Image: Instagram
With the recent news about L’Oreal USA acquiring natural hair care line, Carol’s Daughter, entrepreneur Lisa Price has received mixed reviews in regards to her latest business move.
The CEO who started her business 21 years ago in her New York City apartment was congratulated by some and referred to as a “sell out” by others who announced their refusal to support a brand that’s no longer black owned. But whatever your take is on Price’s latest power move, we’ve rounded up a list of six other black owned beauty brands that you should keep on your radar when looking for the next best hair and skin care product.
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Jane Carter
Beginning her career as a hairstylist and salon owner, Jane started her hair care line, Jane Carter Solution, after experiencing an allergic reaction to the chemicals in traditional hair care products.
With a goal to create chemical free hair care products, Jane started experimenting with natural ingredients and plants to create a product that was suitable for all natural hair types. In 1992, she launched her product line, which has now expanded to become a nationally recognized brand that includes 23 products sold online and in major retail stores such as Target and Whole Foods.
Not one to shy away from sharing the secrets to her success, Jane was also recruited as a speaker at Black Enterprise’s 2014 Women of Power Summit, where she spoke about how she built her brand from the ground up.
Image: Instagram
Miss Jessie’s
Started in 2004 by sisters Miko and TiTi Branch, Miss Jessie’s is one of the top known natural hair care brands for helping to define your curls.
Inspired by their grandmother, Miss Jessie Mae Branch, the sisters created the hair care line after working as hair stylists at their own salon and realizing that there weren’t any products out that catered to their clients different hair textures.
Today, the brand has expanded beyond it’s New York home-based market and is sold nationwide in retail giants like Target, CVS and Walgreens.
Image: SheaMoisture.com
Shea Moisture
Established in 1912 by Sofi Tucker, Shea Moisture has grown to be one of the leading eco-friendly and organic beauty lines on the market.
Starting out with handmade shea butter, African black soap and other natural remedies, Shea Moisture has expanded to become a full-on beauty brand that includes hair, bath and body products thanks to the hard work of Tucker’s grandson Richelieu Dennis, who now serves as the company’s CEO.
With distribution deals in major retail brands nationwide and a charity organization called The Sofi Tucker Foundation, Shea Moisture will surely be a staple brand in the ethnic beauty market for years to come.
Image: KarensBodyBeautiful.com
Karen’s Body Beautiful
Karen Tappin started her beauty brand in 2003 after being alarmed by the preservatives and possible carcinogens in traditional bath and body products. Using all natural ingredients, Tappin first started her line selling lotions, soaps, scrubs, oils, candles and bath salts. After building a huge following of loyal customers with her bath and body products, Tappin then expanded Karen’s Body Beautiful to include natural hair care products as well.
Since 2003, Tappin has expanded her brand from a small home-based business to a booming enterprise that also includes a store and spa.
Shea Gourmet
After working in the beauty business for over a decade and dealing with her daughter’s battle with eczema, Kimo Bentley saw first-hand the lack of natural beauty brands on the market. With a mission to cure her daughter’s skin condition using natural ingredients, Bentley started to experiment with recipes. Using exotic ingredients from her Caribbean roots and other natural formulas, Bentley created a line of soap, bath crystals, moisturizers and body washes that quickly gained a popular following.
With a national television appearance on the Bethenny talk show and a distribution deal with Walgreens, Bentley is surely on her way to making her brand a household name.
Gwen Jemmere Founder "Naturalicious", a "game-changing" natural hair product company
Naturalicious
Walking away from Black Enterprise’s 19th Annual Entrepreneur’s Conference as the elevator pitch contest winner, Gwen Jimmere founded Naturalicious with the goal of designing a hair care system specifically for curly, kinky, and wavy hair textures.
Serving as the #1 Detroit-based natural hair care company, Naturalicious was the only hair care line invited to participate in President Obama’s inaugural ball in January 2013.
With $10,000 under her belt from her elevator pitch win, and a distribution deal with select Whole Food stores, Jimmere is well on her way to becoming a go-to brand in the natural hair care business.