
"The sad part is you're just realizing that your bandaids were catered to white people...idk how it took this long when people have been making jokes about it for YEARS," one Instagram user wrote.
Another Instagram user called attention to the fact that other adhesive bandage brands have long offered more diverse options.
"I'll personally be spending my money on other companies who have been inclusive since the beginning such as @tcbandages & @browndages," another said, referring to the brands Tru-Colour Bandages and Browndages.
Band-Aid created bandages in various skin tones in 2005, but discontinued the product
In an email to Insider, a Band-Aid representative said the company previously created a line of bandages that were inclusive to more skin tones, but that line was discontinued due to a lack of interest.
"In 2005, we were proud to launch a line of bandages in the U.S. to blend with multiple skin tones called Band-Aid Brand Perfect Blend Adhesive Bandages. These bandages were later discontinued due to lack of interest at the time. We are excited to bring back a similar product with improved comfort and flexibility," the statement said.
The Band-Aid representative also said the company's line of clear bandages that were launched in the 1950s "were designed to be used by people with a variety of skin tones."