10 Innovative Black-Owned Beauty Brands You Need to Own

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Black creatives and leaders are innovating beauty as we know it. With new brands big and small hitting the shelves, Black CEOs, founders, and executives are addressing POC and Black-specific needs in beauty in a major way. Clean brand 54 Thrones uses Black-sourced ingredients to celebrate natural African resources, Buttah founder Dorion Renaud is putting POC at the front of each campaign, and all are inspiring future generations. Below, we listed 10 Black-owned beauty brands changing the industry.

Formulated for melanin-rich skin, Buttah was created by Dorion Renaud to target skin troubles faced by melanated complexions. Popular picks from Buttah Skin — their skincare line — include their Vitamin C Serum, Facial Shea Butter, or their customizable Skin-transforming kit ($59.99), which provides you with their cleanser, Vitamin C Serum, and your choice of moisturizer. Buttah Body also has a slew of nourishing products with natural ingredients. Plus, all February-long, Natalie Manuel Lee will feature Black innovators in Buttah’s Beyond the Surface series, available to watch on YouTube.

UOMA landed at Ulta Beauty in 2019 and has made big waves for its extensive shade range of Say What?! foundations, Brow-Fro ($22), and pigmented products. Nigerian-born former beauty exec Sharon Chuter draws much of her inspiration from her Afro heritage, resulting in a beautifully innovative brand. UOMA is celebrating Black beauty this month with a limited-edition Make it Black collection, 100% of its net proceeds going to the Pull Up For Change Impact Fund.

In case you haven’t heard, haircare is the new skincare. Briogeo, founded by Nancy Twine, has a hair quiz and a collection for every hair type to help you build a personalized routine. Even better, the brand has a 6-free promise to ensure your scalp is being treated with only the best ingredients. This means no silicones, parabens, phthalates, artificial dyes, harsh sulfates, or DEA, so reparative products, like their Deep Conditioning Mask ($38), work long term.

Brown Girl Jane is the chicest wellness brand you might not have heard of. With mood-boosting perfumes, anti-stress skin solutions, and soothing home fragrances ($58) all in gorgeous minimalistic packaging, Brown Girl Jane will motivate you to hop on the wellness train. The holistic brand recently hosted its Black Beauty and Wellness Summit, spotlighting Black women in the industry.

Pinterest predicted that goth makeup will thrive in 2022. Whether you’re a Hot Topic alum or newly inspired by the alt scene, Glam Goth Beauty has something for everyone. Founder and CEO Marley, also known as The Glam Goth, artfully combines goth and elegance in the small but mighty brand. Marley started Glam Goth with a wide selection of glitters but has since added eyeshadow palettes ($50), liquid lippies ($18), and more.

We couldn’t make this list without mentioning Rihanna and Fenty Beauty‘s impact on the industry. Rihanna has many inclusive empires, but Fenty Beauty set the mark in mainstream beauty back in 2017 by releasing 40 shades of the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation ($38). The now-iconic foundation has expanded to 50 shades.

No one is doing it like Beauty Bakerie. This Black-Owned beauty brand gives you the best of both worlds with amazing quality and equally as exciting packaging. Whether it’s beauty sponges in an egg carton or flour setting powder ($24), anything from Beauty Bakerie is a treat.

One of the biggest names in the game, Pat McGrath is a beauty icon. She’s worked with everyone — Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, Hailey Bieber, Gaga. McGrath’s makeup is strikingly pigmented, effortlessly glides on, and packaged in her signature luxe style. An eyeshadow palette and a LUST: Lip Gloss ($28) from Pat McGrath Labs belongs in every makeup lover’s collection.

Black-owned, woman-owned, and made with Black-sourced ingredients. 54 Thrones is a clean skin brand founded by Christina Funke Tegbe to celebrate and honor Africa’s rich culture and natural resources. Their tubes of beauty butter are all best sellers and will help you tackle dry, cracked skin from winter. For ultra-sensitive skin, their Unscented Beauty Butter (only $24!) is a necessity.

Founded by Ron Robinson, a Black cosmetic chemist, BeautyStat is the clutterless skincare brand we all need. Each product is paired with easy-to-follow descriptions of ingredients and their benefits. BeautyStat newcomers need the Universal C Skin Refiner serum ($80) in their skincare lineup.