

As the human body’s largest organ, the skin is one of our most precious features. Caring for such a delicate attribute should be nothing less than a thoughtful process full of deeply rich, nourishing ingredients that enhance our melanin, not take away from it. Being conscious of what we put on our bodies is only one step to healthy skin. With the range of products on the market, it’s beneficial to know about Black-owned skincare companies that create products specifically for people of color, addressing issues that were previously overlooked by traditional brands in the past.
Making up about half of the beauty industry, the range of skincare brands on the market can be overwhelming. With such an oversaturated market, it’s hard to believe that not too many years ago, Black individuals were left out of the equation when searching for products such as white-cast free sunscreen or simple ingredients like shea butter that deeply moisturize deeper skin tones. Within the last 10 years, there's been an explosion of Black-owned beauty brands founded by entrepreneurs that birthed companies out of frustration, lack, and the necessity for what was missing in their everyday lives. Choosing the proper products can be an expensive and time-consuming process but supporting smaller brands that prioritize naturally clean ingredients as well as uplifting their community is a great start in the right direction.
In honor of Black History Month, keep scrolling for a comprehensive guide to Black-owned skin brands, their stories, and how they aim to benefit people of color.
1.Topicals
Growing up, founder Olamide Olowe always wanted flawless skin. She knew her skin was different from what she saw on her favorite television shows, commercials, and fashion magazines but with time she learned the key to achieving great skin was making it look good, not the other way around. Developing Topicals with board-certified dermatologist and stem cell scientist, Olamide created a line of skincare products along with experts using ingredients, developing formulas that are efficient and gentle, free from harmful dyes, and scientifically proven to ensure effectiveness for all skin types.
Best Seller: Topicals' Faded, $38
2.Hanahana Beauty
In 2017, Hanahana Beauty began out of Chicago-based entrepreneur Abena Boamah-Acheampong’s longing to feel beautiful and confident in her own skin. Frustrated with the lack of transparency within the skincare industry, Abena decided to take it back to her family’s tried and true method of achieving moisturized, radiant skin with shea butter. Hanahana sources its shea butter-based products from the Katariga Women's Shea Cooperative in Tamale, Ghana while producing clean, homemade products with natural ingredients to uplift women of color.
Best Seller: Hanahana Beauty's The Best Sellers Set, $75
3.Buttah.
It’s all in the name. Founded in 2018 by Dorion Renaud, Buttah’s products were created for melanin-rich skin to feel as smooth and soft as butter. Discovering the transformational properties of raw, organic, natural shea, this single ingredient inspired Dorion to create Buttah.
Best Seller: Buttah's Customizable Skin Kit, $60
4.KNC Beauty
The first all-natural, collagen-infused lip mask was inspired by KNC Beauty founder Kristen Noel Crawley after a trip through Don Quijote in Tokyo. After stumbling upon a whole world of lip masks overseas and realizing there were no options available here in the U.S., she decided to create her own. KNC Beauty was created for women to achieve injection-free, perfectly plump kissable lips in 5-10 minutes.
Best Seller: KNC Beauty's All-Natural Collagen Infused Lip Mask 5-Pack, $25
5.Flora and Noor
The first Halal brand to launch at Ulta Beauty, Flora and Noor provides inclusive luxury skincare with organic and natural ingredients for those who appreciate clean beauty and the benefits of superfoods being “food for the skin.” Being Halal means products are permissible for Muslims which include benefits and advantages for skin's health and for the environment. In such a diverse world, all products are vegan, Halal, and cruelty-free, created for everyone to shop all-natural luxury skincare.
Best Seller: Flora and Noor's Boost & Brighten Vitamin C Cleanser, $28
6.Black Girl Sunscreen
Black girls need sunscreen too and thus Black Girl Sunscreen was born. As women of color we were often overlooked when it came to protective products from UV rays, years of blotchy white residue was enough for founder Shontay Lundy. Founded in 2016, BGS launched with an SPF 30 made with melanated skin in mind, drying completely clear. Since then the company has expanded into a range of sunscreen options as well as SPF lip gloss.
Best Seller: Black Girl Sunscreen's Make it Glow, $19
7.Unsun
Due to the lack of clean sunscreen options for women of color, Katonya Breaux founded Unsun Cosmetics in 2016. Banning over 1,700 ingredients she created clean, inclusive, no-residue options that are mindful of those using Unsun products as well as the environment they are being used in. A favorite among many, the mineral-tinted sunscreen has been a game changer for protecting darker skin tones from harmful UV rays while enhancing flawless skin.
Best Seller: Unsun Cosmetics' Hand Cream SPF15, $27
8.Eve Milan
Eden Gilliam’s 11 years of experience in the skincare industry became the driving force behind Eve Milan New York 5-free skincare line. After years of hearing her clients complain about skin issues and masking insecurities with makeup, she was motivated to get clients to be comfortable in their own skin. Studying skin from within, Eden traveled abroad to learn about nutrition and how internal issues and diet affect skin health.
Understanding the importance of what goes into our bodies led her to pay attention to harmful ingredients within products she used which became the catalyst behind the birth of the products made free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, artificial color, and fragrance to limit exposure to toxins.
Best Seller: Eve Milan's Brightening Vitamin C + CoQ10 Sheet Mask, $10
9.Pholk
Created out of both necessity and frustration, Pholk was founded by Georgia-born skincare expert Niambi Cacchioli who found it challenging to match these countless skincare options available with her personal skin challenges. In a world full of inclusivity, Niambi still couldn't find the right products that directly treated her needs for combination skin so she created them. Pholk Beauty is a vegan-based, melanin-safe, cruelty-free range of products created for women of color targeting the root of dark marks and hyperpigmentation with holistic care.
Best Seller: Pholk's Aloe Lemon Balm Face Mist, $20
10.'JENTL
Kiana Baldon is the founder of ‘JENTL, a vegan body butter brand that puts quality ingredients and self-care above all else. Created to nurture vulnerability and transparency through compassion, community, and self-discovery ‘Jentl was put forth with the intention to produce ethically sourced ingredients to soothe, energize and provide joy. Pronounced “gentle,” the base of all the products includes shea, cocoa, and mango butter.
Best Seller: 'JENTL's Original Body Butter, $16
11.Shea Radiance
Shea Radiance started in the kitchen to solve co-founders Funlayo and Shola Alabi family’s overly dry skin and eczema problems. Using unrefined shea butter as a form of healing, they created beauty products to help women achieve a healthy-looking natural glow at any age. Known as “women’s gold,” shea butter sourced from West Africa used in their products creates a pathway of economic progress for women and their community.
Best Seller: Shea Radiance's Sensitive Skin Moisture Bundle, $50
12.Siyah Organics
Established in 2019, women-owned Siyah Organics is both an American and Senegalese company. All products are tested and are 100% organically pure to ensure the highest quality of plants keeping everything fresh to maintain their healing properties.
Best Seller: Siyah Organics' Moringa x Ginger Facial Cleanser, $24
13.Natural Radiant Life
Empowering their community to take better care of themselves in every area of their lives, Natural Radiant Life was created out of love for nature-based products that breathe life into the skin. Long-time friends and co-founders Rhonda Daniels, LaKesha Gage-Woodard, and Sherry D. Fields set out on a mission to bring clean, organic, and effective skincare products to the market that proudly show outer and inner radiance. Encouraged to use products daily, these co-founders are promoting positive and healthy practices through natural products for a radiant life.
Best Seller: Natural Radiant Life's AM Moisturizer, $35
14.OAM by Ciara
Who knew leveling up our skincare would take us to a new product line by one of our favorite entertainers? OAM, or On a Mission Skin, was founded by singer Ciara in collaboration with clinical professionals, skincare experts, scientists, and dermatologists to create a simple day and night routine for all skin types. Concentrating on its main ingredient vitamin C to hydrate and brighten, the simple step solutions to clinical skincare are even more accessible for all.
Best Seller: OAM by Ciara's Vitamin C Brightening Pads, $28
15.Fenty Skin
From Fenty Beauty to Fenty Skin, Rihanna can do anything she puts her mind to and we will stan. Her latest project includes a line of products formulated for everyone to achieve beautiful skin. After years of experimenting with the best of the best products, Rihanna still felt there was something missing in the industry. In short, her aim was to create easy, hassle-free products for all to enjoy.
Best Seller: Fenty Skin's Instant Reset Brightening Overnight Recovery Gel Cream
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Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
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You Don’t Have To Choose: How Black Women Can Care For Others Without Self-Sacrifice
One of the primary instructions we receive before a flight takes off is to prioritize putting on your life vest first if there’s an emergency, even before assisting others. It’s funny how this rule rarely translates to the daily routine of women.
As women we are taught, directly and indirectly, to put others first. Whether it’s our romantic partners, kids, parents, friends, or even our jobs. Mental health survivor and founder of Sista Afya Community Care, Camesha Jones-Brandon is challenging that narrative by using her platform to advocate for Black women and their right to self-care.
Camesha created the organization after her struggles with mental health and the lack of community she experienced. The Chicago native explains how she created Sista Afya to be rooted in “culturally grounded care.”
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“So at my organization, Sista Afya Community Care, we focus on providing mental health care through a cultural and gender lens,” she tells xoNecole. “So when we think about the term intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, we think about the multiple identities that lead to certain experiences and outcomes as it relates to Black women.
“So in the context of culturally grounded care, being aware of the cultural history, the cultural values, and then also the current issues that impact mental health outcomes.”
Words like “strong” and “independent” have long been associated with Black women for some time and many of us have begun to embrace the soft life and are using rest as a form of resistance. However, some of us still struggle with putting ourselves first and overall shedding the tainted image of the “strong, Black woman” that had been forced on us.
Camesha shares that while there’s more and more communities being created around empowerment and shared interests like running, she still questions, “are Black women really comfortable with being vulnerable about sharing their experiences?”
Being vulnerable with ourselves and others play an important role in healing the instinctive nature of always being “on” for everyone. “I'm currently facilitating a group on high functioning depression, and yesterday, we talked about how when Black women may be struggling or have shared their concerns with other people. They may be minimized, or they're told to just be strong, or it's not so bad, or I went through something worse back in Jim Crow era, so you should be thankful,” she explains.
“So I think there's a challenge with Black women being able to be honest, to be vulnerable and to receive the support that they need in the same capacity as how much they give support to other people. So that is probably a very common theme. I think we've made a lot of progress when we talk about the superwoman syndrome, the mammy stereotype, the working hard stereotype, the nurturing stereotype. I think we're beginning to unpack those things, but I still see that we have definitely a long way to go in that area.”
I think there's a challenge with Black women being able to be honest, to be vulnerable and to receive the support that they need in the same capacity as how much they give support to other people.
Roman Samborskyi/ Shutterstock
While we’re unpacking those things, we know that we’re still women at the end of the day. So as we continue to serve in various roles like mothers, daughters, sisters, and caretakers, we have to make caring for ourselves a priority. Camesha reveals four ways we can still care for others without abandoning ourselves.
Trust
First things first, trust. Camesha explains, “Some of the burdens that Black women have can be linked to not feeling like you can trust people to carry the load with you.
“It's hard because people experience trauma or being let down or different experiences, but one of the things that I found personally is the more that I'm able to practice trust, the more I'm able to get my needs met. Then, to also show up as my best to care for other Black women.”
Know Your Limitations
Another thing Camesha highlighted is Black women knowing their limitations. “The other thing that I would like to bring up in terms of a way to care for yourself is to really know your limitations, or know how much you can give and what you need to receive,” she says.
“So often, what I see with Black women is giving, giving, giving, giving, giving to the point that you're not feeling well, and then not receiving what you need in return to be able to feel well and whole individually. So I really think it's important to know your limitations and know your capacity and to identify what it is that you need to be well.”
Don’t Take On A Lot Of Responsibilities
Next on the list is not taking on so many responsibilities, sharing herself as an example. “The other thing is taking on too much responsibility, especially in a time of vulnerability.
“One thing that I personally struggled with was being so passionate about community mental health for Black women, and saying yes to everything and taking on so much responsibility,” she reveals. “That affected me to do well in serving Black women and then also impacting my own well being.”
Practice Self-Care
Lastly, she notes the importance of practicing self-care. “The last thing is really practicing regular self care, regular community care, so that it's embedded into your daily life. So for me, having prepared meals, going to the gym, getting eight hours of sleep, spending time with friends and family, all of those things are part of my self care that keep me at my best,” she explains.
“Then community care, leaning into social networks or social groups, or spending time with other interests or hobbies. That's a part of my community care that keeps me going, so that I can take care of my needs, but also to be able to show up best in care for others.”
Find out more about Camesha and Sista Afya Community Care at communitycare.sistaafya.com.
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