Who better to produce products that are best for us than us?
The beauty industry, much like many others, has struggled to be inclusive of the needs of Black women. Not only has it been a struggle in the past to find products that are made for us, but that same fight has also been the same for the businesswomen (and men) who strive to build businesses around our very needs.
When it comes to our skin and hair, Black women do not play!
Here are top Black-owned beauty brands that keep our melanin popping and our tresses flourishing:
1. Oemi Botanicals
Oemi Botanicals is Black woman owned and led hair care company whose mission is to create organic, high performing products curated for women with kinky, coily hair. Each ingredient is chosen specifically with the purpose of maximizing nutrition. There are no fillers, synthetic preservatives, parabens, sulfates, petroleum, and many more. And, it just so happens that the more raw the natural ingredient the better it is for product performance and for your health. Their flagship product, the Cupuacu + Kokum Cream (C+K cream), was recently awarded a Beauty Innovator Award by Refinery 29.
Their goal is to make Black women to feel confident when using Oemi products, to believe in the power of their true natural beauty, and know that they are making healthy choices.
2. Unsun Cosmetics
Launched by Katonya Breaux (you may be familiar with her son, singer, Frank Ocean), these products are free of chemicals and white residue and come in two shades, catering to Black women and our array of luxurious skin tones.
3. Hyper Skin
After a struggle with acne during her teen years that led to large dark marks in her adulthood, Desiree Verdejo created Hyper Skin to tackle her issue with hormonal acne and stubborn hyperpigmentation after finding that there was not only a lack of skin care products dedicated to addressing her concerns but a lack of diversity in skincare too!
4. OUI the People
Karen Young is on a mission to re-constitutionalize beauty! She created OUI with a commitment to helping us “watch our language” when it comes to the description of beauty, aiming to build thoughtfully designed (and effective, products to help people feel great in the skin they’re in.
5. The London Grant Co.
Handcrafted right in Atlanta, Georgia this line of products was inspired by the art of “less is more” by founder Tiffany Staten. This collection of natural body care provision is formulated with both intention and great care “as if it were being made for our own family.”
6. Golde
Born in a Brooklyn apartment in 2017, Tiffany Mouzon Wofford, created this superfood self-care brand to fulfill a mission to make wellness easy, accessible and fun for all. From morning smoothies to skincare, these products are a celebration of superfoods that can effortlessly boost your daily routine!
7. Canviiy
Inspiration for this line of scalp care products was born by founder Sherrel Sampson after she experienced an unbearable itchy scalp that would not go away. A disappointment brought on by the lack of offerings by market products, fueled her to formulate botanical-based scalp care products that address the root of the problem for millions of people.
8. The Wrap Life
Everyone loves a good headwrap for those days thatyou’re awaiting your braid-out to dry or too lazy to do your hair. Launched by Nnenna Stella in 2014 right from the small beginnings of her kitchen, these wraps, bands and turbanettes are loved not only for their quality but the level of comfort and variety that they provide.
9. Hairbrella
After spending hours in the salon just to be met with rain, Tracey Pickett created the perfect hat that combines both fashion and function to protect various hairstyles, lengths, and textures from rain and humidity.
10. Ooli
Jessica Pritchett launched this natural hair-care brand after the realization that locs don’t always get the love that they deserve. These clear and lightweight products were designed so that everyone can use them — even those without locs too!
11.Glow By Daye
“Your hair can be such a time capsule on your journey of life, embrace it, love it, and take care of it,” says self-proclaimed “lazy natural” and founder Ranay Daye. She’s on a journey to simplify hair maintenance with high quality, optimally designed products that include deep conditioning bonnets, scarves, and more!
