Facials have been getting me through the last few months. Taking the time to focus on nothing but what I'm putting on my face has become oddly comforting. It is the time of my day when I'm totally in control of every step, every thought, every intention. Some might think the act of giving yourself a facial or even washing your face is frivolous and unnecessary while the world burns. But I think taking the time to do something that feels good, something calming, something restorative and comforting is essential. Especially as we steel ourselves to deal in a world that seems intent on grinding Black bodies down to a nub. For some, that calm may come from yoga, protesting, meditation, prayer, silence, boxing, running, or any number of other things. For me, that calm and comfort come from facials, baths, cooking, and helping others. Since this is a skincare blog, I want to highlight Black-owned brands to add to your at-home facials and skincare routine. Some I've used, some I have not -- all are relevant and worthy of your support today, tomorrow, and always.

Nichole Avonie

I’m starting with my very own brand, Nichole Avonie. I have been working on the brand for almost years! I am so excited that I get to update this post and share my products with you. Nichole Avonie skincare products are created with science-backed, clean ingredients to offer multi-correctional benefits to all skin tones, types, and textures. The four products in the launch are shown above (L-R): Blue Chamomile Cleansing Oil, Rejuvenating Face Elixir, Exfoliating Body Cleanser, and Rejuvenating Body Elixir. I can’t play favorites, I love them all.

Aba Love Apothecary 

Aba Love features a line of "Plant-based Organic Skincare and Healing Aromatics" with names like Flower Crown, Divine Me, and Wanderlust. The brand was started by Aba Gyepi-Garbrah, a Certified Aromatherapist with a love of plant medicine.  

Absolute Joi

The Bundle of Joi Ultimate Cleansing Kit is a favorite -- it features a cleansing oil, a toner, and a gel cleanser. It helps that they are travel-sized packaging, so I can keep it Blackity Black Black when outside travel is back in full swing. 

Angie Watts

A vegan and cruelty-free line of products for the face and body. They also feature select products for eczema relief. The Oshun's Skin Food, Turmeric + Adzuki Bean Scrub, is calling out to me.

Base Butter

Base Butter is all about their Radiate Face Jelly, which has two hundred 5 star reviews on their website. It's a lightweight gel-cream formulated to nourish and moisturize skin. You can use alone or incorporate your favorite serum for night or sunscreen for the day.

Beauty Stat

Beauty Stat was founded by a cosmetic chemist, Ron Robinson, and launched with two products, a Vitamin C Serum and a Moisturizer. The Vitamin C serum has been making the "best of" list since launch. The brand just launched an eye cream.

Beneath Your Mask

A luxe collection of products for skin, hair, and body. The dual-purpose Nourish Skin and Hair Serum has over forty-five 5 star reviews. Consider it added to my "must try" list. 

Black Girl Sunscreen

As the name suggests, this brand has sunscreens for black skin. Their signature product is a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30. It's racked up almost a thousand 5 star reviews on the brand's website. There's also a formula for kids.

Bolden Skincare

A full line of skincare products, including a wonderful Brightening Moisturizer with SPF 30 that I recommend to everyone.

Brown Girl Jane

Brown Girl Jane is a CBD Based wellness brand. In addition to the Hemp and Cannabis Sativa Glow Serum for face, the brand features several other CBD infused products to calm, soothe, and nourish the body inside and out. 

Buttah Skincare

Buttah Skincare Kit takes all the guesswork out of your skincare routine. It features a Cleanser, a Vitamin C serum, and shea butter face moisturizer. Complete your ritual by indulging in the brand's creamy Body Butter.

Chloe and Chad

I call this Brooklyn based company a farm to table skincare brand. It makes small-batch products that are free of harmful ingredients. The design of the labels makes it feels like it was made just for you. 

Dehiya

"Dehiya Beauty is a multi-tasking botanical skincare line inspired by Moroccan time-honored beauty rituals for modern (wo)men." The line, founded by Dr. Reddy and Jaclyn Havard, includes skincare and color cosmetics.

Epara

Epara makes "Bespoke Skincare For Women of Colour." The brand features a line of skincare products rich in nourishing skin-loving botanical ingredients. The name, Epara means "to cocoon oneself" in the Nigerian dialect of Ebira — something I need now more than ever.

The Established

This line is described as "Clean Skincare for the Minimalist Beauty Enthusiast." The Philly-based brand uses simple, yet elegant packaging for its range of botanical-based skincare products. 

Epi.Logic

Epi.Logic was started by board-certified oculofacial plastic surgeon Dr. Chaneve Jeanniton. The range features highly active, cleansers, toners, serums, and creams. Double Feature Retinol + AHA Overnight Facial looks like the ticket to smooth fine lines and reduce wrinkles.

Eve Millan NY

Started by an esthetician, this line features a full range of cleansing and treatment products with packaging that takes the guesswork out which products to use and when. The Superfruit Enzyme Pads and Lacial Masks are among my favorites.

Face Front Skincare

Registered Nurse Melinda Williams, is a Retired Makeup Artist Based out of Marietta, Ga. She started her skincare brand in 2020 as an extension of herself. The Skin Hydro: Facial Elixir Spritzer is an absolute treat! And if you have been dying to get into the seamoss trend that’s been all over Instagram, you get just that with this versatile skin elixir. (Also, if hot flashes are a thing for you this mist is a must-try! It’s cooling and refreshing without being overly minty.)

Glow RX Skin

A natural skincare line started by a Dr. Lorraine. She currently has a full line of products, one of which is a Moringa Face Oil made with oil she personally sourced from Rwanda. 

Golde

This wellness brand currently has two face masks, both of which are made from ingredients that are 100% edible. I love the Lucuma Bright Face masks, but the Good Greens mask, Felicia’s fave, is fast becoming a cult classic.

Good Beaute

Good Beaute has everything you need to get your glow. I love the look of their Good Face Vita C Collection that features a cleanser, serum, and moisturizer. Add their Black girl approved sunscreen to the mix, and you are all set to glow, baby, GLOW! 

Hyper Skin

Hyperskin launched with a Vitamin C serum. I think It is perfect for those who may have had a sensitivity to Vitamin C serums in the past and want to try a gentler formula. Well done Desiree!

Jacq's 

The full line of skincare products created for women who #SlayNaturally. The brand is vegan and cruelty-free with products ranging from cleanser toners, serums, face oils, and more.

Kaike

A plant-based skincare line with products as delicious as their name. The brand has products for face and body. Marshmallow Clay Mask is a favorite.

Klur

Klur is the brainchild of Lesley Thorton. It currently features 7 products. With names like Skin Soil (exfoliant),  Symmetry Fluid (serum), and Elements of Comfort (face oil), the line is a well thought out combination of nature and science that addresses a host of skin issues.   

Lana Ogilvie Cosmetics

Lana Ogilvie, the first Black woman to receive an exclusive Covergirl contract, currently has 3 products in her skincare line — A serum, face oil, and botanically packed eye cream we reviewed here.

Lauren Napier Beauty

Lauren makes one of my favorite face wipes. I love that they are individually packaged for a super luxe feel. Not only is this beauty a boss at business, but if you follow her on Instagram, you know she is not afraid to share all parts of her life.

Marie Hunter Beauty

Marie Hunter Beauty has a line of skincare, lipsticks, and home fragrances. Among my favorite skincare products are the Triple Correction Eye Serum and the Rapid Repair Serum. I've got my eye on the 'Nicole' lipstick -- it's the name of my alter-ego.

Marla Rene

A full line of skincare products with a focus on using natural ingredients. Their Honey Cleanser is a favorite and has been featured in several of #FaceFlawlessFacials.

Matrescence

Matrescence Skin is a botanical line of products that "will help you safely give birth to radiant, healthy skin and feel more confident and vibrant throughout pregnancy and motherhood." The skincare collection currently features 3 products for the face; Rose Glow Purifying Cleanser, Rose Glow Essence, and Rose Glow Brilliance Soufflé.

Movita Organics

A wellness brand with a fresh essential vitamin blend formulated to help women achieve better hair, nails, and skin. The chic bottle design is also a winner with great upcycling potential.

Nyakio Beauty

This beauty brand was started by Nyakio, who grew up making exfoliants out of coffee beans and sugar cane. Her products are made with Fair Trade Shea Butter and other globally source ingredient. A good place to start with Nyakio is their Cold Pressed Oil Trio or the fabulous Baobob Youth Infused Daily Defense Creme. You may also shop the brand at Target.

Pholk Beauty

Pholk Beauty provides "soul food for your skin." It's a full line of natural and vegan products to address everything from hyperpigmentation to ingrown hairs.

Rose Ingleton MD Skincare

If you've ever asked us for a dermatologist recommendation in the NY/NJ area, Founder of Rose Ingleton MD, Dr. Rosemarie Ingleton would be on that list. Her line is "clean and effortless" and features 4 highly active Boosters, to brighten, calm, re-texturized and banish blemishes. The range is rounded out by her Signature Moisturizer. 

Rosen Skincare

A full line of small-batch produced natural skincare products. We recently featured the brand in one of our Friday Facials. The Smoothie Cleanser and Gold Tides Toner are favorites.

R&R Luxury

If you don’t know the amazingness of shea butter, you likely just landed on planet earth. R&R Luxury was founded in 2010 by Valerie Obaze, to harness the wonders of shea butter. Since then the family-run business has evolved to make soaps, oils, balms, and more for face and body. All products are made in Ghana and distributed worldwide.

Sdot Beauty

Sdot has you covered from head to toe, and your baby too! This line features, skincare, haircare, body, and baby care. All products are hand-made with nature's most amazing and most effective ingredients. I have my eye on The Day and Night Serum Duo.

Skot Beaute

Skot Beauty has a fun line of skincare products formulated to help you achieve clear, even-toned complexion. With Skot, "your skin will glow, your beauty will radiate, and you will experience luxury in your own way." The Intense Love Nutrient-Rich Mask with its blend of luxurious oils and butters looks fantastic!

Specific Beauty

Dr. Heather Woolery-Lloyd is an expert in melanin-rich complexions. Specific Beauty has a full line of products that are focused on brightening and evening skin tone and texture. My favorite product from the line is the Active Brightening Moisturiser with SPF 30. A good intro to the brand is through their Brightening Essential Kit.

Sula NYC

Sula NYC "creates natural and organic products for the face, body, and home." The face products include a cleanser, serum, face oil, gel-cream, and clay mask. The mask is a fave to detox the T-zone and balance oil production.

Sun Meets Moon Beauty

This brand was started by Sina Hilbert and Danielle Hawk after they fell in love with CBD oil. All products feature #CBD oil and other natural ingredients to tackle skin issues such as eczema, dry skin, hyperpigmentation, and more. My faves are the Earth Mud and Ocean Tides Toner.

Very Pretty Skin

This line was started by Dr. Rosetta Garries, a Harlem based board-certified plastic surgeon. Dr. Garries line currently features 6 very active products. My favorites include the Glycolic Resurfacing Milk and the Microdermabrasion Makeup Scrub. 

Yelle Skincare

Yelle has a full line of botanical-based skincare products for all skin types and textures, because "your skin should never reveal your age." I love the look of their three serums that you can mix and match as part of the 5 piece Complete Treatment System. 

There is a misconception that products created by Black people are just for Black people. The same people often hold the belief that the products produced by White people are for everybody (sigh.) I'm here to tell you that skin is skin. Melanin-rich Black skin is more prone to issues like hyperpigmentation. However, the same ingredient used to treat dark spots on Black skin, are the same ingredients used to treat age spots, sun spots, and malasma in White skin. We are more similar than we are different. Go figure.

Anyway, if you are not Black and you posted a #BlackoutTuesday image or a BLM hashtag online, supporting these and other Black-owned brands is the next step. If you follow Rihanna, it's what "pulling up" looks like. If you are invited to the cook-out, this is another way you show up. Intentionally buying Black is a way to fight for equality for companies that don't have access to capital to expand their brands and bring them to your local Target.

Please shop this list and keep coming back to it whenever you are in the mood to try a new skincare product. Share it with your friends and family because more than likely won't see these brands on the end caps at big box stores. #BlackBusinessesMatter. Know that sometimes some small brands can't compete with Amazon 2 day shipping. The economies of scale that Ulta, Sephora, Walmart, and other retailers enjoy do not apply to small, self-funded brands. Don't compromise on quality or excellent customer service, but shop knowing it's probably a one or two-person operation.

Black-owned Skincare is not just Skincare for Black Women and men.

I'm off to go steam my face and apply a Lacial Mask. #BuyBLACK!

This is a growing list, and I will continue to add more Black-owned skincare brands as I discover them. If you are a skincare brand and you want to send samples, click here. If you don't see your favorite Black-owned skincare brand on this list, please drop a comment below.