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Brands likeOrganic Bath Co.and theBest of Beauty Award-winningEu’Genia Shea, for instance, launched in 2014.
Courtesy of brand
“Black people have been using clean ingredients for beauty for generations,” she tellsAllure.
“Not only wasMadam C.J.
“We are bootstrapping and self-funding our businesses with very little support or mentorship.”
Allureasked the founders of some of our favoriteBlack-owned brandsto elaborate on these dynamics in their own words.
Allure:What barriers to entry have you experienced in the clean beauty industry as a Black-owned brand?
I would not say there is more of a barrier.
From the beginning, I wanted to be all about inclusion and supporting the skin health of my customers.
I really hoped others would embrace that message and the ways I promote diversity in my marketing.
Perhaps one barrier is the cost of launching a clean beauty brand.
Sourcing and packaging clean ingredients are costly as you cannot cut corners with these formulas.
That definitely poses some challenges.
These factors increase the barrier in clean beauty versus the mass market.
Allure:What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve faced as a Black-owned brand in the clean beauty industry?
Gianne Doherty:Many of the biggest obstacles are still around financing and raising capital.
Black women received just0.27 percentof venture capital in 2018 and 2019.
This limits access to affordable capital, retail outlets, and partnerships.
Changing the consumer perception of Black beauty brands to be more inclusive, where applicable, is necessary.
Karim Orange:This year, thanks to BLM, we are seeing a shift in this.
[Moving forward,] you will see more Black-owned clean beauty brands because of this shift.
What can allies do better to create equity and support independent, Black-owned brands?
Martey-Ochola:Allies can do better by speaking about Black brands the same way they speak about other brands.
Send a note to the larger chains asking about your favorite brands.
Blake:We need caring individuals and grassroots support to keep the momentum going.
Most importantly, buy our products, and bring them into your stores.
