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Black History Month celebrations continue as we highlight businesses to support this month and beyond. It’s the perfect time to bring awareness to these flourishing Black-owned beauty businesses in our community that span worldwide. Check out a list of our favorite Black-owned beauty businesses to support this month inside.
In 2024, Black business owners make up about 4 percent of United States businesses and less than 30 percent of all minority-owned businesses. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, that comes up to approximately two million companies owned by African Americans. In that number, nearly 40 percent of Black-owned businesses are in health care and social assistance, repair and maintenance, and personal and laundry service industries. Other industries include advertising firms, auto dealerships, consulting services, restaurants, barbershops and beauty salons, and of course, clothing companies.
The city which houses the most Black-owned businesses in the U.S. is New York, and Atlanta follows closely behind it. The highest ration of Black-owned businesses is in Washington, DC where 28 percent of all businesses are Black-owned. In recent years, the growth of Black-owned skincare line Topicals has become explosive. With a multitude of products and partnerships like their most recent campaign with multi-hyphenate creative and director Teyana Taylor.
There are many ways to observe Black History Month and to consume with the good of our communities in mind. The most important way is to support and encourage Black-owned businesses in your community. Depending upon where you live, it may be difficult, but challenge yourself to only spend with local Black-owned businesses in your neighborhood this month. If you’re shopping online for something specific, maybe ditch mainstream retailers throughout Black History Month and find a Black-owned business that sells the product you are searching for and shop within the community instead.
Little things like this make a world of difference for a small business and especially, a Black-owned business, which makes up a small percentage of businesses across the nation.
Check out our list of Black-owned beauty businesses to support:
1. Black Girl Sunscreen
Source:Black Girl Sunscreen2. Topicals
Source:topicalsThe beloved skincare brand was founded by Olamide Olowe and Claudia Teng.
3. Fenty Beauty
Source:Fenty BeautyThis is a RihRih stan account. Fenty Beauty was founded by Rihanna in 2017.
4. Mented Cosmetics
Source:Mented CosmeticsCreated in 2017 by Co-Founders KJ Miller and Amanda E. Johnson, Mented exists to celebrate all hues and to make beauty truly, wonderfully inclusive.
5. The Lip Bar
Source:The Lip BarMelissa Butler, is a Detroit native who has strategically launched start-up beauty brand, The Lip Bar, into a nationwide phenomenon.
6. Camille Rose Naturals
Source:Camille Rose7. Mielle Organics
Source:Mielle OrganicsMonique Rodriguez founded the brand back in 2014.
8. Pattern Beauty
Source:pattern beautyPattern’s haircare line was founded by actress and producer Tracee Ellis Ross back in 2019.
9. Danessa Myricks Beauty
Source:Danessa Myricks BeautyDanessa Myricks founded her beauty line in 2015.
10. Say By Yani
Source:Say By YaniYanique Richards is the founder of haircare and beauty line Say By Yani.
11. Bread Beauty Supply
Source:BreadMaeva Heim founded Bread Beauty Supply back in 2020.
12. UOMA Beauty
Source:UOMA BeautySharon Chuter founded UOMA Beauty in 2018.
13. Black Opal
Source:Black OpalThe brand was originally created in 1994 by a chemist named Niko Mouyiaris.
14. Pat McGrath Labs
Source:Pat McGrathPat McGrath founded the brand in 2006.
15. Ami Colé
Source:Ami ColéAmi Colé founded the self-named brand in 2021.
16. Glosshood
Source:GlosshoodGlosshood was founded by Sienna Brown in 2020.
17. EADEM
Source:EademAlice Lin Glover and Marie Kouadio Amouzame founded the skincare brand back in 2018.
18. KNC Beauty
Source:KNC BeautyKristen Noel Crawley founded the brand in 2016.
19. Briogeo
Source:BriogeoNancy Twine created the haircare line in 2013.
20. The Honey Pot
Source:The Honey PotThe plant based feminine hygiene brand was founded by Beatrice Dixon in 2014.
21. Eazy-Bead Z
Source:eazybead_zThe hair accessory company was founded by Madelyn, who’s a mom of two daughters, who sought out an easier way to accessorize and protect their hair. She started the company in 2021.
