From crafting nude makeup to using herbal ingredients to match every skin tone to creating products for wellness-obsessed millennials, these female entrepreneurs are carving out their own space in the cruelty-free, vegan cosmetics industry with these 20 black-owned beauty brands. . But first, we dive into the cruelty-free label.
Cruelty free beauty
When brands don’t carry cruelty-free labels, animal testing is usually involved. Animal testing is a cruel, outdated practice that causes suffering to millions of animals. It once existed as a common and widespread practice in the beauty industry, but that is changing every year as more countries ban this cruel practice.
In 2021, Mexico became the first country in North America to ban cosmetic animal testing, joining 40 other countries and 10 states in Brazil. The federal bill prohibits the manufacture, import and marketing of cosmetics tested on animals anywhere else in the world.
In Canada, Senator Carolyn Stewart Olsen first introduced the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act (Bill S-214) in 2015 in partnership with HSI and the Animal Alliance of Canada (AAC). Canada’s Senate passed the bill in June 2018, and after several delays, it was introduced to the House by Conservative Shadow Minister of Health Marilyn Gladu, but the bill has yet to be signed into law.
Stateside, California was the first state to ban cosmetic animal testing in 2018, and six additional states — Nevada, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, Hawaii and Maine — followed. At the federal level, the Humane Cosmetics Act was introduced in 2019 by bipartisan politicians, including vegan Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) to ban cosmetic animal testing nationwide, as well as ban the importation of cosmetics tested on animals from countries around the world. Currently, more than 900 companies officially endorse the Human Cosmetics Act.
Black owned beauty brand
Reach for these vegan, cruelty-free, and black-women-owned brands the next time you need to stock up on beauty essentials.
@Mena_Adubiya/Instagram
1 Mentioned cosmetics
Started by friends KJ Miller and Amanda Johnson, this inclusive cosmetics brand began under the simple premise that “every woman should be able to find herself in the world of beauty.” The signature line of semi-matte nude lipsticks from Nude Lala to Dark Knight have become hugely popular.
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lip bar
2 lip bar
Founder Melissa Butler quit her job on Wall Street to create clean cosmetics at home, and now the lipstick brand has expanded rapidly, even finding its way onto Target shelves. From eye-catching red lipsticks to metallic glosses, this brand has lipsticks to suit any mood.
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Sacha Cosmetics
3 Sacha Cosmetics
This internationally known beauty brand began operations in Trinidad and Tobago in 1979 and now spans over 500 retail stores in 45 countries! They have products from almost every category of makeup and there are tons of shades to match every skin tone.
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who
4 who
Founded by mom and entrepreneur Kelly Smith, this botanical brand creates small-batch products that are multi-use and help promote healthy, nourished skin. Choose from moisturizing creams that work for both body and hair, detoxifying facial masks that double as scrubs, and hydrating chapsticks.
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Dehiya Beauty
5 Dehiya Beauty
Founded by Dr. Mia Cha Reddy and named after the queen of the Amazigh (“free people”), the brand works with small farms and co-ops to source its local and wild botanical ingredients from around the world.
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Jack’s Organics
6 Jack’s Organics
Cancer survivor and mom Barbara Jacques focuses on tropical ingredients, sourced locally in South Florida to provide pure and healing products free of harmful synthetic ingredients. The Heal + Slay Kit has everything you need to get that clear skin you’ve always dreamed of
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Obia Naturals
7 Obia Naturals
Created by trained chemist Obia Ewah as he worked through his own journey with natural hair, this line of cruelty-free hair care for men and women is made with luxurious ingredients and free from harmful ingredients like phthalates and silicones.
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lime green
8 lime green
Minimalists rejoice! This easy-to-use brand has three products: Multi-Wash, Multi-Oil and Multi-Spray, which can be used for face, body and hair. Simplify your beauty routine and stock your medicine cabinet with multi-functional, eco-friendly beauty products.
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Black girl sunscreen
9 Black girl sunscreen
Sunscreen is essential in any beauty routine. And now, Shonte Lundy, founder and CEO of Black Girl Sunscreen, is making it easier than ever to find a sunscreen that protects against harmful UV rays without leaving pesky white spots.
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Josephine Cosmetics
10 Josephine Cosmetics
With everything from eyeshadows and lipsticks to serums and toners, this makeup company has everything you need when it comes to cosmetics. It can be found at Neiman Marcus locations nationwide, as well as online at many beauty retailers.
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NOLA SkinEssentials
11 NOLA SkinEssentials
This affordable skincare-focused brand creates modern, simply designed bottles that are practically made for the beauty routine #shelfie. The ingredients focus on antioxidants and botanicals, and the brand even carries a line for men.
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@pholkbeauty/Instagram
12 Folk beauty
This New Jersey-based brand was founded by former African diaspora historian Niambi Cacchioli and carries all vegan and locally made skin and body care products.
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base butter
13 base butter
Featured in Vogue, Allure, and MarieClaire, this beauty brand has come to the public eye for its hydrating and soothing skincare products. Founded by She’neil and Nicolette, the brand helps address skin concerns and creates inclusive products for women with darker skin.
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Dimension nails
14 Dimension nails
Founded by Stephanie Warren, this line of 10-free nail lacquers, gel polishes and nail powders includes nail colors like “Sweet to Animals” and “Love and Vegan Kisses.”
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@shopliplove/Instagram
15 lip love
Founder Latrice Love jumped from the corporate world into the world of vegan beauty with her bright, fun lip colors and clean cosmetics products.
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@mudeuxofficial/Instagram
16 Mudox
Founder, owner and CEO Briana Arps is a former Refinery 29 editor who moved into the clean fragrance world and aspiring graduate of the renowned School for Aromatics. Her eco-friendly fragrances are alcohol and dye free and smell heavenly.
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@hyperskin/Instagram
17 Hyper Skin
Founder and CEO Desiree Verdejo inked a deal with Sephora, debuting Hyper Skin products in more than 250 stores nationwide last fall. The inclusive brand creates skin treatments for women of color, with a special focus on discoloration.
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@lamicbeauty/Instagram
18 Lamic Beauty
Founded by Kim Roxy, a former makeup artist at the mall, the brand began in 2004 as a Houston-based makeup store that sold its products outside the store. Since then, the brand has taken off, becoming the first black-owned certified clean beauty brand on Ulta.com.
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@LeahBeauty/Instagram
19 Flesh is beauty
Olympic athlete and Londoner Abi Wepitan teamed up with art publisher and mother Leah Okunniwa to develop this sustainable and cruelty-free, self-care brand. Drawing on the Nigerian tradition of making beautifying oils and soaps using tree bark, nuts and plants, and English aromatherapy practices, LIHA Beauty was born.
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Misco Beauty
20 Misco Beauty
A Cosmopolitan Beauty Award winner and one of Oprah’s Favorite Things in 2021, Mischo Beauty was founded by Kitia Mischo King when she was looking for non-toxic, 10-free nail polish that was free of artificial fragrances. High-performance polishes come in over 10 long-lasting colors.
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For more vegan black-owned brands, read:
Sarah McLaughlin (@sarahmclaughlin) is VegNews’ New Products Editor and is always on the lookout for new innovations in plant-based foods.