In 1898, Lyda D. Newman, a Black woman, was granted a patent for a hairbrush with synthetic bristles, much like those we still see on the shelves today. Newman’s design not only made hairbrushes more durable, more effective, simpler to clean, and easier to manufacture, but it also helped to save some animals, too, as before this, most hairbrushes were made with boar hair. Other Black women who helped to create the beauty industry we know today include Madame C.J. Walker and Annie Malone, both of whom formulated hair growth products, and Marjorie Joyner, who invented a hair wave machine.
Today, despite the fact that, as a consumer base, they were long ignored by beauty’s giant corporations (that was until Rihanna and Fenty’s groundbreaking inclusive foundation launch in 2017), Black women are still a driving force behind innovation in the beauty industry. As further evidence of that fact, below you can find 20 Black women-owned brands (listed in no particular order) offering high-performance, cruelty-free, and vegan haircare, bodycare, skincare, and so much more.
Black-owned beauty brands
Reach for these vegan, cruelty-free, and Black-women-owned brands the next time you need to restock your beauty essentials.
Topicals
1 Topicals
This Gen Z-led brand is all about using effective, science-backed skincare ingredients to help create potent formulas for people with stubborn skin concerns. Its best-sellers include the Like Butter Moisturizer, which has been designed to provide relief for those with dry, eczema-prone skin, and the Faded Serum, which targets dark spots and discoloration.
FIND IT HERE
@hyperskin/Instagram
2 Hyper Skin
Founder and CEO Desiree Verdejo struck a deal with Sephora, debuting Hyper Skin products in more than 250 stores nationwide in the fall of 2022. The inclusive brand creates skin treatments for women of color, with a particular focus on hyperpigmentation.
FIND IT HERE
@lamikbeauty/Instagram
3 Lamik Beauty
Founded by Kim Roxie, a former mall-based makeup artist, this brand started as a Houston makeup store in 2004. Since then, the brand has taken off, becoming the first Black-owned certified clean beauty brand to be featured on Ulta.com.
FIND IT HERE
@lihabeauty/Instagram
4 LIHA Beauty
Olympic athlete and Londoner Abi Oyepitan combined forces with art publisher and mother Liha Okunniwa to develop this sustainable and cruelty-free self-care brand. Drawing on Nigerian traditions of making beautifying oils and soaps using tree bark, nuts, and plants, plus English aromatherapy practices, LIHA Beauty was born.
FIND IT HERE
Mischo Beauty
5 Mischo Beauty
Cosmopolitan Beauty Award winner and one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2021, Mischo Beauty was founded by Kitiya Mischo King while searching for non-toxic, 10-free nail polishes that were also free of artificial fragrances. The high-performance polishes come in more than 10 long-lasting hues.
FIND IT HERE
Melanin Haircare
6 Melanin Haircare
This brand, which was co-founded by sisters Whitney and Taffeta White in 2015, is all about providing natural, nontoxic hair and scalp care products for people of color. Its first two products, the Twist-Elongating Style Cream and the Multi-Use Pure Oil Blend remain two of its best-sellers, but in the past nine years, the brand has expanded its range to include everything from t-shirt towels to satin head wraps, too.
FIND IT HERE
@moodeauxofficial/Instagram
7 MOODEAUX
Founder, owner, and CEO Brianna Arps is a former Refinery29 editor who moved into the clean fragrance world and is an aspiring graduate of the renowned School for Aromatics. Her eco-friendly fragrances are free of alcohol and dyes and smell heavenly.
FIND IT HERE
Obia Naturals
8 Obia Naturals
Crafted by trained chemist Obia Ewah while she worked through her journey with natural hair, this line of cruelty-free haircare for men and women is made with luxurious ingredients and is free from harmful ingredients like phthalates and silicon.
FIND IT HERE
Black Girl Sunscreen
9 Black Girl Sunscreen
Sunscreen is a must in any beauty routine. Founder and CEO of Black Girl Sunscreen, Shontay Lundy is making it easier than ever to find a sunscreen that protects against damaging UV rays without leaving pesky white streaks.
FIND IT HERE
@mena_adubea/Instagram
10 Mented Cosmetics
Started by friends KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson, this inclusive cosmetics brand started under the simple idea that “every woman should be able to find herself in the world of beauty.” Their signature line of semi-matte nude lipsticks, ranging from Nude LaLa to Dark Night, has become wildly popular.
FIND IT HERE
The Lip Bar
11The Lip Bar
Founder Melissa Butler left her job on Wall Street to create clean cosmetics in her home. Since then, the lipstick brand has expanded rapidly, even finding its way onto Target shelves. From eye-catching reds to metallic glosses, this brand has lipstick to match any mood.
FIND IT HERE
Sacha Cosmetics
12 Sacha Cosmetics
This internationally known beauty brand began operations in 1979 in Trinidad and Tobago and has now expanded to 500 retail stores in 45 countries. They have products in nearly every category of makeup and in a multitude of shades to match every skin color.
FIND IT HERE
Kaike
13 Kaike
Founded by mom and entrepreneur Keli Smith, this botanical brand creates small-batch products that are multi-use and help support healthy, nourished skin. Choose between moisturizing creams that work for both body and hair, detoxifying facial masks that double as scrubs, and hydrating chapsticks.
FIND IT HERE
Dehiya Beauty
14 Dehiya Beauty
Founded by Dr. Mia Chae Reddy and named after the Queen of the Amazigh (“free people”), this brand works with small farms and co-ops to source its native and wild botanical ingredients from all over the world.
FIND IT HERE
Jacq’s Organics
15 Jacq’s Organics
Cancer survivor and mother Barbara Jacques focuses on tropical ingredients, sourced locally in southern Florida, to deliver pure and healing products, all of which are free from harmful synthetic ingredients. The Heal + Slay Kit contains everything you need to get that clear skin you’ve always dreamed of.
FIND IT HERE
Josephine Cosmetics
16 Joséphine Cosmetics
With everything from eyeshadows and lipsticks to serums and toners, this makeup company has everything you could need when it comes to cosmetics. It can be found nationwide in Neiman Marcus locations, as well as online at many beauty retailers.
FIND IT HERE
Nola Skinsentials
17 Nola Skinsentials
This affordable skincare-focused brand makes modern, simply designed bottles that are practically made for a beauty routine #shelfie. The ingredients focus on antioxidants and botanicals, and the brand also carries a line for men.
FIND IT HERE
@pholkbeauty/Instagram
18 Pholk Beauty
This New Jersey-based brand was founded by former African Diaspora historian Niambi Cacchioli. Pholk boasts an all-vegan line of locally-made skincare and bodycare products.
FIND IT HERE
Dimension Nails
19 Dimension Nails
This line of vegan, 10-free nail lacquer, gel polish, and nail powders, founded by Stephanie Warren, features nail colors such as Sweet to Animals and Love & Vegan Kisses.
FIND IT HERE
@shopliplove/Instagram
20 LipLove
Founder Latrice Love jumped from the corporate world to the world of vegan beauty with her line of shimmery, fun lip colors and clean cosmetic products.
FIND IT HERE
For more vegan beauty, read:
Sarah McLaughlin (@sarahmclaughlin) is the New Products Editor at VegNews and is always on the search for the newest innovations in plant-based food.
Here at VegNews, we live and breathe the vegan lifestyle, and only recommend products we feel make our lives amazing. Occasionally, articles may include shopping links where we might earn a small commission. In no way does this effect the editorial integrity of VegNews.
