Black-Owned Supplement Brands To Add To Your Wellness Routine
Ah, I miss the good old days when I would just pop in a Flintstones vitamin and call it a day. Those times are now long behind me, and my body has gone through many changes since my Flinstone days. I'm learning how important it is to take extra steps to keep my health in check. Drinking water, working out, and feeding my body only good things have helped me keep going. Something else offering an assist to my overall health are supplements.
Wellness supplements can make our bodies feel incredible, but finding a supplement that is right for our needs can be quite challenging. For generations, people of color have had a harder time finding proper medical care, health advice, and trusted supplements that speak to our bodies. I think it's fair to say it is the area where we feel the least heard on top of everything else.
Luckily for us, Black-owned wellness businesses are on the rise and are going the extra mile to make sure we're taken care of. Here is your list of black-owned wellness supplements.
MOVITA Organics
MOVITA Organics is a popular Black-owned vegan supplement created by Tonya Lewis Lee. Her mission is to support women of color and their powerful choices to amplify their life. MOVITA Organics is a multi-purpose vitamin brand made with organic fruits, vegetables, herbs, and minerals. The vitamin is also gluten-free, allergen-free for shellfish and nuts and free of GMOs.
The vitamin-based brand offers a few different vitamins for any woman's needs. A few of the options are prenatal vitamins, which support the immune system and baby's development; beauty supplements support the healthy growth of hair, skin, and nails; and the multivitamin supports breast and reproductive health, heart health, immunity, and stress relief. The best part? The vitamins can be taken on an empty stomach. Perfect for taking your vitamin at the start of your day with no repercussions.
My Happy Flo
For some women, that time of the month is associated with negative feelings. Their cycles and cramps are painful, diagnoses like PCOS and fibroids fill the body with trauma, and something that should symbolize new life is affiliated with the inability to conceive. Coming in clutch and making #periodgoals a thing is My Happy Flo.
My Happy Flo is an up-and-coming supplement brand focused on empowering women to have a happy period, period. The brainchild of xoNecole founder Necole Kane, My Happy Flo is an all-natural plant-based supplement that helps to holistically balance your reproductive health system. The end result is a happier, drama-free period and elevating your menstrual wellness.
Sacred Vibes Apothecary
Sacred Vibes Apothecary was founded by Black herbalist Karen Rose. Her shop is based in Brooklyn, NY, and is a learning community center and a herbalist boutique. Karen makes an abundance of different cleansers for the body but is praised for her all-natural tonics. Her best seller being the Anti-Inflammatory Tonic.
The herbal tonic is made with devil's claw, turmeric, ginger and dandelion roots, garlic, and cayenne pepper. The product promotes weight loss, stops yeast and fungus growth, prevents infection, and balances blood sugar. Seriously, is there anything this tonic can't do? Not to mention it also prevents and removes inflammation. Simply include this in your water twice a day for maximum results. If you're looking for a rebirth, then this product is for you.
The Honey Pot
As women, that time of the month can be very hard on us. Our bodies are going through a beautiful process that can sometimes throw us and our pH out of whack. Now, there is a supplement to help get back in alignment with our pH. Bea Dixon founded the Honey Pot. Her now plant-derived feminine brand manifested through her struggles with bacterial vaginosis. She developed a series of feminine products as well as a vaginal supplement to help us all.
Her supplement Boric Acid & Herb Suppositories is a vaginal insert. The suppositories are made to help with pH balance but can support ongoing symptoms of bacterial vaginosis. The supplement is all-natural made with boric acid and tea tree oil for balance, plus coconut butter for an added boost of hydration and moisture. The supplement comes with an insert, similar to a tampon. It is advised to take the supplement for seven days twice a day.
Peak and Valley
Stress in our life can have hard effects on the body. Lack of sleep, weight loss, mood swings, the rise of blood pressure, and heart disease can all stem from stress on the body. Having a supplement to keep your stress levels low can save you a lifetime of health challenges. Good thing we have Nadine Joseph, the founder of Peak and Valley--an herbal company backed by science.
Peak and Valley promotes medicinal mushrooms and herbal supplements for holistic wellness. Nadine, a scientist, became passionate about providing products to help us deal with everyday stressful situations. Her powdered supplement, Balance My Stress Blend--is a chocolate blend of herbs and mushrooms to support calm and wellbeing without the need for prescriptions. The powerful ingredients are clinically proven to balance cortisol levels, support and enhance immunity, increase energy, and decrease stress. You may apply one tablespoon of the supplement to any tea, coffee, or milk.
VeganSmart
People of color, we have to do better about our eating habits. Now don't get me wrong, I love a saucy rack of ribs, but if I had it every day, I'd be dead. People of color are at a higher risk of having diabetes and other diet-related illnesses. In fact, Kareem Cook and Claude Tellis, owners of VeganSmart, saw this within their own families. The two college friends developed a protein powder and recipes to support nutritional health.
The VeganSmart All-In-One Nutritional Shake is a plant-based vegan blend of prebiotics, omega-3, digestive enzymes, and vitamins and minerals. Each ingredient contributes to the body's overall health, supporting cell function, brain and heart health, and the digestive system to absorb nutrients. You may also find a series of healthy recipes on their website to stay in alignment with your fitness goals.
Dr. Sebi's Cell Food
Giving our bodies a good cleanse can help us see the world just that much clearer, and Dr. Sebi's is helping us do just that. His cell food is proven to bring immense healing from the inside out. Most of his products are from botanical extracts and herbs, which help cleanse the body of toxins and every cell to promote profound self-healing and physical rejuvenation.
A few of his products include powders, tonics, and vitamins, but my favorite is Banju. This product is my personal favorite because it promotes brain health and reduces anxiety. The tonic is rich in antioxidants reducing neurological inflammation, elderberry, which protects and nourishes the brain, blue vervain delivers emotional and nervous restoration, and more. These ingredients make for the perfect anxiety-reducing potion.
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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I Took Three Months Off From Work In The Name Of Radical Self-Preservation
In the fourth quarter of 2023, I finally did it. I pulled the plug! To be honest, it was a long time coming. I spent years juggling all of the balls in my life, and on October 2, 2023, I dropped every one of them and fell into surrender mode.
I couldn’t take it anymore - work, family, relationships, politics, death, the ramifications of COVID-19, and my fears creeping in. I had either put off dealing with these things, or I simply didn’t want to acknowledge them. Instead, my time, energy, and focus were on everyone and everything beside me. I pushed myself to the limit; then everything started to consume me. Burnout was swallowing me whole, you feel me?
All of this forced me to do some much-needed introspection which I turned into my self-proclaimed, "Fade to Black Season."
What is a “Fade to Black Season,” you may ask?
It’s a call to rest.
It’s a call to reset.
It’s a call to retreat into a deep, quiet space.
It’s radical self-preservation.
Deciding to step back from everything was not an easy decision for me. I contemplated taking a break from everything for many years until I couldn’t put it off anymore. If I didn’t take this time off, I knew I wouldn’t be able to truly show up for the life that I claimed that I wanted for myself.
I know I’m not the only one who has felt this immense weight on their shoulders. Why? Because I’m a Black woman. According to Every Level Leadership, 88% of Black women sometimes often, or always have experienced burnout. And let’s be honest here - Black women work harder than any other group. We are the backbone of our jobs, families, and community. Because of this, we must incorporate rest as an integral part of our well-being. In case there’s some pushback, I’ll leave this quote here for you to marinate on:
“If you are silent about your pain, they’ll kill you and say you enjoyed it.” - Zora Neale Hurston
The reality is that with piles of work and life obligations, many of us are walking time bombs. And, for me, two weeks of PTO/vacation wasn’t enough time needed to balance myself, so I took three months off. If you feel called to do so, let this be your inspiration to take your own “Fade to Black Season.”
Here’s what I did.
- Shadow Work: I became best friends with my journal and illuminated the things I hid from myself to heal. Shadow work consists of the things you don’t like about yourself, your conscious and unconscious fears, and other negative emotions that exist due to past experiences and trauma.
- Trigger Warning: During this time, I let my triggers become my wisest teacher. I asked myself why various experiences, news, or communications resulted in negativity. I observed them, listened, and learned why they took up so much space in my life. Then, I allowed myself to choose to be open to a different outcome or feeling moving forward.
- Get Back To Pleasure: I re-centered my pleasure. I had to remind myself of what turned me on. I allowed myself to take life slowly, engage my senses, and play. I signed up for every tantra workshop, went to art museums in the middle of the day, took movement classes, and went to dance parties. I moved all the stagnant energy out of my body.
- Let Others Lift You Up: I let my people love on me. I let my loved ones take care of me. This wasn’t easy. I was used to being everyone’s support system and soft space to land. However, in my time of need, I finally let my tribe show up and show out for me. My only regret is not letting them do this sooner.
- Social Media Break: I broke up with social media during this time. Reclaiming my time and attention was an integral factor in calming my nervous system. I put blockers on my phone, and when I felt the urge to swipe and scroll, I took a walk or picked up a book.
- Redefine Your Life: After doing this type of work, I knew that I would never be the same. In this new space, boundaries and balance are prioritized, and everything else has to fall in line. I now have the mental/emotional space and capacity to do my best work!
Best of all, during this time, I found God in myself, and I loved her, fiercely.
My “Fade To Black" Season allowed me to grieve in peace, rest, tap into unrelenting joy, and simply be. At this point, me and peace got a good thing going on. Nothing else will be tolerated!
For those of you who are nervous about taking the first step, use The Dufree Foundation’s DIY Sabbatical Guide to help you plan, prep, and prepare yourself for your sabbatical - this is something I wish I had done before I leaped. Consider going on a Divine Pause Retreat to learn tips and tricks to avoid mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual burnout.
For those who work in social impact, apply for The Durfee Sabbatical program, which offers $60,000 and a three-month sabbatical, so nonprofit leaders can be a lever for whole systems change.
The choice to take a sabbatical is up to you! Just remember to prioritize yourself and never pour from an empty cup.
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