Did you know that National Body Care Day takes place on April 5th every year? Every day, our skin goes through a lot. The skin acts as a shield, protecting our bodies from harsh elements, water, and other environmental pressures. While being pampered is pleasurable, self-care and appropriate skin care are key healthy habits that we should all practice. Here are a few Black-owned brands that are helping us maintain healthy skin.
Cashmere Moon is an indie beauty + body care company built on the promise of providing pure, skin-nourishing products that are vegan, cruelty-free, and wrapped in environment-friendly packaging.
Tisha Ayers is the founder, and CEO of Cashmere Moon. Her leadership years in the Armed Forces coupled with her Master’s degree in Business Administration became the foundation for starting the brand. Thinking there were others looking for the in-between of lotion and pure shea butter, her and her husband launched Cashmere Moon in June 2021. It turns out, there was a mass market out there looking for this particular thing. In less than two years, they have garnered partnerships with over 20 retail spaces nationwide and in Canada.
Additionally, they have recently secured a partnership with Thirteen Lune and JCPenney.
Website: https://shopcashmeremoon.com/
G.L.A.M. is a line of all natural body scrubs that are available in hundreds of major retail stores throughout the country. The products themselves are newsworthy but the story behind the brand is what really intrigues many.
Product founder, Tiffany Cartwright, is a former Assistant Attorney General and former Administrative Law Judge for the State of Michigan who was laid off in 2012 due to State budget cuts. She returned in 2015 but was again released in 2016.
Determined not to give up, she developed a line of body scrubs mixing natural ingredients she started using to treat her daughter’s eczema. For years she had given the scrubs out as birthday, Mother’s Day, and holiday gifts but never dreamed she’d be sharing those same scrubs with customers throughout the country.
Currently, G.L.A.M. Body Scrub can be found in over 400 Walmart and Target stores across the country.
Instagram: @glambodyscrubs
Carla Halls is the founder of The Cactus Beauty Bar. After a lifetime of living with severe eczema and sensitive skin, Carla used a variety of products to cope. She struggled to find a safe, natural, and effective line of products to use.
After much trial and error, she began to see great results with her skin. In 2013, she began selling moisture enriching skincare products to family and friends. She now has a successful business that began as a hobby. The Cactus Beauty Bar is a beauty company that creates natural self- care products. The mission of the Cactus Beauty Bar is to create natural products that allow the skin and scalp to heal. Many skin types are inundated by eczema, acne, and psoriasis, just like the owner of TCBB. Their products allow people to feel beautiful inside and out.
Instagram: @thecactusbeautybar
Baltimore based, Fran’s Body Care specializes in creating all natural products that have been proven to moisturize and purify your body.
Having suffered from Venous Insufficiency and extremely dry skin most of her life, the owner, Fran was introduced to natural Shea Butter and its benefits in 2005. When she incorporated the use of the butter with organic soaps, her skin maintained moisture and began to heal for the first time in her life. Her constant search for all natural product became a struggle for daily use. In 2008 Fran made her first batch of handmade soap using organic Shea and Mango butters, fresh fruit and vegetables and pure essential oils. The recipe was such a success that requests from Fran’s friends and family soon became demands for her body care products. In 2009, Fran’s family encouraged her to sell her soaps and moisturizers to everyone. It was the inspiration she needed to start her business and develop a full organic body care line. Fran’s Organic Body care is a registered business in the state of Maryland. They currently operate retail locations, an e-commerce store and offer wholesale options to various natural markets like Whole foods Stores.
Website: https://fransbodycare.com/
Founder Shante James is a wife, mother of three and entrepreneur. When the pandemic pushed everyone indoors and altered work schedules, Shante and her family turned their hobby into a passion and a business, KJ3 ESSENTIALS. Because their family suffers from allergies and sensitive skin, they were always experimenting with natural ingredients already found in their kitchen.
They began making deodorant and lip balms for their oldest daughter, who was 6 at the time. What started out as kitchen-made products turned into the brand working with major U.S. labs, which now manufactures their product line. Today, you can find the products at easily accessible places like Amazon, Walmart online and many other e-commerce sites.
Website: https://www.kj3essentials.com/
Body care includes feminine care!
Leda Toussaint is the owner and creator of the all-natural feminine wash, GNTLE. After a year of struggling with recurring yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and dealing with products that only made her symptoms worse; Leda decided to combine her background in medical science and passion for women’s reproductive health to help women with sensitive vaginas find a “true cleanse” and long-lasting relief.
Website: https://gntlelinks.com/
Body Care is not just about products but also services to help you look and feel your best. Located in Capitol Hill, this boutique beauty bar offers facials, waxing, sugaring, airbrush tanning, eyebrow/lash tint, eyelash lift, & body contouring. Their highly trained beauty professionals embrace each guest they service. The founder and master esthetician Meka Mathis is the lead esthetician and a graduate of Parsons School of Design. She has integrated her Design Marketing degree and esthetics degree by running a successful beauty business. Skin Beauty Bar is the destination space for all self-care and body care needs.
Website: https://www.skinbeautybardc.com/
Celebrate National Body Care Day with us by taking the time to self-care in the ways that are best for you. Also, be sure to follow and support these businesses that want the best for your mind, body, and soul.
Dr. Trenice J. Brinkley is a distinguished educator, renowned publicist, and successful entrepreneur. She is celebrated for her unwavering work ethic, strong determination, and philanthropic spirit. As an award-winning celebrity publicist, Dr. Brinkley excels in helping brands create compelling narratives, develop innovative strategies, and achieve greater visibility.
