There’s a difference between general black hair and skin care vs. Afrocentric hair and skin care. A lot of mainstream brands sold in stores targeted at black hair and beauty are designed FOR black people but aren’t made BY black people and/or don’t contain ingredients from our own cultures.
You should always pick the products in your price range and that are good for your hair and your body! But it’s also helpful to be an informed consumer when choosing between hundreds of beauty brands - and unfortunately, the information isn’t always readily available. So here’s a simple guide to Afrocentric hair and skin care to help you put the best nature can provide into your body while also supporting and giving back to our own communities.
What’s good for my hair and skin?
Here’s some tips and general guidelines that I’ve learned so far through research and practice on my hair and skin hair journey!
1. The more natural, the better. Now, personally, I wouldn’t say this about everything in life! Pharmaceuticals can be life-saving, and I don’t think all natural or traditional remedies should be used in place of prescribed medications. However, when it comes to the regular care of your skin and hair - the fewer toxins and chemicals are absorbed by your body, the better!
2. As I’ve done more research, I’ve discovered that in most cases when it comes to all-natural ingredients, what’s good for your hair is also what’s good for your skin - and vice versa. Most natural ingredients can be used to hydrate, heal, protect, soothe, and strengthen your skin and your hair!
3. One size does not fit all. On your own journey to care for your skin and hair, you’ll want to experiment with different oils, butters, creams, and products to find out which types, combinations, and amounts work best for your skin and hair types! Find out if you have normal, dry, oily, combination, or sensitive skin to get a sense of what your skin care needs are. Knowing your hair type is also helpful for figuring out what types of products will keep it the healthiest and strongest.
4. Always read the ingredients list on the labels of any products you purchase. Whether you’re buying a supposedly single-ingredient product or something that lists three natural ingredients on its front label, always look at the fine print and check the official list. For instance, SheaMoisture is an excellent and popular black-owned skincare brand, but unfortunately, many of their products do include chemicals alongside the good stuff. And if you don’t check the labels, you might wind up with a “99% aloe vera gel” that contains mostly water.
This is a long post so click below the read more line to get to my lists of black-owned skin & hair care brands + Afrocentric skin & hair care ingredients.
Which skin and hair care ingredients are Afrocentric?
The following ingredients are all from different parts of Africa or were used traditionally in Africana cultures. They are all good for both skin and hair care, and they all contain good juju - physical and spiritual properties that are healing, rejuvenating, and nourishing for the body.
Ghassoul Clay
Origins: Natural mineral clay mined from the Atlas Mountains in Morroco that has been used in North Africa to create skin and hair treatments for centuries.
Benefits:Â Increases hair shine, reduces acne, exfoliates dead cells
Use It to Make: Exfoliating facial mask, face and body soap, facial cleanser, hair mask, deep conditioner
Origins: Fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree, which grows in the dry savannah belt of West Africa from Senegal to Sudan and the Ethiopian highlands. It’s used both for cosmetics and in cooking!
Benefits:Â Anti-aging, anti-inflammation, soothes itchy or irritated skin
Use It to Make: Skin moisturizer, lotion, shampoo, conditioner, soap
How-to-Use Guide: [LINK]
Yejide’s Product Recommendation: SheaMoisture
Cocoa Butter
Origins: Fat extracted from cocoa beans. It is used for skin care and also to create chocolate. Nearly 70% of the cocoa world crop today is grown in West Africa.
Use It to Make: Facial mask, acne treatment, bath, facial cleanser
How-to-Use Guide: [LINK]
Yejide’s Product Recommendation: beelove
Black Castor Oil
Origins: Oil from roasted castor seeds using a traditional Jamaican method of extracting them to create black castor oil. Castor seeds are from East Africa and have been used as a traditional medicine by multiple cultures including Kemet (Ancient Egypt).
Use It to Make: Hair moisturizer, acne treatment, pain relief rub
How-to-Use Guide: [LINK]
Yejide’s Product Recommendation: Sunny Isle
Coconut Oil
Origins: Oil extracted from coconut meat. Coconuts grow in various regions of Africa and in the Caribbean, where they are popular for both cuisine and cosmetics.
There’s many more black-owned brands out there, but here’s a starter list! I’ve specifically highlighted these particular brands based on how natural and high quality the ingredients are in their products. These are some real goodies for your hair and skin.Â
Some of these companies also have a social impact - whether it’s supporting black communities around the world, empowering women, or protecting animals and the environment with cruelty-free or vegan products!
Hair & Skin Care
BLK + GRN - Here you’ll find a selection of hair and skin products (alongside jewelry, cosmetics, and other goodies) from black-owned brands at this all-natural online marketplace curated by “Black women's health experts who know what an all-natural product truly looks like."
ILERA Apothecary - Sister duo Chinonye and Nneji Akunne went on a mission to create this premium organic and vegan skincare brand. You can find everything you’d want to put in your bathroom cabinet from fragrant body butters to beard oil to aluminum free deodorant!
beelove -Â Get your honey and honey-infused products for skin and hair care from this black-owned company in Chicago that provides job opportunities specifically for folks returning to society from incarceration. You'll find an amazing selection of lip balms, lotion, sugar scrubs, and bath/shower products. Don't forget that their pure, all-natural Chicagoland honey can also be used on your skin and hair all by itself!
ASIM Supreme - Started by entrepreneur Akil Jabbar, this hair and skin care product line has top-quality natural ingredients - many of which are even exported from the African countries where they are naturally grown and produced. Here you can meet all your natural skin and hair care needs for shea butter, coconut oil, argan oil, black castor oil, aloe vera oil, grapeseed oil, and more!
Sunny Isle Jamaican Black Castor Oil - This company supports rural farmers in Jamaica and preserves traditional Jamaican methods for extracting castor oil and coconut oil by using them to create excellent skin care products. Black Castor Oil can be used for many purposes including moisturizer, hair and eyelash growth, acne treatment, and even a pain relief rub!
Alaffia - By shopping at Alaffia, not only do you get quality natural ingredients, you are also helping encourage gender equality and alleviate poverty in Togo. Proceeds help fund Alaffia’s “Empowerment Projects” such as “Education-Based Projects, Maternal Health, FGM Eradication, Eyeglasses, and Reforestation.”
Natural Cosmetics
Blac Minerals Cosmetics - Merced Boyce wanted to create natural makeup for women of color that is "powered by healthy, skin-loving ingredients." Blac Minerals products are free of animal testing, phthalates, parabens, sulfates, mineral oil, petroleum, and other nasty chemicals. Check out the mineral foundations and lip glosses, which come in lots of shades!
Laws of Nature Cosmetics - Jasmine Rose, the founder of this all-natural makeup line, will personally email you her recommendation for which foundation shade best matches your skin tone if you fill out the Foundation Quiz! You can get powder, gel, or foundation sticks that are vegan, antioxidant-rich products free of parabens, silicone, and alcohol.
LUV + CO. - Join the #luvtribe and check out this incredible line from Dr. Melodie Ray Davis-Bundrage, which focuses on natural and organic foundation formulas specifically for women of color. These products are free of toxins, parabens, and carcinogens. Beyond foundation, there's also lipsticks, nail polish, and more!
OMGLO Cosmetics - Gone are the days of using highlighters and makeup setting sprays full of chemicals! Thank you, Joelle Phillips, for finding a way to give a golden finish to our makeup routine that’s full of organic, natural ingredients good for our skin.
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