0
0
By: Lavanya Kathirgamanathan
Black owned products are not praised enough for the hard work that goes into perfecting a formula for different skin tones and skin conditions. These formulas include innovation that breaks barriers as healthy ingredients are a central focus. In fact, many Black creators in the beauty community do not get enough recognition for the hard work that goes into revolutionizing the beauty community.
In an article by McKinsey & Company, they state that Black owned brands only make up two per cent of revenue within the beauty world. The article also mentions that in the United States, only four to five per cent of employees involved in the beauty industry are Black. This statistic is alarming because it exemplifies the lack of involvement on behalf of the Black community in the beauty industry.
This news does not receive enough recognition on how the Black community strives to invent new trends and normalize wearing bold, energetic, and fun colours.
Although there is a lack of recognition, given that generic brand-named products have taken over the shelves, Black owned makeup brands are still a viable option and viewed as trendy in today’s society.
Outlined are a list of Black owned skin care products that you can support.
This sunscreen brand is curated exclusively for women of colour. What more could one ask for in extreme heat when you have melanin?
This brand is marketed towards all ages, from kids to adults, and emphasizes the lack of white caste shown on skin when applying the product, which is usually the issue for most sunscreens.
The brand is working towards their goal of bringing awareness to how essential good skin protection is through their products without a worry of a harmful reaction.
Karité’s definition in French means shea butter. This brand focuses on the quality of their product. Compared to drugstore products that carry shea butter, this brand offers a higher concentration of shea butter unlike other generic products. This product can be found at your local Shoppers Drug Mart.
In fact, Karité claims that their body cream has one of the highest concentrations of shea butter in its purest form, on the market today. The company partners with women-run farming co-ops in Ghana. Karité also takes proactive steps to ensure they understand where their ingredients are coming from, rather than handing it to somebody in a different country to do all the work, which is what we commonly find with other skin care products.
Pink and pretty, this skin care brand is transforming the next generation of breakout care. Skin care brands that focus on acne solutions are hard to find. Rosen is not only concerned with creating a product that targets breakouts, but wants to create a space for a diverse community to use. Every skin type is different, but there are not enough conversations that address how dangerous some products can be for darker skin.
This brand focuses on the prevention and repair of hyperpigmentation as well as acne for darker tones. Although their skin care products accommodate different skin tones, the goal for Rosen is to make this product less harmful for those with a pigment in their skin colour.
They claim that this product is the science of skin tone. Noelly Michoux, Co-founder and CEO of 4 5 6 Skin, always faced issues with finding a solid skin care routine that was compatible with her melanin. It is stated that FDA regulation for a regular SPF is only tested on limited fair skin, meaning that not all skin tones and skin types have the benefits they need through SPF products.
Located in France, this brand has carefully researched their independent laboratory for the past five years to break the barrier of solely testing skin that is considered fair. 4 5 6 Skin is one of the many melanin driven skincare lines that is safe, and allows customers to create a unique formula using AI technology to create a custom product without the worries of using yet another generic product catered towards all skin tones.
Lavanya Kathirgamanathan is one of the Writers for this year’s publication at Black Voice. She’s a recent graduate from Toronto Metropolitan University, where she studied Journalism and will further her education in Human Resources at George Brown College. Lavanya has experience writing for multiple publications and has her own food blog on social media. Lavanya’s main goal as a writer for the Black Voice publication is to showcase Black excellence within the community, and in the city of Toronto.