37 best Black-owned beauty brands to support all year round
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Without the Black community, the beauty industry would not exist as we know it today. So why wouldn't we show support for Black-owned beauty brands that play a huge part in keeping it afloat?
Many of beauty's most-booked treatments and biggest trends (hair extensions, nail art and acrylic nails, to name only a few) are steeped in Black culture and have been a staple of Black beauty for decades. The Black Pound Report also discovered that in sectors such as health and beauty, Black and multi-ethnic consumers spend, on average, 25% more than any other.
At GLAMOUR, we are committed to highlighting the many things non-Black people can do to become better allies – from understanding white privilege to using books, podcasts and documentaries to educate yourself on anti-racism.
But in addition to all of these incredibly important actions, purchasing from Black-owned beauty brands is a key way to support a community that is so often marginalised – during Black History Month and beyond.
The importance of investing in Black-owned beauty businesses is clear. In order to create equity within different communities, we must build leverage within them, hence why Black businesses need to be supported in order to grow the community as a whole.
Purchases made from outside of Black communities can have a major impact on potential growth and help level the playing field.
Liha Okunniwa, founder of Liha Beauty, wrote on Instagram: "My dad has had a business in the UK since 1958 and I grew up above shops. He is a visionary and a design genius but the world will not know that because like every other black person during that time, he was fighting on a daily basis just to be seen and recognised as a human being and a man. He didn’t get to build his Nike."
Aurora James, the founder of fashion label Brother Vellies, supported this in a statement on Instagram. She explained that Black-owned businesses are the most vulnerable and have historically received the least amount of economic support. She urged major retailers like Sephora and Whole Foods to buy at least 15% of their products from Black-owned businesses. "I am not saying this is easy. I’m saying this is necessary," she said.
Tokenism won't fly, and consumers are looking for brands to put their money where their mouth is. Brands are being held accountable for keeping up with their pledge to allyship. One such brand is Glossier, which is keen to play its part in supporting Black beauty entrepreneurs with its UK Black Beauty Grant Programme for 2024 in partnership with Black Girl Fest Studios.
In 2023 – its inaugural year in the UK – five brilliant founders graduated the Programme including Airfro, Ashe London, Koba Skincare, The Glowcery and Tru Skin. This year Glossier aims to build on that success with a tailored 12-week learning programme and £10K equity-free grant.
To bring Black-owned beauty brands to the forefront of your mind, we've compiled an edit of companies that deserve to be championed. Showing your support is not a one-time thing. These beauty brands cover all bases – from hair to makeup and skincare.
They’re also all female-owned, with many putting sustainable beauty at the forefront of their brand ethos. A purchase (or a follow and share, if you can’t invest due to current financial uncertainty) will not only mean you support the Black community but support female entrepreneurs and businesses working to champion sustainability.
There's everything to gain and nothing to lose.
Here are 37 Black-owned beauty brands to champion from this day forward.
Developed by singer songwriter Alicia Keys and dermatologist Dr. Renée Snyder, Keys Soulcare launched into the UK in 2021. The range of face and body care focuses on mindfully treating your skin with scientifically-proven ingredients. But, as the name suggests, it also promotes caring for your soul with feel-good scents that trigger your senses and daily affirmations. Take this exfoliator, for example. The water-activated powder transforms into a creamy foam powered by antioxidant-rich green tea, exfoliating Hojicha powder and lactic acid to gently buff away dead skin – all while breathing in the relaxing scent of sage and oat milk relaxes
2024's major beauty moment came courtesy of Beyoncé who, together with Tina Knowles, launched Cécred, an inclusive hair care line grounded in science and delectable scents. The Reconstructing Treatment Mask is powered by a keratin ferment to reduce breakage and a cuticle-sealing oil blend to fill in any microscopic tears in the strand. Adding to the appeal is the sensual burst of oud, sandalwood, musk and jasmine with every swish.
Founded in 2020, Topicals is a Black-owned skincare company led by entrepreneur and mental health advocate, Olamide Olowe. After growing up with chronic skin conditions, Olowe made it her mission to ensure effective, science-backed products were more accessible and approachable. Topicals – in all its bright, Instagrammable glory – has just arrived in the UK after a successful launch in the US and we predict great things.
S’able Labs was founded by power couple Sabrina and Idris Elba in 2020. Containing African botanicals, including a muscle-relaxing peptide derived from Okra in this serum, the products are designed to boost skin's elasticity while reducing the inflammation that can trigger hyperpigmentation. The brand also donates to Farm Africa, which helps local Kenyan farmers to grow their businesses sustainably.
Camille Rose is the brainchild of founder Janell Stephens, who first started making products to treat her children's eczema. Whether treating dry skin on the body or dry strands, the formulas are renowned for being as gentle as they are nourishing. The Algae Renew Deep Conditioner is a hero product rich in 65 fortifying vitamins and minerals to reduce the risk of breakage.
In 2018, actress Tracee Ellis Ross founded Pattern Beauty, a line specifically tailored to lavish kinky, curly, coily and textured hair with nourishing ingredients such as coconut, sweet almond, tea tree, avocado and honey. The Leave-In Conditioner is our favourite for detangling and a light hold.
Former beauty writer, Loretta De Feo, founded Dizziak after noticing there was a gap in the Afro hair market for deep conditioners. Her creation is a cult favourite, working on all hair types (and particularly well on Afro hair) without relying on harsh chemicals. It's enriched with quinoa protein and babassu, coconut and argan oils; the results are worth the hype.
Founded by soapmaker Samantha Jameson, Soapsmith is a luxury soap and body care brand infused with scents inspired by and named after different areas in London. There’s Hackney (think the uplifting scent of bergamot, geranium and sandalwood to conjure up a summer's day by the River Lea), Camden (coconut, bergamot and white musk), Whitechapel (violets and lilacs), Marble Arch (vanilla, orange, tonka bean), Brick Lane (amber, pepper and sandalwood), Bloomsbury (rose), Lavender Hill (jasmine and lavender).
Shani is best known for being the facialist behind Kim Kardashian's glow and her skincare line bottles years of in-office experience. If you're looking for a mild chemical exfoliator, look no further than the Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum, a blend of AHAs and PHAs that gently lifts away dead skin cells to reveal a more even-toned, luminous complexion.
Dreamt up by beauty entrepreneur, Nyakio Grieco, Relevant is an ultra-inclusive skincare line that prides itself on being “melanin-seen” but made for everyone. Each product is brimming with superfruits and chemist-formulated actives at results-driven percentages.
How could we do a round-up of the best Black-owned beauty brands without including Pat McGrath? She’s a British makeup artist whose bright, bold and beautiful products encourage beauty lovers to play with colour and push the boundaries when it comes to makeup. Her eponymous brand has been running since 2016 and, whether you choose a lipstick or a palette, every penny is worth the investment.
Charlotte Mensah is an award-winning hairdresser, trained by Winston Isaacs and highly regarded as an expert in Afro hair. Her products – made from ethically and sustainably sourced oils – enhance your natural strands from root to tip. Charlotte’s Manketti Hair Oil uses organic, sustainably sourced Manketti nut and ximenia oils to condition and nourish your hair; it’s a cult favourite across the beauty industry.
Founded by Rihanna, Fenty Beauty is widely regarded as one of the most inclusive makeup brands on the market. It doesn’t really need much of an introduction. Rihanna made waves in the beauty world after she launched a line of foundations in 50 shades while this cream blush delivers an impressive, natural-looking flush.
ASHE London is a luxury vegan nail colour brand founded by Ashleigh Alli, a nail technician who re-trained as a lawyer and now works as a diversity consultant, working to increase inclusion within the legal profession.
ASHE is an extension of this commitment to social change. With vegan, sustainable formulas that are made from 74% plant origin ingredients, 10% of all profits go to two charities: Cianna’s Smile and Bloody Good Period.
Better still, each limited edition polish is named after someone who changed the world in their own way.
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Briogeo has individuality, positivity and transparency at the heart of its products. Ingredients used in every product in the haircare range are cruelty-free and 90-100% naturally derived, drawing attention to the care they put into making sure your natural hair is the best it possibly can be.
Koba (nkóbá) in Lingala means “turtle,” a nod to founder Thérèse M'Boungoubayasoon's Congolese heritage. The premise behind the brand is that, like turtles, Koba's products will shield your skin against external aggressors.
Thérèse is in an excellent position to make that a reality, having married her mother's knowledge as a chemist with her own personal skincare struggles and over ten years experience in the beauty industry.
We love this cult foot cream for cosseting cracked heels and dry soles in deeply hydrating shea and olive butters, vitamin B5 and safou oil to improve skin elasticity.
Flora & Curl is an all-natural, pure and cruelty-free hair care brand for anyone with curly hair. Described as being plant-powered ‘food’ for your curls, it combines nature's most hydrating botanical ingredients such as Aloe, Honey, Lavender, Calendula and Siberian Ginseng to create high-quality combinations for textured hair. Obsessed.
When Nneka Fleming and co-founder Catherine Radojcin, who have five mixed-race sons between them, struggled to find products suitable for their hair in the female-focused Afro hair market they decided to create their own. With its cool packaging, Airfro GRW is a scalp co-wash laced with Argan oil, chamomile, tea tree and arnica oil to soothe and boost blood circulation, supporting healthy hair growth in men.
Liha Beauty was founded by Liha Okunniwa and Abi Oyepitan who had one mission: to create an innovative, luxe natural, organic and vegan skincare brand, which fuses "African roots and quintessentially British attitudes". Their (often sell-out) products like the Idan Oil and Queen Idia Candle are created using all-natural Nigerian ingredients.
The Afro Hair and Skin Company is another amazing brand to invest in if you’re obsessed with natural and eco-friendly products. Every product is made using locally-sourced British ingredients – so they automatically get a huge tick from us.
We also love its beauty philosophy: “When we take time for ourselves, we are feeding positivity into our consciousness that tells us we are worth effort, energy and love.” Our standout product? The Bloom Omega Healthy Hair Oil.
Dwira
DWIRA is a holistic skincare and wellness brand featuring pure West African products crafted to #FeedYourSkin. As for the hero product? DWIRA Hemp Superfood Oil is a nourishing and rejuvenating face oil formulated with a botanically active blend of hemp and nutrient-rich oils that is easily absorbed for instant hydration.
Afrocenchix
Afrocenchix was founded by two university friends, Rachael Corson and Jocelyn Mate, who were on a mission to create the natural products for Afro hair they couldn’t already find on the high street. Jocelyn suffered from alopecia and Rachael had sensitive skin, so their products are non-toxic, sensitive and genuinely work.
Beauty Bakerie
Beauty Bakerie was founded by Cashmere Nicole, after a breast cancer battle inspired her to launch her own cosmetics brand. Every product is inspired by baking, including the InstaBake 3-in-1 Hydrating Concealer and the Cake Pop Lippies. One for any gals out there with a sweet tooth.
Juvia's Place
Juvia’s Place is a fun, vibrant and professional-standard makeup brand which celebrates the beauty of Africa through the rich pigments in every one of its products. If you love vibrant hues, look no further than the Culture Palette.
Selfmade Candle
Selfmade Candle is a Black-owned wellness brand for the modern consumer. It uses natural soy wax infused with 100% essential oils to provide lavish scent experiences through guilt-free products. Each product is eco- and vegan-friendly, all the way down to the ink and glue the brand uses in its labels.
KNC Beauty
KNC Beauty is a Black-owned beauty brand with lip masks at the heart. Founder Kristen Noel Crawley was strolling through Don Quijote in Tokyo, when a wall of lip masks caught her eye. She became OBSESSED with the idea of perfect, kissable lips, but realised there were no natural lip masks on the market. So, Kristen created the first all-natural, collagen-infused lip mask that now sits on the lips of Hollywood royalty.
The Wig Fix
The Wig Fix was created by an amazing 25 year-old Black British female, Aasiyah Abdulsalam. Aasiyah went from writing her dissertation about the wig industry to creating her business in under a year.
The first wig innovation in 55 years has now sold over 40,000 products. A standout product is the nude silicone headbands that secure wigs to a roller-coaster proof standard, while protecting the scalp and promoting natural hair growth underneath.
Flo
Kickass femcare brand, Flo, creates products like the Bamboo Ultra-Long Pads that are natural, plant-based and biodegradable. And not only are they kind to the planet, but they're kind to others! 5% of its profits go to charities like the Orchid Project and Red Box Project, which respectively work to end female genital mutilation and period poverty throughout the UK.
Check out our full edit of the best eco-friendly period products for a more sustainable period.
My Mane
My Mane's founder Rochelle started her brand to help black women embrace their natural hair and empower them in a world where they often aren't represented in mainstream media. Along with their Healthy Hair Reset Plan e-course, My Mane sells accessories like the 100% pure mulberry silk pillowcases (in the perfect shade of pink) that will prevent snagging and tangling whilst sleeping.
Beautystack
Beautystack is a fun, engaging brand that helps beauty professionals grow their beauty service businesses. Through Beauty Stack, you can manage your bookings, track what you earn and join a community of like minded beauty obsessives. They have some really cool beauty pros on their books, like Croydon-based Simmy Nails and Beauty and SKN Doctor.
