10 Best POC-Owned Beauty Brands to Shop in 2022 (Black Girl Sunscreen, Alamar Cosmetics, and More)
The Black Lives Matter movement has come to its boiling point. There's no better time than now to lend your support to racial minorities in the U.S. that experience discrimination on a daily basis. And in an age of mindfulness, the creator of your beauty products is starting to matter just as much as the products themselves. It's worth doing your research to consciously purchase from and support POC-owned ("people of color"-owned) beauty brands.
While there are thousands of equally wonderful POC-owned brands inside and outside of the States, we'd like to highlight 10 of our favorites that we found after searching the web like Black Girl Sunscreen, Alamar Cosmetics, and more. We've even included bonus tips on how to support your favorite beauty brands!
Quick List - Top Poc-Owned Beauty Brands
Black Girl Sunscreen
Finally, a Sunscreen That Doesn't Leave White Residue
Alamar Cosmetics
A Cruelty-Free Makeup Brand with Culture in Mind
Hi Wildflower
A Dreamy, Indian-Owned Beauty Brand That Supports Social Causes
mybest US' editing team consists of experienced members who have backgrounds in writing, editing, translation, and more. We are dedicated to researching what makes a product or service the best to users in the US in order to create top-quality articles. From skincare, to kitchen appliances, and to DIY supplies, our mission is to find the best ones for you.
Table of Contents
- 10 Best Poc-Owned Beauty Brands Ranking
- No. 1Black Girl Sunscreen | Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30
- No. 2Sḵwálwen Botanicals | Kalkáy Wild Rose Toner
- No. 3Alamar Cosmetics | Brighten & Bronze Complexion Trio｜Dark/Rich
- No. 4Hi Wildflower | Mala 8 ML Rollerball Perfume
- No. 5Coloured Raine | Power Palette - Limited Edition
- 5 more products
- Other Ways to Support POC-Owned Brands
- More Beauty Products to Consider Adding to Your Routine
How to Choose Poc-Owned Beauty Brands
With so many businesses being more active on social media than their own websites, it can be difficult to find your perfect beauty arsenal via Google. Here are four points we recommend keeping in mind when selecting your ideal brand or brands.
Use Your Social Media Skills
There are a few major POC-owned brands like Fenty Beauty, but the majority of them are considered indie beauty brands. You may not be able to find their products on popular e-commerce sites like Walmart, Amazon, or Sephora. Social media—namely, Instagram—can be your one-stop-shop if you know where to look.
Search for Popular POC-Owned Brand Hashtags
Hashtags are the best way to find things on Instagram, but sometimes it’s difficult to know which ones will get you where you need to be.
Some popular hashtags for POC-Owned beauty brands include #indiebeauty, #blackownedbeauty, #indianskincare, #latinaownedbusiness, #smallbusinessowner, and more. Try subbing in the community you want to support into these hashtags and see what comes up! If you already have a POC-owned brand you love, try checking out the hashtags they use as well.
See What Other People are Saying
The comment section is a goldmine for valuable product-related information. Brands often have reviews posted on their website, but these are usually largely positive (though we don’t blame them). If you want the full story, check out the brand's social media accounts to see what people are saying about them and their specific products.
Decide Between Specialty Products or a Full Lineup
While some beauty brands focus on just one thing like facial oils, others offer a full lineup of makeup, skincare, and hair products. It’s up to you whether you want to buy from one place or shop around.
Specialty Products Give You a Chance Downsize or to Support More Brands
Some beauty brands only offer a single type of product or focus on just one category, like skincare. If you have specific concerns, specialty products can give you more targeted treatment, like items for sensitive skin or super curly hair.
Shopping at specialty brands may mean a little extra work to get your full arsenal of beauty products, but it also gives you the opportunity to support even more POC-owned brands. You could shop from different companies for hair products, skincare, and makeup!
A Full Lineup Means More Choice for Less Effort
Some brands will offer makeup, skincare, and hair care products all within the same brand. This means less effort in searching for a variety of products, and it allows you to offer more support to one brand!
Plus, unless they’re a brand-new label, brands with a full lineup are more likely to continuously release new products. So if you aren’t crazy about what they have now, there’s still a chance they’ll make something better suited for you at a later time.
Figure Out What Values Matter to You
For some, the goal of buying from a POC-owned beauty brand is simply to support POC owners or to find products that work specifically for their skin color and type. Others may want a brand that checks off all the boxes in terms of ethics, sustainability, and more.
See if They Donate to or Support a Worthy Cause
Supporting a POC-owned brand is a great form of support in and of itself, but you might respect a brand even more if they use their hard-earned profits to contribute to a cause that you can get behind.
Are they an ally in the Black Lives Matter movement? How do they respond to natural disasters or world crisis relief? If supporting a cause is important to you, check their website or their social media feed to see which organizations or funds they regularly support or have supported in the past.
Confirm What a Brand Means by "Sustainable"
“Sustainable” is a buzzword that isn’t limited to POC-owned brands in the slightest, but the word alone doesn’t mean much if you don’t know what they mean by it.
Check out their products, website, and social media to figure out to what extent they are eco-friendly. Is their packaging plastic-free or biodegradable? Do they use locally-sourced or organic products? Do they use reduced-energy production?
Most of this information is pretty accessible, especially if they’re advertising themselves as a green or sustainable brand. If you want to save the planet while supporting your favorite POC-owned brands, it’s worth it to spend a few extra minutes doing your research.
Make Sure They Can Officially Back up Their Claims
Like with sustainability, some sellers may advertise products as vegan or cruelty-free when, in reality, they're not. The same goes for "natural" products. If you're into a specific niche of self-care, make sure the brand can back up their claims with relevant certification.
The Leaping Bunny symbol is the gold-standard in certifying cruelty-free products. A "V" symbol inside of a heart indicates that it's been certified vegan by Vegan.org.
If you want to know how much of the product is actually natural, check the ingredients list carefully. It might involve some extra legwork, but you'll have peace of mind!
Handmade Products are Truly Unique but May Take Time to Ship
Who doesn't feel special having a beauty product that’s made just for you? Some POC-owned brands make all of their products by hand (facial oils are a good example). Of course, you’ll have to be okay with the chance of slight differences when you reorder products. Handmade items are often not produced with an identical formula or any automated processes.
The other thing to note is shipping and processing time. If it’s a more popular handmade brand with high demand, shipping could take several weeks. If a brand doesn’t list their shipping and processing time on their website, you might want to consider contacting the company directly to get an estimate.
Look for an Accessible Brand
Unless you’ve made it big already, it’s not enough to just set up shop anymore. Many POC-owned beauty brands are ultra-active on social media or offer other ways to make their brand more accessible. Take advantage! They want you to.
See if They Offer Trial Sets
If you’re not ready to commit to the full product, trial sets can be a great way to test out one or many POC-owned brands to see which one is best for you. Some are specific to skincare, have a collection of hair care products, or contain a mix!
They might be advertised on their website’s front page or hidden within product pages, so take your time and search carefully.
Pay Attention to Giveaways, Freebies, and Sales
Sales are most often found on websites, but many giveaways nowadays are on social media platforms like Instagram. If the social media platform you’re viewing has a “Stories” function, check there to see if you’ve missed any giveaway announcements that are ongoing!
Freebies or coupons might also be included with purchases you make, so check the fine print if you want to try out more than one thing.
Joining the brand's mailing list is also a good way to be notified of sales, giveaways, and general announcements. They may even offer you a coupon for simply jointing their mailing list!!
Check Whether They Have a Blog
Not everyone is into brands that blog, but blogs can be a great way to showcase the actual people behind the POC-owned brand and how they respond to current events and issues. Some blogs also provide beauty tips, self-care tips, how-to guides, and more.
Reading a brand's blog can also give you access to behind-the-scenes footage of how products are made, what products are in the making, and who's making them.
10 Best Poc-Owned Beauty Brands Ranking
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Black Girl Sunscreen Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 | | Finally, a Sunscreen That Doesn't Leave White Residue | |
2 | Sḵwálwen Botanicals Kalkáy Wild Rose Toner | | Naturally-Derived, Native-Owned Skincare for Everyone | |
3 | Alamar Cosmetics Brighten & Bronze Complexion Trio｜Dark/Rich | | A Cruelty-Free Makeup Brand with Culture in Mind | |
4 | Hi Wildflower Mala 8 ML Rollerball Perfume | | A Dreamy, Indian-Owned Beauty Brand That Supports Social Causes | |
5 | Coloured Raine Power Palette - Limited Edition | | A Black-Owned and Black-Run Beauty Brand for Bright Color | |
6 | 5YINA Divine Bio-Adaptive Cleanser | | Adaptable Skincare Inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine | |
7 | Sabbatical Beauty Asian Powerhouse Serum | | K-Beauty With Increased Active Ingredients for All Skin Types | |
8 | Botánika Beauty Curly Maintenance Bundle | | Hair Care Inspired by Botánica Found in Latinx Communities | |
9 | Pratima Pitta Essentials Starter Set | | 100% Natural Ayurvedic Skincare That Aims to Heal and Restore Balance | |
10 | GirlandHair Curl Cloud | | Hair Care That Lets Your Curly, Kinky Locks Grow Lusciously |
Black Girl SunscreenBlack Girl Sunscreen SPF 30
Finally, a Sunscreen That Doesn't Leave White Residue
Black Girl Sunscreen is just that - sunscreen for darker skin. Though lighter skin might be at greater risk for damage and health concerns due to UVA/UVB rays, having some extra melanin doesn't exempt you from those dangers!
Women of color, like founder Shontay Lundy, are constantly frustrated by the white residue left behind by many physical and chemical sunscreens. So instead of carrying a sun umbrella or avoiding the outside altogether, she created a sheer, fragrance-free, natural, cruelty-free sunscreen that doesn't leave your skin with a white cast.
Besides the original Black Girl Sunscreen, there's also one available for kids. This is the brand to try if you want to support a specialized SPF!
Naturally-Derived, Native-Owned Skincare for Everyone
This Canadian brand draws on the founders' Indigenous roots in both its product names and ingredients. The founder, Leigh, uses her knowledge of Squamish medicine and plants to create skincare that highlights these natural components and addresses common skin-related concerns.
Along with Kalkáy (wild rose) to refresh and nourish, the formula protects and revitalizes your skin. The best part: the key ingredients are hand-harvested!
Just be warned that since products are only made in small batches, it would be better to expect limited availability and overestimate shipping times.
Alamar CosmeticsBrighten & Bronze Complexion Trio ｜ Dark/Rich
A Cruelty-Free Makeup Brand with Culture in Mind
If you struggle to find makeup that matches and flatters your unique skin tone, you'll likely find a solution at Alamar Cosmetics. This Latina-owned brand focuses on the inclusion of all ethnicities and complexions in their cruelty-free formulas.
Many of their lip and face products veer on the nude side, so if you're looking for a bright pop of color on your face, you may have better luck elsewhere. They do boast some highly-pigmented and sparkly eyeshadow palettes, though!
A Dreamy, Indian-Owned Beauty Brand That Supports Social Causes
If you're looking for a socially and culturally-conscious brand, look no further than Hi Wildflower. The brand has supported organizations and causes like Girls Write Now, Black Lives Matter, Arte and Resistance Education, and more, since it started up in 2014.
Novelist and founder Tanais started this beauty brand to express her love for the free spirit of wildflowers. You'll find this in the form of dreamy fragrances and bold botanical lipsticks that offer freedom of expression as well as peace of mind.
Coloured RainePower Palette - Limited Edition
A Black-Owned and Black-Run Beauty Brand for Bright Color
This is one brand that is 500% behind the Black Lives Matter movement. They make monthly contributions to the Black Lives Matter Global Network, the BLM Frontline Fund, Reclaim the Block, and more.
Plus, Coloured Raine boasts a team of entirely Black employees, 75% of them being women. Talk about representation!
Of course, they have awesome makeup products to sell as well. Their lip and eye products boast glitter, pigment, and long-lasting wear. They also have a line of foundations set to release this year that will include 38 different shades! And yes, it includes all complexions: olive, neutral, warm, and cool undertones.
Adaptable Skincare Inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine
If natural's what you what, natural's what you'll get with 5YINA. Their lineup of facial oils, toners, hand creams, facial cleansers, and more are rooted in Chinese Medicine pharmacology, which basically means they're very holistic.
Co-founders Angela Chau Gray and Dr. Ervina Wu believe in the power of traditional Chinese medicine. Dr. Wu even healed herself using it!
5YINA's products focus on the concept of "adaptive skincare." They believe skincare shouldn't be stagnant but should change with your current environment and situation. Their products are divided by season, purpose (such as anti-aging), and ingredients. All products are also produced in California!
K-Beauty With Increased Active Ingredients for All Skin Types
If Korean beauty is your thing, you'll love Sabbatical Beauty. Like many great indies skincare brands, this lineup was borne out of frustration by founder Dr. Adeline Koh.
She was concerned by the number of inactive ingredients present in popular skincare brands, so on her academic sabbatical, she started making her own products. The rest is history!
Whether you want cleansers, toners, moisturizers, or serums, there are formulas for every skin type and tone in Sabbatical Beauty's lineup. If you have no clue where to start, there's a skincare quiz on the site that will guide you to your perfect products.
Hair Care Inspired by Botánica Found in Latinx Communities
Did you know that sage can stimulate hair growth, or that bay leaf can smooth and add shine to hair? The Latina founders of Botánika Beauty do, and that's why they use these key herbal ingredients in their specialty hair care lineup.
Botánika Beauty offers anti-frizz serums, styling gels, protein treatments, and curling creams specifically for curly hair.
If you've struggled with ways to make your curls look awesome without adding too many synthetic ingredients to your locks, Botánika Beauty is a great option to consider!
100% Natural Ayurvedic Skincare That Aims to Heal and Restore Balance
If the terms "Vata," "Pitta," and "Kapha" ring a bell, you're probably already familiar with the ancient holistic science called Ayurveda. By figuring out which type of Dosha you are from the three terms listed above, you'll be able to target your ideal skincare, health, nutrition, and wellness routine.
That's what founder Pratima wanted to bring to the hustle and bustle of New York City when she moved there in 1977. Her wide range of skincare, haircare, and body care products are entirely made of active ingredients and are free of chemicals that concern many (like synthetic preservatives, GMOs, colors, or dyes).
Pratima's website also allows you to search by Dosha, skin concerns, and product type to allow for easier shopping. She even has books and aromatherapy products available!
Hair Care That Lets Your Curly, Kinky Locks Grow Lusciously
If you have hair that you keep in protective braids or often use weaves or wigs, founder Camille knows exactly what you're looking for in hair care.
She struggled with finding natural products that would allow her to grow her curly and kinky hair while keeping it in a protective hairstyle, and that's what made her start GirlandHair.
Her lineup of cleansing, nourishing, restoring, and refreshing hair care products treat the scalp as well as the strands, and they do it all with natural ingredients. Her company is also highly supportive of the Black Lives Matter movement and fellow Black-owned beauty brands!
Other Ways to Support POC-Owned Brands
Financial support itself is an amazing contribution to any brand, but why not take it a step further? There are tons of other ways to support POC-owned businesses that are completely free; all you need to use a bit of your own time.
Write a Public (or Anonymous) Review
Brands love reviews! They want to know how their product worked for you. Products with more reviews are often more highly-regarded (unless they’re largely negative) and can be their claim to fame.
Try to be specific. If you have oily skin, tell people how the product worked for your greasy pores. If it didn't work for your thick hair, tell them what was lacking or what could make it better for your luscious locks. It’s helpful for both the brand and other potential customers.
If you’re not comfortable leaving your opinions out in the open, brands will also appreciate hearing them in private via e-mail, direct message, or anonymous review. Even if it’s only a sentence or two, it makes a difference!
Like, Follow, and Share on Social Media
Likes, follows, and comments mean so much to indie and POC-owned beauty brands. These social media interactions give them presence, especially since many people find new brands through platforms like Instagram nowadays.
Many platforms, like Instragram and Facebook, use algorithms that tend to favor pages or accounts with more activity. So if you want your favorite brand to show up in the top results when someone does a search, make sure to engage with their account!
Even if you don’t have a lot of followers, try sharing the brand's account or one of their posts! Maybe a friend, family member, or acquaintance will dig it, and then their friends will love it, and so on. One share can make a huge difference. Don't underestimate the power of social media.
More Beauty Products to Consider Adding to Your Routine
If you didn't find what you were looking for from these awesome brands, we have a few more suggestions of other products to check out!
Top 5 Poc-Owned Beauty Brands
No. 1: Black Girl Sunscreen｜Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30
No. 2: Sḵwálwen Botanicals｜Kalkáy Wild Rose Toner
No. 3: Alamar Cosmetics｜Brighten & Bronze Complexion Trio｜Dark/Rich
No. 4: Hi Wildflower｜Mala 8 ML Rollerball Perfume
No. 5: Coloured Raine｜Power Palette - Limited Edition
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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