Roy RochlinGetty Images
Long before 40 shades became the gold standard and historically white-centric brands touted inclusivity and diversity, Black women were the only ones meeting the oft-overlooked needs of our community. They were the only ones with shade ranges, cast-free sunscreens, and a catalog to define “nude.” We must continue to strive for diversity and inclusivity within the beauty industry and support the companies by us and for us who are doing the tireless work to spotlight, enrich, and highlight all that is wonderfully Black and beautiful.
Click through for 27 skincare brands to shop—all owned by black women.
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below
1
Unsun
Founder Katonya Breaux, like many Black people, was often left disappointed by the dearth of clean sunscreen products for our skin. Breaux created Unsun in 2016 to provide often overlooked skin tones with clean, non-toxic, and non-ashy sunscreen.
Editor’s Pick: Mineral Tinted Face Sunscreen In “Medium/Dark”, $29
SHOP NOW
2
Shani Darden
Esthetician to some of your favorite stars (Shay Mitchell, Kelly Rowland, Jessica Alba), Shani Darden delivers results—and her products are no different. From the cult-favorite Retinl Reform to the Face Sculpting Tool, Shani Darden Skincare provides simple but effective products that give us our healthiest skin possible.
Editor’s Pick: Retinol Reform, $88
SHOP NOW
3
Buttah
As the name suggests, Buttah Skin’s products leave your skin feeling as soft as butter. Founded in 2018 by Dorion Renaud, Buttah Skin is built around shea butter to nourish your skin while proving feel-good ingredients for healthy, glowing skin.
Editor’s Pick: Buttah Vibe + Cleanse Kit, $50
SHOP NOW
4
Bolden
Created for Black women, by Black women, Bolden is the skin savior you never knew you needed. One common skincare struggle Black women face is hyperpigmentation, which is why founders Ndidi Obidoa and Chinelo Chidozie created products that brighten skin and face hyperpigmentation.
Editor’s Pick: Bolden Clear Skin Kit, $89
SHOP NOW
5
Rosen
Skincare shouldn’t be complicated. Fed up with the beauty industry’s lack of innovation and skincare products catering to Black skin, Jamika Martin found a way to simplify your routine. Enter: Rosen, a skincare brand with fun, targeted products that work for all skin tones and textures.
Editor’s Pick: Tropics Toner, $18
SHOP NOW
6
54 Thrones
Inspired by her childhood growing up in Nigeria, Tegbe launched 54 Thrones to explore the beauty and authenticity of Africa culture and beauty secrets.
Editor’s Pick: Osun African Beauty Mist, $42
SHOP NOW
7
Ayele & Co.
Licensed esthetician and makeup artist Danielle Bahi started Ayele & Co., formerly known as Bahi Cosmetics, from her college dorm room at the tender age of 21. Although the Ivory Coast native created the brand to provide affordable, plant-based skincare for all, it’s especially popular among acne-prone individuals for its cult favorite Sunflower Sweets Serum. The Before and Afters speak for themselves.
Editor’s Pick: Sunflower Sweets Serum, $17
SHOP NOW
8
Hyper Skin
While pregnant with her daughter, Desiree Verdejo struggled to reduce extensive hyperpigmentation caused by a bout of hormonal acne. Unable to find a product that performed, she created her own solution with a vitamin C serum infused with kojic acid, turmeric, and bearberry.
Editor’s Pick: Hyper Clear Brightening Clearing Vitamin C Serum, $36
SHOP NOW
9
BLK+GRN
Blk + Grn is a mecca for black-owned products for skin, body, makeup, and hair. This one-stop shop only houses clean, toxic-free beauty products to ensure whatever product touches your body is the best of the best—like Marla Rene’s Micellar Cleansing Water. Doubling as a makeup remover and cleanser, it’s formulated with cucumber, vitamin B5, and calendula to restore hydration to dry, damaged skin.
Editor’s Pick: Marla Rene Micellar Cucumber Aloe Facial Cleansing Water, $22
SHOP NOW
10
Oui the People
Karen Young, founder of Oui the People, was forbidden from reading beauty magazines growing up. Why? She thinks her mother felt their content showcased a damaging ideal of beauty. Oui the People is dedicated to producing bodycare with mindful messaging that rejects perfection and champions individuality.
Editor’s Pick: Hydrating Body Gloss, $65
SHOP NOW
11
Black Girl Sunscreen
Shontay Lundy changed the sunscreen game for women of color by creating a non-white cast formula infused with nurturing avocado oil and jojoba oils, cacao, and carrot juice.
Editor’s Pick: Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30, $19
SHOP NOW
12
Skin Buttr
If you’ve been following model Tatiana Elizabeth Price, you’ll notice girl loves a sun-kissed vacation glow. That’s all her body care brand Skin Buttr. Free of any harmful ingredients, Skin Buttrs’ body butters use whipped shea at the base to nourish and condition the skin. Oh, and the Gingr Lemon scrub smells DIVINE.
Editor’s Pick: Gingr Lemon Scrub, $8-25
SHOP NOW
13
Pholk Beauty
Founder Niambi Cacchioli founded Pholk with a mission to harness the African Diaspora’s beauty traditions into a plant-based skincare brand that celebrates women of color.
Editor’s Pick: Glow Replenishing Face Wash, $2o
SHOP NOW
15
Aba Love
New York-based skincare brand Aba Love creates handcrafted botanical products perfect for the green beauty lover. The aromatic goods are free of synthetic fragrances and parabens, instead boosted with seed, plant, and floral oils.
Editor’s Pick: Aba Love Flower Crown Facial Serum, $21
SHOP NOW
16
Nyakio
Nyakio Kamoche Grieco started her namesake skincare line, Nyakio, in response to the lack of beauty products using ingredients from her homeland of Kenya, like Mafura oil. Her line is also full of ingredients from around the world, like Maracuja oil and Yangu that work to hydrate dry skin.
Editor’s Pick: Maracuja & Yangu Rescue Oil, $40
SHOP NOW
17
Kaike
Using clean, simple ingredients, Kaike aims to address the complex skincare issues Black people endure daily. Dry skin or hair? Kaike’s signature Frosting is a creamy cocktail of mango butter, coconut oil, apricot kernel oil, and more. Chapped lips? Not with Kaike’s Lip Frosting, which softens the skin with castor oil, mango butter, and coconut oil. Ashy who?
Editor’s Pick: Kaike Marshmallow Mask + Scrub, $20
SHOP NOW
18
Anne’s Apothecary
Anne’s Apothecary’s philosophy is “what you put on your skin should be safe enough to eat”—so you better believe the ingredients are pure. The products, created in North Carolina, are handcrafted in small batches with a focus on herbs and essential oils. You can shop everything from body scrubs and cleansers, to deodorant.
Editor’s Pick: Anne’s Apothecary Black Honey Facial Cleanser, $10
SHOP NOW
19
KNC Beauty
Kristen Noel Crowley, influencer, mom, and former ELLE contributor, launched her beauty brand three years ago with a collection that includes lip and eye masks as well as lip scrubs and balm.
Editor’s Pick: Collagen-Infused Lip Masks, set of 5 for $25
SHOP NOW
20
Elle Johnson
Elle Johnson is all about no-fuss, easy-to-follow botanical skincare starting with the “Clear 3,” a skincare system of 1) cleansing lotion (yes, lotion), 2) toner, and 3) moisturizer. It doesn’t hurt that Johnson, who used to work in branding, has gorgeous Insta-ready packaging.
Editor’s Pick: Elle Johnson Cleansing Lotion, $18; ellejohnson.co
SHOP NOW
21
Base Butter
All-natural skincare line Base Butter is on a mission to challenge the depiction of Black women in media. Partly inspired by founder She’Neil Johnson’s own struggles with acne, the line includes a moisturizing facial “jelly” and body cream.
Editor’s Pick: Base Butter Radiate Face Jelly, $27
SHOP NOW
22
Beija Flor Naturals
This organic California-made skincare line was founded by Stevonne Ratliff, who created it to address her own hyper pigmentation and skin frustrations. Her botanical products include scrubs, lotions, and bar soaps all inspired by Brazil.
Editor’s Pick: Beija Flor Naturals Acai Mango Lotion, $20
SHOP NOW
23
Blade + Bloom
Blade + Bloom’s eco-conscious goods are handmade in Chicago with a focus on 100-percent plant-based skincare and candles. All feature delicious scents (the “Charming I’m Sure” soap apparently smells like “the secret ingredient in your boyfriend’s cologne”), and the no-nonsense packaging is recyclable.
Editor’s Pick: Blade + Bloom Rich Cleansing Bar in Charming, I’m Sure, $12
SHOP NOW
24
Elements of Aliel
Elements of Aliel is all about minimalism and nontoxic skincare. The vegan face and body products range from serums to clay masks to balms.
Editor’s Pick: Elements of Aliel Rose Balm, $32
SHOP NOW
25
Jacqs
This organic line promises to help you “slay, naturally.” Cleansers, mists, masks, toners, and even “beauty boosters” contain tiny, concentrated doses of antioxidants and other good-for-skin ingredients.
Editor’s Pick: Jacqs Revitalizing Face Toner, $19
SHOP NOW
26
True Moringa
True Moringa started as a project to explore alternatives to chemical hair relaxers and cosmetics, and has since expanded to skincare. The facial oils, scrubs, and balms contain moringa, a green plant rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, and other skin-quenching ingredients.
Editor’s Pick: True Moringa Lavender Facial Oil, $26
SHOP NOW
27
Mary Louise Cosmetics
Growing up, Akilah Releford watched her grandmothers Louise and Mary turn natural ingredients from their kitchen into skin-saving remedies. Releford named her skincare brand, Mary Louise, after her inspirations, and continues their legacy with organic, natural products formulated with essential oils accessible to everyone.
Editor’s Pick: Turmeric Facial Serum, $35
SHOP NOW
Assistant Editor
Nerisha is the assistant editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty and fashion.
Beauty Director
Kristina Rodulfo is the Beauty Director of Women’s Health—she oversees beauty coverage across print and digital and is an expert in product testing, identifying trends, and exploring the intersections of beauty, wellness, and culture.
This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io
Advertisement – Continue Reading Below