The protests inspired across the country has shown that we still haven’t combated racism hard enough.
It’s structurally entrenched in our economic and political system, which means that the best way forward is not only through policy but the economy. We can spur change by voting but also by supporting black-owned businesses so they can thrive. Black Americans can rise up and close the economic gap that continues to wreak havoc on our communities.
SEE ALSO: 5 new brands are attempting to redefine men’s grooming
While not everyone can physically join in the protest, each person can do their part by checking in on their friends, family members and coworkers who feel triggered by these events, doing their research in an effort to step into someone else’s shoes and by donating time and money to the Black Live Matter. Don’t have the means to support? Here’s a video you can watch to help get it advertising money.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCgLa25fDHM&feature=emb_title
For those who want to support the community, we’ve rounded up a list of black-owned skincare, makeup and hair care brands that everyone can invest in.
Buttah Skin was created for men and women with melanin-rich skin just like the founder’s, Dorion Renaud, with products that work to resolve complexion challenges. Star ingredients include Vitamin C, Shea Butter etc. and the hi-tech formulations make this a luxurious, highly efficacious yet affordable skincare range.
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Scotch Porter offers multi-purpose quality handmade grooming products at an affordable price. Key ingredients include Biotin Liposomes, Burdock Root and White Willow to condition and moisturize a healthy beard, Kale Protein, White Willow Bark, vitamin and botanical complexes to restore textured hair and Pomegranate Enzymes, Turmeric Root and White Willow Bark to promote clearer, smoother skin.
Must-try products:
3 Bevel
Bevel products were specifically made to solve problems for POCs, by POCs. From beard trimers, to shave kits, skincare regimens, body lotions and hair care – Bevel is paving the way for black men to treat themselves with care.
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Founder Michael James wanted to remedy the specific issues that black men faced regarding their hair: from dry scalp, razor bumps, in-grown hairs etc. – with a regimen full of natural oils and clinical ingredients free of irritants.
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Army veteran and licensed skin care specialist, Darnell Henderson, launched H.I.M-istry to tackle shaving and common skincare problems such as acne, dryness, ingrown hairs and premature signs of ageing all in one go.
Must-try products:
Pomegranate & Glycolic Face & Beard Wash
Since 2016, UnSun Cosmetics provides clean mineral sunscreens for POCs that leave no residue, or white cast behind!
Must-try products:
Everyday Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen
7 Alaffia
Alaffia was launched in 2003 by a couple inspired to create social change through entrepreneurship. The brand was one of the first disrupter in the natural skin and hair products industry and is all about fair trade and community empowerment, so you can be rest assured that your purchase is going to great causes!
Must-try products:
Neem Turmeric Clarifying Facial Toning Mist
Everyday Shea Butter Unscented Body Wash
8 Élengé
Hand made in small batches with all natural ingredients that are ethically sourced and fair-traded make the London-based, Congo-inspired beauty brand Élengé a success! Carine’s products are made without parabens and synthetic fragrances and smell absolutely divine!
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9 Epara
One of the first natural luxury skincare collections to serve women of color, Epara is a line of high quality, scientifically-proven products derived from organic African ingredients that pamper and soothe black skin types.
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10 Pattern
Created by the iconic Tracee Ellis Ross, PATTERN focuses on products that promote healthy hair for natural and kinky curls and coils.
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A mom and son is behind this beautiful brand that offers unique, handmade skin care solutions that foster amazing skin!
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Founder Zandra Azariah is only 19 years old, but she has a knack for entrepreneurship since her sustainable, plant-based alternatives to commercial skincare products proves successful and lucrative.
Must-try products:
Zandra Covid-19 Prevention Package
Japanese Kumquat Probiotic Deodorant
13 Noirebud
NOIREBUD is a CBD luxury product line that pays homage to the men and women of color who have fallen under the governments grip of incarceration for handling marijuana. The products are the first of its kind in the black and brown community to capitalise on the cannabis beauty wellness craze.
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Esthetician Shani Darden is behind many of Hollywood’s most flawless faces, and she built a cult celebrity following with her retinol-based products once she launched her own line.
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15 Kaike
Keli Smith launched KAIKE products in 2015 to celebrate melanin-rich skin with ingredient lists that read like yummy cake-like recipes to eat.
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16 KNC Beauty
After a trip to Tokyo, Kristen Noel Crawley was inspired to create her own all natural, collagen-infused lip mask to achieve soft, pillowy, kissable lips. Now all the major darlings of Hollywood are just as obsessed with it!
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17 Hyper Skin
Desiree Verdejo, creator of Hyper Skin, struggled with crazy hormonal breakouts and dark marks after her pregnancy and nothing worked until she created her own serum with vitamin C, E, Kojic Acid, Turmeric and Bearberry. Since then, the serum has been a huge success for those looking to fade hyper-pigmentation.
Must-try products:
Hyper Clear Brightening Clearing Vitamin C Skin Serum
18 Base Butter
Base Butter’s Aloe Vera Gel Moisturizer is a holy grail for those struggling with oily or combination skin.
Must-try products:
Aloe Vera Gel Face Moisturizer
Sustainable Makeup Remover and Pre-Cleansing Cloth
Working with small-scale farmers and artisans to build their businesses, improve production capacity, sustainably increase income, and provide community-driven solutions is the USP of Inua. This brand offers handcrafted natural products formulated with Moringa, Baobab, Turmeric, Lemongrass and Coconut Oil.
Must-try products:
Organic Ylang Ylang Cleanse Soap
Organic Baobab Hyper-pigmentation Treatment Set
20 Uoma Beauty
Founder Sharon Chuter has worked for many years at Revlon, L’Oréal, PepsiCo, GSK and Benefit Cosmetics before launching UOMA Beauty with a forward-thinking, radical and uncompromising range drawing inspiration from her Nigerian heritage.
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Black Opal was the first of its kind back in 1994 to cater to the nuances of black skin and empower its beauty.
Must-try products:
True Color Velvet Finishing Powder
True Color Pore Perfecting Liquid Foundation
22 The Lip Bar
The Lip Bar is a vegan and cruelty-free beauty brand that first started out being handcrafted in the founder’s kitchen and embraces unique types of beauty!
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Mented first sought out to create the perfect shade of nude lipsticks for darker skin tones, but now it offers so much more from eyeshadow to blush…
Must-try products:
Brand Nude Semi-Matte Lipstick
Pat McGrath captures the power of transformation, beauty and makeup in exquisite palettes, 50 legendary lipsticks, divine dozen eyeliners and five fetish-worthy lip pencils!
Must-try products:
Mothership V: Bronze Seduction Palette
25 BoyFace
BoyFace is a clean, plant-based line of anti-ageing skin care products for men that includes peptides, plant stem cells and extracts, enzymes, natural oils and is free from animal products, parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, dyes and harsh chemicals.
Must-try products:
Daily Start Exfoliating Cleanser
26 Solo Noir
The Solo Noir skincare system brings back clear, healthy skin in a streamlined way with 2-in-1 multitasking products to drive results to combat blemishes, dry skin, uneven complexions, and ingrown hairs.
Must-try products:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B9XfIOCHuoL/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
That’s Smooth offers a complete men’s grooming experience with targeted products free from parabens, phthaltes, sulfates and synthetic fragrances to address specific needs for nice smooth skin or a nice soft beard.
Must-try products:
Premium Natural Complete Shaving System
Premium Natural Beard Product Set
28 Hair Rules
Anthony Dickey started the first texture-hair laboratory in New York with his concept salon Hair Rules.
Must-try products:
Premium Natural Complete Shaving System
Premium Natural Beard Product Set
29 Nu Wave
No chemicals, no harsh ingredients and no petroleum are found in Nu Wave’s products. Therefore, always ensuring fresh waves and haircuts.
Must-try products:
30 Bolden
Bolden: skincare regimens that are expertly-crafted, responsibly-sources and tailor-made for women of color by women of color.
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31 Golde
Founded by two trailblazers in Brooklyn, Golde offers fun and easy superfood-boosted essentials for beauty from the inside-out.
Must-try products:
Complete Beauty + Wellness Kit
32 Black Girl Sunscreen
Sunscreen that caters exclusively to melanin-rich people, fine ingredients, no white cast, no parabens, and harmful chemicals… What’s not to love!
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33 Mary Louise
The founder has always been obsessed with hand-making her own natural beauty products and she believes this should be accessible to all.
Must-try products:
Green Tea Facial Cleanser + Miracle Serums + Mud Mask
Since 2015, grooming and shaving brand Oui The People has grown to include a large following of non-binary people and continues to pioneer in the space of beauty.
Must-try products:
The Single Rose Gold Sensitive Skin Razor
35 Klur
Esthetician Lesley Thornton’s fondness for minimalistic regimens and personalised treatments for over 2500 clients has led to the natural establishment of Klur.
Must-try products:
Gentle Matter Daily Moisture Cleanser
Elements of Comfort Botanical Oil
Founder Temi Shobowale began to formulate skincare products with organic plant-based ingredients for herself, and her newfound glow intrigued her friends and demand for her handmade products grew!
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Hanahana Beauty is an all-natural, skincare and wellness brand that fairly sources its Shea Butter in Ghana and creates products by hand.
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Certified aromatherapist, Aba Gyepi-Garbrah’s love for medicinal plants, exotic flowers, precious oils and resins led to the creation of her brand where she promotes nature’s virtues.
Must-try products:
Grooming Oil Men’s Facial Serum
Following a successful career as a makeup artist for major magazines, film stars, music icons and even the President, Lauren Napier decided to launch her own beauty brand of luxurious makeup wipes.
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Husband and wife duo created Oyin to serve those and themselves in need of natural and organic products for highly texturised hair. Soon enough, they expanded with multiple ranges as demand increased.
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