A model named Grace Strobel, who was born with Down's syndrome, has recently become the face of an international skincare campaign.
Strobel, a model who also works as a Down's syndrome advocate, and motivational speaker, has been named as the newest 'SKINCLUSION' ambassador for Obagi, and the face of their new Obagi Clinical Kinetin+ Exfoliating Cleansing Gel.
This makes Strobel, who currently boasts more than 18,046 followers on Facebook, and more than 16,500 followers on Instagram, the first model with Down's Syndrome to represent a skincare brand in the US. Accordingly, Strobel claims she wants to use her new platform to open up a dialogue about her condition.
Strobel rose to her current position by masterminding an initiative called #TheGraceEffect, a presentation she began delivering to schools about overcoming obstacles, which she was inspired to launch after being severely bullied in 2017.
Commenting on her new role in an official press statement, Strobel said:
"This partnership means the world to me and I am so excited to be a SKINCLUSION Ambassador because I love what Obagi stands for. Diversity, Inclusion and Beauty. I think people with disabilities sometimes feel invisible. [sic]"
She continued:
"I became a model and speaker to help people see the value in others. And that's what Obagi does - looks into our faces and our hearts and sees the beauty in all of us. To be fearless. To be strong. To stand up for others. And to feel beautiful in our own skin. [sic]"
"I am very proud that I have Down Syndrome and that I could turn pain into purpose and help others to believe in themselves. I think sometimes people are afraid of what they don’t understand. We are consumers, our lives have meaning, and we want to be represented [sic].
"Working with Obagi has been a dream come true because it gives me a voice. Through exposure, we can create change and break down barriers, fears and create understanding. It’s about making people with disabilities feel valued and included. And Obagi is helping us to do that [sic]."
Meanwhile, Jaime Castle, Obagi President and member of the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, stated: "At the onset of SKINCLUSION, Grace sent me a letter explaining how she felt underrepresented in the beauty and skincare industries and was encouraged by the work Obagi was doing around diversity and inclusion"After first speaking with Grace we knew we wanted to bring her into the Obagi family [sic]."
She continued:
"With elegance, humor, ambition and determination, Grace is working to change society's view of people with disabilities. She believes that when faced with trials and adversity we learn to have courage and to be strong. We welcome and encourage Grace to use SKINCLUSION as a platform to amplify her message, to advocate for people with Down Syndrome, and to challenge our biases to become more inclusive [sic]."
October is Down's syndrome awareness month, so for more information on this condition, please visit the official website of the National Down's Syndrome Society.