It’s that time of year again! February is Black History Month, and that means we get to discover—and promote—Black-owned brands and companies we may not have heard of before. So in case you’ve been meaning to look up some new sustainable alternatives and ways to support small Black-owned businesses, here’s 6 bookmark for your next trip to the wellness aisle!
Brown Girl Jane
Black female owned and operated, BGJ focuses on resolving inequity in the wellness space for WOC. The company sells an array of fragrances, CBD supplements, skincare, and candles—all ethically sourced, vegan, and cruelty-free. Their pledge for transparency means you can see what ingredients they don’t include, and their 3rd party lab test result here.
Oui the People
While this company may sound more like a fragrance brand than the last, Oui the People actually sells personal grooming supplies—most notably their razors. Their mission statement outlines how they’re creating sustainability from “product to packaging” with their reusable glass bottles and stainless-steel recyclable blade heads, as well as reiterating their commitment to continue creating more opportunities for sustainability in their process.
Olamina Botanicals
Centered in healing with herbalism and holistic solutions, Olamina is an incredibly curated and seasonal apothecary. The company sources their ingredients directly from a community of medicinal herb farmers, as well as from plants they grow and harvest themselves. This Black-female founded brand offers salves, tinctures, tonics, and more. All with the intention of empowering you to heal your mind, body, and spirit.
Reel Paper
Eco club member Reel has created a tree-free, sustainable toilet paper alternative out of bamboo (that’s surprisingly soft!). The B-Corp Certified company not only packages in plastic-free recyclable paper and biodegradable packing materials, they also work to offset any carbon emissions created by their supply chain through partnerships with Flexport and the Carbonfund.org Foundation. Set up a recurring subscription and never worry about running out again, and find more ways to make your bathroom more sustainable here.
Honeypot
A Black female-founded and owned period product company Honeypot gives back in multiple ways. The products themselves are hypoallergenic, plant-based, cruelty free, and Organic Content Standard (OCS) certified. Honeypot also dedicates a percentage of its sales to donate to organizations that support sexual wellness services, clean water and menstrual product accessibility, and health education.
BLK+GRN
BLK+GRN is a collection of Black female artisans whose products have been vetted to create a sustainability-centric marketplace. Their mission is to create a space that funds Black women and their businesses while offering non-toxic health and wellness products to Black consumers. Their rigorous 4 step approval process ensures that every product offered on their platform is sustainably sourced and packaged, made of clean ingredients and tested for efficacy by in-house professionals.
While this is only a minute sampling of the vastly untapped market of Black-owned businesses—concentrated here in the wellness space—hopefully one or two of the names on this list caught your attention. These companies all work towards the betterment of the Black community; giving back monetarily or by creating a product that fills a need for a green alternative to everyday goods. Allyship doesn’t always have to be something you share on your social media. Sometimes all you have to do to support POC businesses is wipe with bamboo.
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