Best Black-owned skincare brands to support today and always

Founded by two best friends, Gloucestershire-born Liha Okunniwa and Londoner Abi Oyepitan, Liha Beauty merges English aromatherapeutic techniques with ingredients from Yoruba tradition.

Aside from its high quality formulas and beautiful brand aesthetics, all of Liha Beauty’s packaging is recyclable and reusable.

Shop the products on lihabeauty.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

While working as an investment banker in London, Nnenna Onuba relied on her skincare routine to provide a slice of self-care within her hectic schedule.

Noticing a gap in the market for on-the-go skincare that maintained high quality, she created LBB Skin. From a multipurpose hydrating stick balm to soothing aromatherapy oil blend; the brand provides holistic beauty solutions that work for those with a busy lifestyle.

Shop the products on lbbskin.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

The Afro Hair & Skin Co. was founded on the idea that it’s not only important to take time for self-care, but to also take that moment to feed positivity back into your consciousness and rebalance your energy.

Created by Ibi Meier-Oruitemeka, the brand harnesses the healing benefits of locally sourced British ingredients, like bitter orange blossom and organic ylang ylang flower and its clever formulas focus on helping you achieve healthy skin.

Shop the products on theafrohairandskincompany.co.uk and follow the brand on Instagram.

We all know the effects a good diet can have on our complexion, but what if you took some of those ingredients and applied them directly to our skin? 

The Glowcery, founded by Roshanne Dorsett last year, believes that 100% natural, fresh and superfood ingredients are the key to healthy, glowing skin. Plus, the packaging is colour-coded to represent the fruit, plants and superfoods used in each formula. So clever. 

Shop the products on theglowceryshop.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

While volunteering her services as a beauty advisor to women in a local women’s shelter, Temi Shobowale discovered a way to combine her two passions.

Throughout her years working in the beauty retail industry, she educated herself on all things skincare, which led her to creating Essentials by Temi, a range of body, face and soul products formulated with organic plant-based ingredients.

Shop the products on essentialsbytemi.com (customs fees may apply) and follow the brand on Instagram.

Made in Britain and inspired by West Africa, Okiki Skincare is a gorgeous skincare and home care brand founded by Ade Ogunsola and Antonia Ogunsola, a mother-daughter duo based in Kent.

Taking inspiration from their Nigerian and Ghanaian roots, Okiki products are the result of recipes passed down through generations. In the line-up, you’ll find everything from indulgent, nourishing soap bars to bath salts that will leave you feeling relaxed after every soak.

Shop the products on okikiskincare.co.uk and follow the brand on Instagram.

Founded by soapmaker Sam Jameson, Soapsmith is a London-based luxury soap and bodycare brand. 

There are three products available; a hand and body wash, hand and body lotion and a soap bar – but they’re all available in seven different fragrance options.

Each scent is inspired by and named after different areas in London, in homage to the city in which Jameson was born and raised. There’s Hackney (think bergamot and sandalwood to summon up the River Lea), Camden (coconut, bergamot and white musk), Whitechapel (violets and lilacs), Marble Arch (vanilla, orange, patchouli and saffron), Bloomsbury (rose), Lavender Hill (jasmine and lavender) and Brick Lane roses, honeysuckle, amber, pepper and sandalwood).

Shop the products on soapsmith.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

Using African-native holistic practices passed down through generations, A Complexion Company has been designed specifically for darker skin and works to serve the requirements of women within the diaspora and across Africa.

It’s Soil Association-certified and uses indigenously sourced ingredients, focusing only on those that can be sustainably harvested.

Shop the products on soapsmith.com and follow the brand on Facebook.

Despite a life-long passion for skincare, Ozohu Adoh struggled to find skincare products that could treat her dry, uneven skin – so she made her own. 

Epara is a luxury skincare range created for women with deeper skin tones. Its products are rooted in scientifically-proven ingredients derived from Africa.

Shop the products on eparaskincare.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

Handcrafted in Buckinghamshire, Sola Sangowawa-Boua formulates and fills all of Molewa Skincare’s products in her private studio in micro-batches, to ensure freshness and efficacy.

The face products are all about radiance, while its body care range focuses on rebooting, recharging and refreshing skin.

It uses a combination of natural butters, natural oils and botanicals to target skin-related issues, while also bolstering skin health.

Shop the products on molewaskincare.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

Plant-based, natural and affordable, R&R Luxury was founded on utilising the nourishing properties of shea butter (the main ingredient in over 90% of its products). The brand launched in 2010 by entrepreneur Valerie Obaze and has since launched numerous a long list of gorgeous products. This includes face and body oils, scrubs, body butters, soaps and even hand sanitiser, which, yes, includes shea butter to keep hands moisturised. But that’s not all.

R&R works closely with women in the rural north of Ghana to source raw materials and ensures they are paid fairly. It also re-invests back into the community through its own charity, Women of the Savannah Development Project.

Shop the products on randrluxury.co.uk and follow the brand on Instagram.

When Ofome Eyanagho found it difficult to treat her eczema, she took matters into her own hands and began researching and experimenting at home herself. It sparked a love for skincare and then, at the age of 23, she launched The Glow Pot.

Vegan and 100% cruelty-free, the brand caters to all skin types – even sensitive skin – and the website gives information on which products are best suited to your specific skin concerns.

Shop the products on theglowpot.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

Hand made in the UK and inspired by the Caribbean, Kalabash is a collection of pampering and energising body products.

When founder Sharron Jenkins went on a family holiday to Dominica (where her parents lived before they settled in London in the 50s) aged nine, it left a lasting impression on her. After falling in love with the sights, smells and sounds, she wanted to recreate the warm tropical scents and fragrant spices into soothing body products.

Jenkins started the brand, a tribute to her Caribbean heritage, from her kitchen in Finchley, north London, in 2006. Fast forward to today and the freshness, quality and stress-relieving products remain the same.

Shop the products on kalabashbodycare.com and follow the brand on Instagram.

Buttah Skin was founded by model, actor and recording artist Dorion Renaud when he struggled to find products that catered to his skin need. Then, he stumbled upon the benefits of raw, organic shea and the idea for Buttah Skin was born.

From dryness and excessive oil production to hyperpigmentation and dull skin, the brand aims to solve everyday skin issues we all experience.

Shop the products on buttahskin.com and follow the brand on Instagram.