10 Black-Owned Sustainable Lifestyle Brands To Shop This Earth Day
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The ethical fashion market exceeded a value of six million dollars in 2019 and has grown substantially since 2015. The largest sector of the market is manmade/regenerated products (such as items made from plant-based materials versus synthetic), but the organic sector is close behind. The natural cosmetics and personal care industries are projected to reach over 54 billion dollars by the year 2027. People voice their opinions through where they put their money, and the people have spoken: taking care of the planet is a priority.
Of course, opting for natural, organic, and sustainable items doesn’t just help the planet – it can also be better for the consumer than synthetic items. Did you know that while the European Union has banned hundreds of toxic chemicals once found in cosmetics, the United States has only banned a handful? Or that some synthetic materials found in clothing can penetrate the skin and get into the body? When we save a few dollars by getting the cheap stuff, we may pay a price larger than we imaged later – the price of our health, and of our planet. In celebrating Earth Day this year, we wanted to highlight some Black-owned lifestyle brands that prioritize sustainability in their materials and processes. Here are some of our favorites.
LOCI
Each pair of shoes you buy from LOCI footwear is handmade in Portugal, and made with recycled ocean plastic sourced from the Mediterranean and Atlantic Coast of Africa, along with foam, rubber, natural cork, and bamboo. Thanks to its soft texture and breathability, bamboo is the chosen fabric for what lines these trendy kicks while hypoallergenic and flexible cork makes up the insoles. The items are 100 percent vegan and available in dozens of attractive two-tone designs for both men and women, in American and European sizes. Plus, the brand donates 10 percent of all proceeds to building ocean conservation sites and protecting endangered ocean species.
Source: LYS Beauty / LYS
LYS Beauty
LYS Beauty is the first and only clean makeup brand at Sephora. All of their products are vegan, gluten-free, and cruelty-free and their stylish packaging is recyclable, featuring FSC-certified folding cartons, as well as glass and tubes using 30 percent Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) materials. With a mission to help everyone create looks they love, they offer “universal shades” meant to be suitable and gentle for all complexions. What’s best is every product manages to be under $30, even though they’re made with premium materials and through cruelty-free practices. Their products are also entirely gluten-free for those with allergies. You’ll notice the unique triangle packaging – that’s actually a Delta, and the symbol for change, which is something the brand hopes to make in the world of cosmetics.
Source: Maya Penn
Maya’s Ideas
Maya’s Ideas offers artisan-crafted garments and accessories that are made with organic, recycled, and vintage materials. The owner, Maya Penn, started her company when she was just eight years old and has gone on to be a keynote speaker, featured on TED talks, and known for her environmental activism. On her online shop you’ll find hats, hair accessories, bags, tops, and even yoga wear, as well as a special section dedicated to vintage items, and organic beauty and health products. Penn’s original artwork is also featured on the site, much of which has been transformed into pendants found in the jewelry section.
Source: Brown Girl Jane / Brown Girl Jane
Brown Girl Jane
Beauty and wellness brand Brown Girl Jane is the brand behind the popular #BrownGirlSwap movement which encouraged consumers to swap out five of their mainstream brands for five Black-owned, female-owned brands. Their CBD-infused products are made from hand-selected plant-based ingredients, and a portion of all proceeds go to a rotating selection of non-profits that are aligned with the company’s mission to improve the lives of women of color. Their current beneficiary non-profit is the Black Women’s Health Imperative. When it comes to shopping their site, you’ll find some fun and dynamic health and beauty products, like an oil for vaginal health, an anti-inflammatory facial serum, and decadent body butter.
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Shea Yeleen
Shea Yeleen specializes in organic, fair-trade skincare products with a focus on women’s micro enterprising. But it’s more than a beauty brand: it’s a social enterprise. Through the brand, owner Rahama Wright is creating living-wage jobs for women in Ghana. Her cooperatives in West Africa not only create jobs that pay five times the minimum wage in their region, but also offer access to healthcare benefits. If the social impact doesn’t draw you in, the delicious and luxurious body balms and soaps will, with their nourishing ingredients like Tea Tree Charcoal, Shea butter, coconut oil, and more. The company is one of eight Black-owned organizations to have won the Anastasia Beverly Hills Black–Owned Business Grant in 2021.
Kazmaleje
Kazmaleje is a hair tools line owned by three sisters that are doing amazing things. First, every item purchased from the brand comes with a Net Zero Plastic Footprint as their items have been certified as Plastic Neutral by rePurpose Global. The brand partnered with rePurpose Global, a sustainable initiative that is funding innovative recycling programs and creating living wage jobs for waste workers in Kenya. Now onto the fun stuff: Kazmaleje offers combs and picks designed for curly hair, but suitable for most hair types. Their items are small and portable, have comfortable grips, and have the brand’s signature blue hue and rose pink accents.
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PUR Home
PUR Home offers non-toxic cleaning products that are biodegradable, sulfate-free, and plant-based. Even the packaging is biodegradable or recyclable. Furthermore, PUR sources its ingredients from companies who use green practices in their production to reduce pollution. Their products cover every part of your home, with tub and tile cleaners, floor cleaners, glass and window cleaners, laundry detergent, laundry whitener, dish soap, and more. You can see a full breakdown of all of the ingredients used on their website, for full transparency. Plus, this cruelty-free company is Leaping Bunny Certified, so it’s gentle on the planet and animals, while being tough on dirt and grime.
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Salome
Salome swimwear is made by women in the Dominican Republic, where the brand’s owner is from. Each piece is sustainably made in small batches and consists of ECONYL – an alternative to nylon that’s similar in texture but made from waste products. Don’t let its recycled nature fool you: ECONYL is UV- and chlorine-resistant, so it’s ready for fun in the sea, sun, and pool. Salome currently has three signature collections. The Resort 2021 collection is inspired by the owner’s time growing up in the Caribbean, while the Taina collection is inspired by the indigenous people of Hispaniola, and the Del Carmen line is named after the women in the owner’s family.
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Adele Dejack
Adele Dejak jewelry is certainly priced for luxury, but worth it, as nobody can accuse you of being unoriginal in one of these pieces. Each piece is handmade in Kenya, where the company is creating employment opportunities and teaching useful technical skills to its creators. The materials found in the jewelry are the same that local African tribes use in making their own pieces, and are all sustainably sourced, with most materials being upcycled or recycled. They have several collections, each with stunning and unique items from chokers to ear cuffs to neckpieces. They also make attractive day bags and clutches with eye-catching details
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Jungalow
Jungalow offers boho-chic, eco-friendly, and very swoon-worthy home décor. What started as a small blog has blossomed into a full home décor brand. In addition to some of the expected pieces like pillows, lighting fixture, and accent stools, the site also offers artwork created by female artists around the world. For every purchase you make at Jungalow, two trees are planted (they’ve already planted nearly 50,000!) They prioritize natural, recycled, biodegradable, and compostable materials in their goods and have a goal to be completely free of single-use-plastics and Styrofoam by the year 2022. They even use water-efficient practices in making the finishes on their ceramics.
