These brands are founded and led by Black women who care about your health, and have created and formulated products with safer ingredients. This is no easy feat, and although we have done some of the research for you, we always recommend that you read ingredient labels or ask us for help. The gold standard for safety in personal care products and cosmetics, in our opinion, is Beautycounter’s Never List and their Blue Print for Clean both of which are excellent resources for reference.
One of the best places to start your search for Black-owned clean beauty brands is at BLK + GRN “an all natural marketplace for all black artisans”. We would love to hear your reviews, and any other Black-owned beauty brands that you support in our comments section below!
Skin care & Body care
Okoko Cosmétiques – Canadian luxury brand from Vancouver, BC combines the power of plants with science and innovation for luxurious, safer skincare.
Essentials by Temi – Canadian brand with simple, plant-based ingredients in their mists, elixirs, scrubs and body butter.
Golde – superfood-boosted essentials for health and beauty includes facial masks and latté blends.
Klur – these facial serums, treatments and body oil are functional and luxurious.
Freedom Apothecary – a small selection of in-house products with a blend bar to formulate your own. How fun!
Nyakio – facial scrubs, masks and body care, also sold at Target.
Organic Bath Co. – soaps, sanitizers and skin care formulated with an ethical supply chain and are 92% certified organic, fair- and direct trade ingredients.
Oui The People – luxe and sustainable supplies for all of your shaving needs!
The Butter Bar – offering skin care for all skin types and facials in Atlanta and Houston.
Beneath your mask – microbatched in California, a small selection of naturally-derived products for skin, hair and body.
PiperWai – all natural deodorant with activated charcoal to reduce odor and absorb sweat.
Hanahana Beauty – currently sold out, but you shea butter lovers will want to check out their clean, ethically sourced, better for you ingredients when they are back in stock!
Sun care
Unsun – tinted mineral sunscreen for all skin tones, available at Credo.
EleVen by Venus – mineral sunscreen in partnership with Venus Williams, available at Credo.
Black Girl Sunscreen – completely sheer sunscreen free from octinoxate and oxybenzone (formulated with alternative chemical sunscreen active ingredients).
Hair care
Briogeo – a high-performance, hair care collection that provides visible results. For all hair types. Some products contain ‘fragrance’. Also available on Sephora.
Hair Rules – founded by Dickey, the ‘Texture Guru’ to the stars. Their packaging is also spot-on!
Omiaje – Formulated especially for textured hair types with natural, organic and plant-based ingredients when possible.
Sienna Naturals – clean care for a healthy scalp and beautifully textured hair.
Makeup and nail care
Queenfidence – Canadian beauty brand with cruelty-free eye shadow palettes and liquid lipsticks and glosses.
Mented Cosmetics – 10-free nail polishes and vegan & cruelty-free cosmetics.
Range Beauty – “clean beauty for the forgotten shades”. Every beauty company should be diversifying for all skin shades!
Lovinah – ethically sourced and fair trade skincare and makeup rooted in the union of ancient African beauty rituals and modern technology.
Luv & Co. – cruelty-free makeup that follows a No Luv list with the opportunity to become a beauty advisor.
Mischo Beauty – 10-free nail lacquers that “make everyone grab your hand and demand what it is”.
Rooted Woman – ethically curated nail polishes and treatments.
Feminine care
The Honey Pot – “the first complete feminine care system powered by herbs”. Includes products for menstruation (cup, tampons, pads) and for hygiene.
Kushae – “The First & Only All Natural Feminine Care Line Created by an OB/GYN”.
It is a privilege to be able to afford beauty products with high-quality, safer ingredients. At Know Better Life, we are fighting for more health-protective regulations at a government level so that all beauty will one day be clean beauty, and accessible for all.