Each month, the Pan-African Alliance encourages our members to replace a product that they regularly use with a product made by a Black owned company. We call this the ‘Replace and Rebuild‘ initiative.
The Replace and Rebuild Initiative works for three reasons:
- Instead of supporting Black owned businesses with one – off purchases, you are providing them with repeat business each month.
- The money that you spend with Black businesses gives them the resources to hire other Black men, women, and children.
- You are more likely to get products that are natural. Mass manufacturing creates products filled with industrial chemicals, but Black owned companies typically avoid these toxins.
Each month we are asking all of you to pledge that you will support a Black owned business and replace just one item that you use regularly with a Black made product, and repeat this process until all of our household consumables come from Black businesses.
We all have a face washing routine that we follow on a daily basis, so this month swap out cheap store bought chemicals for Black owned skin care products for your face.
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How We Chose These Products
First, we verified that all of the products below come from Black owned companies. We include short biographies of the founder or the brand above each product.
Second, we ensure that no harmful ingredients are used. We know that many store bought brands are filled with chemicals that cause cancer or damage the skin. All of the products below are made primarily with natural ingredients.
Finally, we looked for products that had fast, worldwide shipping. Since most of these brands cant be found in stores, we wanted to make sure you could get them in your homes as easily as possible.
If you dont see your favorite brand on our list it may not have met one of the three criteria above.
We also divided the products by gender because let’s be real – men don’t want to smell like women and vice versa.
Best Facial Black Owned Skin Care Products For Men
Men’s skin care products are very different from womens products.
Thats because male skin is about 25 percent thicker than that of a woman’s. Black men also have larger pores and produce more oil than women’s skin. And since men are more likely to have facial hair, shaving can lead to cuts, razor burns and, destroy the skin barrier function.
The face wash, toner, and moisturizer we chose below address all of the issues that men are likely to face (see what I did there?)
Solo Noir Dapper All Natural Face + Beard Wash
Solo Noir is a skincare company for men that was developed by a Black woman.
Andrea Polk is the founder of Solo Noir. She is a certified Licensed Aesthetician, and she holds a Master of Business Administration in E-commerce and Logistics as well as a Bachelor of Science in Marketing.
All of the ingredients that Andrea uses in her line are natural – hemp seed oil, black willow bark, and chamomile flower extract to name a few. With a healthy amount of aloe vera and witch hazel, Dapper has the double benefit of cleaning and tightening your face to make you look younger and brighter.
A little goes a long way, so you get your money’s worth. It also foams up and washes off completely without leaving a film.
HIMistry Naturals Hydrating Vitamin C Serum
HIMistry Naturals is a verified Black owned skin care company. According to their website, H.I.M. stands for Healthy Image Men. The product line came out of their mens spa located in South Florida.
Since the South Florida market has a mixed demographic with varying skin textures and nuances, the company thrived by providing services designed to accommodate each of them.
Company founder Darnell Henderson, a licensed Skin Care Therapist began developing proprietary products that were custom formulated without unnecessary and unhealthful additives out of necessity to meet his clients’ needs
I recommend this serum for men (and yes, I use it) because the antioxidant properties of vitamin C makes it a vital molecule for skin health. Some studies have shown that vitamin C may help prevent and treat ultraviolet (UV)-induced photodamage.
And since Vitamin C also promotes collagen synthesis, using HIMistry Naturals Hydrating Vitamin C Serum can counteract some of that skin thinning that happens as men age.
Burke Avenue by Craig the Barber 3 in 1 Face Moisturizing Balm
Burke Avenue was developed by Craig The Barber – CEO of the Grooming Concierge, owner and editor-in-chief of TheMensRoom.com, and men’s grooming contributor to eHow.com
After completing his formal training Craig officially began his barbering career and worked with several prestigious salons and barbershops in the Los Angeles area, including Gornick & Drucker’s at the Montage Beverly Hills, The Shave of Beverly Hills, Fred Segal Beauty and Dean Anthony Men’s Salon, where his clientele grew to include many of Hollywood’s most famous faces and names.
During this time he simultaneously launched his on-site grooming service called The Grooming Concierge, where he provided services for photo shoots, films and events.
Burke Avenue 3 in 1 balm smells great..like a super fresh plant – almost like a mild mint. Ingredients include Aloe, Vitamin E and Green Tea that provide calming, moisturizing, and anti-aging effects.
You can add all three of our recommended products to your collection using the links below.
Best Black Owned Skin Care Products For Women
I mentioned earlier that there is a difference between mens and womens skin. Therefore, the products you choose as a Black woman should meet your unique skin care needs.
One of the differences is that it is more common for women to show premature age signs faster than men even though they are of the same age due to differences in collagen density.
Another difference is that women tend to have drier skin than men due to differences in oil production. That means that men have a higher tendency for acne, while women have more of a tendency for dry skin. Also, women tend to have a higher skin surface pH than men, which may further contribute to impaired barrier function and dry skin.
Black owned skin care products for women usually take all these factors into account when creating their lines.
Buttah Skin Lavender Flower Extract Facial Cleanser With Citric Acid
Buttah Skincare is verified Black owned. The brand was created by Actor and Model Dorion Renaud.
Here are some of the details from the product listing:
- Maintaining the natural pH, oil and moisture balance that melanin-rich skin needs most as you cleanse.
- Buttah’s gentle gel cleanser gently lifts away dirt, oil, debris and sloughs off dead surface cells that cause dullness.
- Soothing Coconut and Palm Oils and Lavender Flower Extract condition and calm your complexion, leaving your skin smooth, hydrated and healthy.
Jacq’s Organics Revitalizing Face Toner
Jacq’s Organics is a plant-based all natural bath, body, and skin care brand created for growing families. They source raw, unrefined, and local ingredients to make their artisanal products in small batches. As a result, their products contain pure, rich, and healing nutrients and vitamins free of synthetics fillers, harsh preservatives, or toxic additives.
Jacq’s Organics Revitalizing Face Toner is a quick absorbing liquid that helps to remove excess dirt, traces of oil and makeup, and corrects the balance the pH of your skin. Toning is an important step in the Black skin care process, and this toner works so well for my Queen that I use it.
Alaffia Neem Marshmallow and Turmeric Day Cream Face Lotion
I love Alaffia’s story and products, particularly because The Alaffia Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that empowers African communities through the advancement of Fair Trade, education, sustainable living and gender equality.
The company has funded more than 5,000 births through their maternal care program. They have built 14 shcools, and they have also taken up the fight against climage change by planting more than 80,000 trees.
The face lotion is made with fair trade, gluten-free, handcrafted, vegan, no animal testing, and paraben-free ingredients. And the unique blend of ingredients creates a superior face lotion.
Dont let turmeric put you off. The lotion smells like mint and green tea. Its amazing, very affordable, and good for the African diaspora.
Swap your store bought items out for Black owned skin care products for just one month and you will become a believer. Not only are you taking better care of your temple, you are also supporting a Black business that needs your help!
