Black-Owned Wellness Brands To Up Your Wellness Game
By Ella Hackworth
Image: Hanahana Beauty x @itsreallynana
The support of Black-owned businesses can’t stop with one Instagram post, one donation, or one purchase. We need to continue to support and practice allyship in ways that will drive meaningful change. The world of health and wellness is booming with Black-owned companies that are passionately creating conversations around ethics, inclusion and sustainability.
We’ve rounded up 3 sustainable, Black-owned wellness brands that offer conscious, clean beauty. Of course this is just a small list of Black-owned wellness brands, but it’s a good place to start if you are looking to up your wellness game.
KLUR
Ethical and Clean Beauty for All
Klur Founder, Lesley Thorton, spent many years as an aesthetician helping people achieve glowing skin through personalized treatments. Throughout that time, she worked to document the effects of various ingredients on diverse skin conditions, tones, and textures, which she labeled as user trials for what would become the Klur product line. Though Klur provides quality products with a conscious ethos, the brand is truly founded on the values of human connection and being able to meet the needs of the environment while also meeting the demands of everyday life.
Sustainable Practices:
Locally sourced ingredients to keep the cost of production and retail as low as possible without sacrificing quality
Eco-friendly/sustainable packaging
Encourage customers to recycle or reuse KLUR packaging
Pharmaceutical-grade amber lead-free glass packaging is primary material used in their collection
Secondary packaging cartons or boxes are made of 50% recycled and 30% post-consumer waste products OR 100% recyclable paper
Pumps and dispensing caps are made of aluminum or BPA-free plastic, which is highly durable, reusable or 100% recyclable
Shipping cartons consist of 95% post-consumer waste and 5% post-industrial waste.
Sustainably sourced packaging paper is 100% recyclable, acid-free and printed using vegetable or soy-based inks
Price Range: $-$$
Our Picks:
HANAHANA BEAUTY
Love The Skin You’re In
Hanahana was founded with the vision to uplift women of color and prioritize sustainable direct sourcing. Once Abena Boamah decided to launch a business, she dug deep and did a lot of research about the beauty industry. What she found was a lack of transparency and sustainability. But what she also found was the Kataringa Women in Tamale, Ghana. After spending time with the Kataringa Women, Abena knew this was the community she wanted to source her products from. Hanahana’s intention is to disrupt the global beauty industry; increasing accessibility, transparency, and sustainability. Their hope is for women to feel so confident in their own skin, that they will be able to dismiss popular beauty standards and open their minds to new ways of thinking.
Sustainable Practices:
Clean, ethically sourced, good-for-you ingredients
Glass jar packaging
Exfoliating Shea Bar eliminates plastic packaging
Fair sourcing of shea butter directly from the Kataringa Women’s Shea Cooperative in Ghana
Hanahana supports the Women’s Shea Cooperative by:
Paying 62% increase on top of fair-trade cost for shea butter
Providing biannual healthcare check days along with Hepatitis B vaccinations
Monthly manager growth + sustainability meetings
Monthly community health education classes with Drive For Health + SDA hospital
Option for customers to donate to help the fight for social equity
Price Range: $
Our Picks:
BLK + GRN
Curated Conscious Marketplace
BLK+GRN is a marketplace of Black artisans carefully selected by Black health experts who know what non-toxic products look like. They promise to curate, craft, and consume consciously to make your research and buying experience user-friendly. BLK + GRN aims to elevate a group of artisans who otherwise would not have a community to share their products or stories with.
Sustainable Practices:
Toxic 20. A list of toxic ingredients that are never used in the making of their products
BLK + GRN Green Packaging Collection includes products are shipped with eco-friendly packaging and packaged without any plastic
Price Range: $-$$
Our Picks:
Ayate Wash Cloth ($7)
Day Break Daily Serum ($15)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ella Hackworth is a Brand Account Manager and Contributing Writer for SISTAIN and has a background in design, dance, and visual arts. She celebrates her love of nature, beauty, and connection through her passion for living mindfully and sustainably.
