For Us, By Us: 21 Businesses Owned By Black Women & Nonbinary Folx
This Black History Month (and beyond), Team Unbothered wants you to put your coins where your mouth is. So we’ve rounded up a list of dope businesses owned by Black women and nonbinary folx for you to support. Satin-lined beanies, organic hair serums, pure matcha powders, poppin’ lip kits, and more trustworthy Black-owned products are waiting patiently for you to scoop them up off the shelves. Hey, some are even on sale, if you're in the deal-hunting spirit. And for the ones that aren't, you can never go wrong with dishing out a few extra bucks to support a Black-owned business.
Here are 21 mostly independent brands fully run by Black women and nonbinary folx that you can support this year — because #BuyBlack should be more than just a hashtag.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team, but if you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Cavo Candles
This Black-women- and sister-owned brand incorporates heaps of personality into each of its aromatic jars. We're talking creative names ("Direct Deposit" to "After A Good Cry," "Blushing," and more), correlating Spotify playlists, and cute packaging with every purchase. If you're on the hunt for rich, comforting scents and 100% soy wax candles, look no further than Femí and Naomi Adeyemo's brand Cavo.
Head to Bell's Reines for mini handmade and utterly delicious gourmet cookies. Mother and daughter duo Teneisha Bell-Thompson and Angel Cephas have redefined the pre-packaged cookie industry since launching in 2019. Whether you're craving decadent chocolate chip treats or gluten-free and vegan sweets, there's a little something for everyone at Bell's Reines.
Bell's Reines Assorted Cookie Tin, $, available at Bell's Reines
For Them
Both queer and nonbinary, For Them founder Kylo Freeman celebrates human beings with their inclusive, binary-breaking apparel. The brand's main attraction, The Binder, features anti-itch fabric and safely compresses all day long thanks to For Them's patented designs.
Multi-disciplinary artist and academic Alannah Tiller takes inspiration from pop culture and online imagery to craft her eye-catching art. Score a few of her pieces at Society6 or her own site to give your space a unique, stylish refresh.
Alilscribble Sun Girl Art Print (17" x 17"), $, available at Society6
Moodeaux
Meet the first-ever fragrance label sold at Urban Outfitters (you can also find them at Credo): Moodeaux. According to Moodeaux's About page, Brianna Arps founded the clean fragrance brand specifically for the "unapologetically outspoken rebel inside us all." Her innovative formulas and mood-boosting scents are bound to leave you (and anyone within a 5-foot radius) quite intrigued.
MOODEAUX IntenScenual Eau De Parfum Fragrance, $, available at Urban Outfitters
PottyPillow Classic
For PottyPillow creator Rena Queen, lumbar support isn't just for office chairs, it's also for toilets. Her antimicrobial cushions provide relief and comfort for people struggling with chronic pain, pregnant folks, the elderly, and anyone looking for a little extra cozy. Plus, they improve posture with every sit. One on-site reviewer raves, "Every time I use my PottyPillow the thought that comes to me is 'where have you been all my life?'"
Grace Eleyae's collection of silk and satin-lined accessories has revolutionized Black hairstyling and diversified the ways we can all rock a protective style. In 2020, 12 of the brand's Slaps (satin-lined caps) made it on to "Oprah's Favorite Things" list and will now forever dwell in the Oprah hall of fame. It's Black excellence at its finest. You can also find Eleyae's goods at Nordstrom, Sephora, and JCPenny.
Grace Eleyae The Slap (Satin-Lined Cap), $, available at Grace Eleyae
Bread Beauty Supply
This brand delivers, per its own words, "hair care basics for not basic hair." Its critically-acclaimed selection of glossy serums, conditioning masks, and gentle shampoos were formulated specifically for 3A to 4C hair textures. Bread Beauty Supply's founder, Maeva Heim, aims to "simplify wash days for all," and we are here for it.
We've all experienced the terrifying white-cast that appears on Black skin after using a sunscreen that was not made for us, nor by us. This brand fixes that problem. Shontay Lundy founded this company in 2016 and her sunscreen now boasts an impressive 5,729 reviews that average out to a solid 5-star rating.
Black G, Black Girl Sunscreen Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30, $, available at Black Girl Sunscreen
Oui The People
In order to form a more perfect wellness routine, Oui The People's founder Karen Young made it her mission to reconstitute antiquated and unrealistic beauty standards. Her dynamic line of bath and body products prioritizes feeling great in our skin over simply looking great in our skin.
Since launching in 2015, Oui The People has kept its promise of delivering well-thought-out products that cater to the common good of, well, the people.
Oui The People Rose Gold Sensitive Skin Razor, $, available at Oui The People
BLK + GRN
This Black artisan-run marketplace makes all-natural ingredients, and Black wellness its number one priority. Each artisan is specifically chosen by "Black women's health experts who know what an all-natural product looks like" in order to uphold the marketplace's values at heart.
PAT McGRATH LABS The 'Taylor-Made' Lip Kit, $, available at PAT McGRATH LABS
Sienna Naturals
Hanna Diop founded Sienna Naturals on a set of values stemming from her childhood. Growing up, although the products she used on her hair were all-natural, they still did not promote the overall health of her curls. So, instead of choosing between saving the planet or saving her hair, she created this restorative and eco-conscious Black hair care line that does both. (Bonus: Issa Rae loves her products!)
Sienna Naturals Issa's Wash Day Ritual, $, available at Sienna Naturals
Love & Snow
Love & Snow’s story began when founder Love White decided to solve her frustrating scalp issues with essential oils. Her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology and Public Health helped her perfect a 100% organic hair serum that fully moisturizes the scalp without leaving a greasy mess or any added irritation.
You can snag her Restorative Hair and Scalp Serum and more at her website.
Love and Snow Restorative Hair and Scalp Serum, $, available at Love and Snow
Fenty Beauty
We cannot do a round-up of Black women ran businesses without giving Bad Gal Ri Ri her flowers. Seven years ago, instead of a new album, the mega pop star gifted us with top-quality inclusive cosmetics and built a beauty empire.
Fenty Beauty Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream, $, available at Fenty Beauty
Golde.co
Golde founder Trinity Mouzon Woffordstarted Golde in 2017 after watching her mother navigate rheumatoid arthritis. Inspired by the success her mom had with a holistic physician, Wofford went on to create Golde to make wellness more accessible for people of color.
The brand launched with its highly acclaimed turmeric tonic blend before later expanding into skincare with a line of superfood masks. It also just released a new pure matcha powder, and in 2019, Golde hit Sephora shelves — making Mouzon Wofford the youngest Black woman to launch a beauty line at the retail beauty giant.
Crown the queen in your life with one of the gorgeous adornments from The Wrap Life. Based in Brooklyn, NY, The Wrap Life — created by Nnena Stella — offers head adornments, head wraps, turbanettes, and more in an array of hand-printed designs. Stella has gained so much exposure since launching her headwraps in 2014 that she was tapped to style headwraps for the cover of Vogue Arabia in 2018.
The Wrap Life Cuffed Satin Lined Beanie, $, available at The Wrap Life
Alexandra Winbush
Alexandra Winbush is the manifestation of Brittney Winbush, a creator and actress who stated goal is “lighting up the world, one candle at a time.” Based in Brooklyn, New York, the wellness brand specializes in scented candles and flavored teas for all of your self-care needs. While Alexandra Winbush has only been around for a few years, it’s already garnered quite a buzz. In fact, as Essence magazine pointed out earlier this year, Issa Rae is a fan.
Alexandra Winbush Window Seat Set, $, available at Alexandra Winbush
Aziza Handcrafted
New York’s Aziza Nicole has been creating one-of-a-kind adornments since childhood, thanks to her mother encouraging her to explore her talents in order to create the things she desired for herself. A painter, sculptor, and builder, she’s now made a life of what she’s known for best: unisex adornments designed directly from her home studio, where she creates everything from cuffs to cuticle rings.
UK-based artist Dorcas Magbadelo is “obsessed with Black women”— so much so that her entire online shop is dedicated to them. “I opened my Etsy store in October 2015 and it’s been great seeing the responses to my work,” she told UK blog I Want You To Know in 2017. “It’s always nice when people see themselves, their sisters, or their cousins within my illustrations.”
Dorcas Creates Alicia, Monica & Pam Print Set, $, available at Dorcas Creates
Pholk Beauty
It’s no secret that winter can be taxing on our skin, especially for Black women who are prone to hyperpigmentation and other skin conditions that can be exacerbated by cold, dry weather. Vegan skincare brand Pholk Beauty seeks to address those issues and then some, without the hefty price tag.
“As a woman of color, I found myself often frustrated — and a little defensive — that even in the age of inclusive beauty many natural brands did not address my specific concerns of dark spots, oily/combination skin, and ingrown hairs. Not to mention the high price points of green products,” founder Niambi Cacchioli states on the Pholk Beauty website. “Pholk Beauty grew out of my sense of awe and gratitude at the timeless folk beauty and herbalist wisdom of my own kin, the cultivators and botanicals and minerals that have nourished our skin and souls for generations, and the multitude of ways that people of color infuse the globe with beauty.”
Black Friday sales mean Christmas is upon us, and what better way to prepare than with fire gifting supplies? The self-proclaimed “solution to traditional and boring gift wrap,” Unwrp offers bright, bold, and fun sustainable gifting options for all your gift-giving needs.
Inspired by hip-hop and a desire to create “generational health” for her community, Briana Owens founded Spiked Spin to provide a safe safe space for Black people to work out and feel supported.
“There are many crazes that cater to other demographics, and often times minorities are an afterthought,” Owens told ESSENCE in 2018. With a new studio now open as of this month, Spiked Spin now offers classes in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. We also heard the studio is offering 25% off of merchandise for Black Friday.
Book your class for you and a friend at Spiked SpinGolde (Wellness)
Golde founder Trinity Mouzon Wofford started Golde in 2017 after watching her mother navigate rheumatoid arthritis. Inspired by the success her mom had with a holistic physician, Mouzon Wofford went on to create Golde as a means to make wellness more accessible for people of color.
The brand launched with its highly acclaimed turmeric tonic blend before later expanding into skincare with a line of superfood masks. They also just released a new pure matcha powder, and earlier this year, Golde hit Sephora shelves — making Mouzon Wofford the youngest Black woman to launch a beauty line at the retail beauty giant.
Crown the queen in your life with one of the gorgeous adornments from The Wrap Life. Based in Brooklyn, NY, The Wrap Life — which was created by Nnena Stella — offers head adornments headwraps, turbanettes and more in an array hand-printed designs. Stella has gained so much exposure since launching her headwraps in 2014 that she was tapped to style headwraps for the cover of Vogue Arabia in 2018.
Sisters, Rachel Topping and Rikki-Richelle, co-founded Nappy Head Club after being, "fed up with the lack of representation of 4c hair." Their brand is an agglomeration of black community resources, conversations, encouragement, and of course, fierce fashion.
From "Good Hair" scarves to "New Growth" bucket hats, the Nappy Head Club has our curls covered in the best way possible. Head over to their site for a whimsical and unapologetically Black experience.
From now until Monday, score up to 30% off on all Nappy Head Club products.
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