The world has been heavy lately. The recent deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor have broken our hearts and opened our eyes to the inherent racism in the United States. As much as this time is so heartbreaking, we’ve been encouraged by how many people are doing the hard work of unlearning racist views and protesting against injustice.
We want to use our platform to lift up Black-owned beauty companies in our very own New York City! We’ve compiled a list of our favorite Black-owned New York beauty brands, as well as some amazing product recommendations from them. We hope you take the time to check out each one of these brands and support them!
Image Source: Aba Love Apothecary
Aba Love Apothecary
Founded by Aba Gyepi-Garbrah, a certified aromatherapist, Aba Love Apothecary offers all-natural serums and body oils for both men and women. The brand takes a holistic approach to skincare, with plant-based botanical products.
Based in New York, Aba herself also hosts workshops for businesses or individuals who are interested in learning more about aromatherapy.
We Recommend:
Hyper Skin
Desiree Verdejo founded Hyper Skin after she couldn’t find products to help her skin, despite the fact that she owned a New York beauty boutique, Vivrant Beauty. Hyper Skin’s first product was a vitamin C serum designed to treat hyperpigmentation with all-natural ingredients like turmeric and bearberry.
We Recommend:
BeautyStat Cosmetics
BeautyStat was founded by Ron Robinson, a chemist who had spent years researching skincare products and posting about them on the BeautyStat blog. After realizing there was a gap in the industry, he created the BeautyStat skincare line with his extensive chemistry knowledge and innovative technology.
We Recommend:
LUV SCRUB
Caroline Owusu-Ansah founded LUV SCRUB based on a product that originated in West Africa and has been used in her own family for years. She was shocked to find out that other people didn’t know about this exfoliating mesh (that you use similar to a washcloth or loofah) that transformed her skin. Using her background in branding and marketing, she launched LUV SCRUB and never looked back.
We Recommend:
LovingCulture
A hair care brand specifically designed for natural hair, LovingCulture was founded by Mary-Andree Ardouin-Guerrier as she sought to live a more holistic lifestyle and embrace her natural hair texture. Inspired by her West Indian heritage, the ingredients in her products include spices and other natural products. Their hair oil has transformed and moisturized countless women’s hair!
We Recommend:
Bernadette Thompson
Bernadette Thompson is a renowned New York nail technician who launched her own line of nail products—the first Black-owned nail care line in the US. As a nail artist, she’s worked with a host of celebrities such as Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, and Lupita Nyong’o. She’s bringing her impeccable eye for nail color and care to the masses!
We Recommend:
Golde
Trinity Mouzon Wofford founded Golde with her partner, Issey Kobori, in Brooklyn in 2017. They make products you can eat (hello, lattes!) and put on your skin. So, while you wouldn’t want to necessarily taste your face mask, you could eat it without any harm due to their all-natural, plant-based products.
We Recommend: