Rhode pledges $5 million to women's health research over three years

Rhode, the skincare brand founded by Hailey Bieber, has committed $5 million over three years to the Foundation for Women's Health, a US non-profit that funds research into women's health, the brand announced on 30 October 2026. The money comes through the brand's philanthropic arm, rhode futures fund, and is described as Rhode's largest charitable commitment so far. Of the total, $1 million goes to a new Evergreen Fund that will invest in companies developing treatments and diagnostic tests for women's health conditions.

Beauty is one of the industries most closely tied to women as customers, founders and workers, yet the companies in it have rarely put large sums into women's medical research. Rhode's pledge is notable because it goes beyond the cause-marketing common in the sector, such as a share of one product's sales going to charity, and commits a fixed amount over several years to an organisation whose job is to pay for research.

The areas named in the announcement matter. Pregnancy and the months after childbirth carry health risks that are still poorly understood, and autoimmune diseases, in which the body's defence system attacks its own tissue, affect women more often than men. Research and funding bodies have long said such conditions receive less money and attention than their burden would justify. Money for early-stage studies can help researchers gather the data they need to win larger grants later.

The Evergreen Fund adds a different model. Instead of giving money away once, venture philanthropy invests in young companies working on products, such as a new test for a pregnancy complication, and if those companies succeed, the returns go back into the fund for further investments. Supporters say this lets a fixed sum support more work over time; the approach depends on the investments performing well.

For readers who follow fashion and beauty as an industry, the move shows how brands now try to build trust: by linking their name to causes that matter to their customers. It also follows Rhode's sale to e.l.f. Beauty, which put the brand inside a listed company with wider resources. In India, beauty and personal-care companies are growing fast, and women's health research also faces funding gaps, so the model may interest Indian brands looking at longer-term philanthropy rather than one-off campaigns.

Short-term: The Foundation for Women's Health gains a multi-year source of funding and will set up its Evergreen Fund. No research projects have yet been named under the partnership.

Long-term: If the grants and investments produce useful studies or products, they could add to knowledge in areas such as postpartum health and autoimmune disease. The pledge may also push other beauty brands to make similar fixed, multi-year commitments.

Who is affected: Researchers and start-ups working on women's health; women living with autoimmune conditions or going through pregnancy and the postpartum period; and the beauty industry, whose customers increasingly judge brands by what they support.

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