What better way to celebrate Black History Month than to support black owned businesses?

February is Black History month and The Klog wants to celebrate Black culture in and out of the beauty and skin care space. Black-owned businesses deserve support all year round, but this month specifically offers a special time to focus on the good that these brands bring to the beauty conversation.

We’re rounding up 9 Black-founded skin care brands that are challenging the conversation about skin diversity and the beauty industry.

Black Girl Sunscreen

Black Girl Sunscreen (BGS) is a sun protection skin care brand that caters exclusively to women of color. Founded by Shontay Lundy, BGS is meant to be incorporated into your everyday skincare routine, because it’s a multi-tasker that fights against sun damage, hyperpigmentation, and fine lines.

Black Girl Sunscreen was developed to begin the discussion surrounding sun protection education. BGS took the #1 reason Black women weren’t wearing sunscreen—a white cast—and solved it in a way that connected with them on a personal level.

We recommend picking up their Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30. Not only does it not give off a white cast, it’s cruelty free, vegan, and reef safe!

OUI the People

OUI the People (formally known as OUI Shave) is a body care brand created by Karen Young that celebrates every part of our skin, including what society refers to as ‘flaws.’  The brand prides themselves on rebelling against beauty standards, and aims to build efficacious products, designed thoughtfully, that help you feel great in the skin you’re already in.

If you’re looking to help tackle ingrown hairs, try OUI the People’s The Big Reveal PHA Ingrown Relief Toner. Formulated with gentle PHAs, this toner exfoliates to help smooth, brighten, and alleviate ingrown hair where ever you experience them.

ROSEN Skincare

ROSEN Skincare is a brand dedicated to creating the next generation of mass acne care. Their founder, Jamika Martin, noticed that though our knowledge and research around acne has developed immensely over time, the products haven’t.

ROSEN believes that it’s time to change the way we think about breakouts. Their mission is to make the acne space a cleaner, more enjoyable place to shop. Looking for a cleanser for acne prone skin? Pick up Rosen Skincare’s Earth Cleanser, specifically formulated to tackle inflamed zits.

Humanrace

Founded by Pharrell Williams, Humanrace’s mission is to empower all people in their pursuit of wellbeing. Guided by experiences from his own wellness journey, Pharrell created Humanrace in the belief that taking better care of ourselves can teach us to take better care of each other.

Humanrace provides useful products and perspectives to help all individuals deepen their understanding of themselves and enrich their commitment to everyday wellness. Rooted in the belief that our wellbeing is our most valuable resource, Humanrace is working to focus on making it accessible to all.

Their Humidifying Cream works to recreate the positive impact that humidity has on the skin through tapping the hydrating benefits of hyaluronic acid, squalane, and snow mushroom.

Eadem

Eadem is “made for the path-forging woman of color.” Co-founded by Marie Kouadio, Eadem pushes the beauty industry forward and challenge the standards beyond the typical scope.Their products are developed with self-curated Smart Melanin™ Beauty: a first-of-its-kind technology that keeps skin needs and melanin in mind.

They recognize that the beauty industry can view natural melanin as the enemy, though it simply functions differently and requires more extensive testing and research.

Their brand is supported by women of color chemists, vetted by women of color dermatologists, and tested on skin of different shades — resulting in science-backed, curated skincare that’s inclusive and clean. That’s why we recommend picking up the brand’s Milk Marvel Dark Spot Serum, a treatment specifically formulated to help fade hyperpigmentation on melanated skin.

Kaike

Kaike (pronounced ‘cake’) says that we can have our KAIKE and eat it too! 

Founded in 2015 by Keli Smith, KAIKE is a fun, plant-based skincare brand with a belief in celebrating our skin.

Born from the idea that less is more, they create minimal and multi-purpose products to solve a variety of skincare issues specific to melanin-rich skin. KAIKE believes in celebrating our skin as it is now, and having fun on the journey to something even better.

If you’re in the market for a new detoxifying wash off face mask, check out Kaike’s Green Tea Clay Face Mask.

Hyper Skin

Desiree Verdejo created Hyper Skin because for so long, Black and brown skin has been left out of the beauty conversation. They’re hyper-focused on formulas that treat the unique needs of skin of color and that work well on all skin tones.

Hyper Skin formulas are packed with clean proven clinical ingredients and powerful natural botanicals that deliver notable results. Because real skin has texture and dark spots… which is why they practice no fluff, no filters.

Hyper’s Even Brightening Dark Spot Vitamin C Serum taps into the power of vitamin C, kojic acid, and alpha arbutin, amongst other holy grail ingredients to battle hyperpigmentation and signs of aging.

Golde

Golde is a wellness brand co-founded by Trinity Mouzon Wofford that makes superfood blends to boost your daily routine. From healthy ingredients like matcha to mushrooms, you can count on them for products that are easy, fun — and effective in your routine.

From supplement powders to nutritious face masks, Golde has it all. The brand’s Clean Greens Face Mask is omnipresent on social media- and for good reason. It’s basically a green smoothie filled with antioxidants for the skin.

Topicals

Topicals is the Gen-Z anthem. They’re transforming the way we feel about skin through effective, science-backed products. Topicals also focuses on mental health advocacy and awareness, encouraging all to celebrate the beauty that is their skin.

Their promises: Science-backed, created by experts, made for every shade. In the last year, Topicals’ Faded Brightening & Clearing Serum has been spotted in every it-girls’ purse. This serum balances skin tone, smoothes texture, and brightens skin with a well rounded blend of ingredients including cica, licorice root, tranexamic acid, and more.

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