Courtesy of africanfairtradesociety.com
As the name suggests, the company is 100% fair trade, and the product line here specialises in organic shea butter, entirely sourced from Africa, which is an all-natural solution to skincare. The website – http://www.africanfairtradesociety.com/ – offers a variety of shea butter products such as body creams and body lotions, as well as pure shea butter and anti-aging and anti-hair loss products for both men and women.
Courtesy of africanbotanics.com
African Botanics was founded and is still based in South Africa. Their products are based on unique plant ingredients that are thought to have medicinal healing properties, such as Baobab and Marula oil, to Melon seed, Cape Snowbush Plant, to Honeybush and Cape Chamomile. They range from exfoliate masks, face oils and serums, to moisturisers and eye cream, and can be found at www.africanbotanics.com. They take great pride in their Fair Trade ethics and their sourcing of ingredients from numerous Fair Trade communities in South Africa. They also use some of their profits to invest in the preservation of local people’s lands to make their livelihood and business model sustainable.
Courtesy of justpure.co.za
Established in 2007 in South Africa, ‘Just Pure’ specialises in natural skin and body care products for children, men, and women, as well as a range of aromatherapy products such as wax candles, room mists and reed diffusers. They use all-natural medicinal ingredients sourced in South Africa and take particular pride in the fact that no harmful synthetic ingredients are used, are biodegradable and never tested on animals. The website can be found at www.justpure.co.za.
Courtesy of motherlandsfinest.wordpress.com
A newcomer to the scene, established in late 2015, Servants of Africa initially started out as a website – https://motherlandsfinest.wordpress.com/ – that sold African fashioned clothes. However, this company very quickly evolved into a business that is now selling beauty products, with a particular focus on shea butter and especially African black soap, which is a soap native to West Africa, and perfect in reducing or eliminating breakouts and razor bumps on the skin. It has a natural and earthy scent and is also sold in liquid form.
Courtesy of sheaterraorganics.com
http://www.sheaterraorganics.com/ sells everything from hair products made from Egyptian castor oil to 100% Moroccan Argan oil for skin and hair care to fragrant Castile shea butter, argan oil, coconut, and lemongrass liquid hand soap. They also have products for babies, such as African flower baby lotion. As the name suggests, they are all-natural, all 100% organic products, sourced exclusively in Africa.
Courtesy of blackbeautystore.eu
The online company – http://www.blackbeautystore.eu/ – has a selection of skincare and hair care products, but are unique for offering hairstyling and makeup products utilizing traditional African ingredients such as beeswax and shea butter (perfect for braids and dreadlocks), as well as detangling hair lotion for kids that uses gentle, natural herbal ingredients and extra virgin olive oil. Also on offer are hair dying kits that use natural African dyes with moisture sealing technology, as well as shaving products for men such as shaving powder specifically formulated for afro-carribean men.
Courtesy of sukisukinaturals.co.za
Based in South Africa, http://www.sukisukinaturals.co.za/ is devoted to delivering hair care products that are based on traditional African healing herbs and oils, which celebrates and showcases Africa’s diverse and rich plant life. Naturally, the products are 100% organic, biodegradable, and not tested on animals. Stand out products include the Grooming Beard Oil for men, and the Mango Butter for women’s curly hair, which contains Mango butter, Avocado butter from South Africa, and Shea and Cacao Butter from Ghana.
Courtesy of bmpromakeup.com
BM Pro specialise entirely in make-up products. Their online store – http://www.bmpromakeup.com/ – is Nigerian based. Set up by a Nigerian girl who was not satisfied with Western products when working as a stylist in Lagos, she started this business to create make-up products sourced from her native Nigeria. Products include blending balls, brushes, cheeks, and face bases.
Courtesy of orikigroup.com
Oriki uses potent but natural plant products that are biodegradable and 100% organic. Their skin, hair, and body care product range includes such unique products as anti-scarring remedies made from Avacado grown in South Africa, to men’s shaving cream made from yuccas cactus and lemongrass. The full product range can be found at http://www.orikigroup.com/.
Courtesy of The Good Hair Collective/Facebook
As the name suggests, The Good Hair Collective was formed in Uganda, and they are dedicated to hair care products that cater to those with African hairstyles. All the products are made to a whipped butter consistently using natural butter and oil that do not suffocate the pores – unlike petroleum products. Indeed, the products have actually been described as looking and smelling like tasty desserts! A testament to the wide array of herbs, fruits, and oils that go into the product lines, such as mint chocolate, orange, tea tree oil, hibiscus, and avocado.
Courtesy of sheayeleen.com
http://www.sheayeleen.com/ specialises in products containing the increasingly popular shea butter. However, their range of body balms and soaps are interesting because they combine the shea butter with various herbs and oils such as lavender honeysuckle, Ghanian Black Soap, and coconut and peach in their lip balm range. The company is well established – founded in 2005 – and it also gives back to the communities it sources its products from by helping to create co-operatives for workers and funding grassroots community development projects.
Courtesy of cookieskin.com
Cookieskin focuses on skincare products, sun lotion, and skincare products that are designed to repair damaged skin on their website: http://www.cookieskin.com/. They use all-natural products and avoid chemicals such as hydroquinone, peroxide, and steroids that can burn and damage the skin. The products are also designed to brighten, fade, and lighten the skin over time, as well as treat and prevent acne problems, sun damage, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Courtesy of mdmflow.com
http://www.mdmflow.com/ – founded by 22-year-old Florence Adepoju – UK-based, but of African origin, MDM Flow is dedicated to providing a wide range of make-up for women with darker skin tones, after becoming frustrated with a lack of suitable make-up when she was working for a luxury cosmetics brand in Essex, UK. Products range from semi-matte lipstick to mascara and liquid matte lipstick. The style of the products has been termed “Hip-Hop,” with bold, unusual colours with a “street-style.”
Courtesy of naturalsbeauty.co.za
Naturals Beauty is special because they sell handcrafted beauty products on their website –http://www.naturalsbeauty.co.za/ – that are non-mass manufactured in small batches. Their products are all-natural – wherever possible – and are free from any harmful chemicals or animal products. Founded in 2007 in South Africa, Naturals Beauty is dedicated to providing skincare products to all age groups, from babies to teens to adults. Products include interesting moisturisers containing combinations of herbs and plants such as Ylang Ylang essential oil, bergamot, and white sugar.
Courtesy of uk.maleeonline.com
A luxury fragrance and body care range created in South Africa in 2010 and now online at https://uk.maleeonline.com/, Malee focus on products made from ingredients you can find on African plains and even in the average African kitchen: from shea butter, cacao seed butter and avocado oil, used in exactly the same way ancient African ancestors would have done.
Courtesy of luluandmarula.com
Specialising in handmade, small-batch, natural skincare products based in South Africa – http://www.luluandmarula.com/ – Lula and Marula believe in simple ingredients that are effective and do not add anything that is unnecessary or detrimental to the effectiveness of their product range, such as preservatives and fragrances. They source the ingredients – such as lemongrass, naartjie, and vetiver – as locally as possible, in and around South Africa, leading to an all-natural product range and a low-carbon footprint.
Courtesy of suziebeauty.com
With product names such as Kenya Highlands, Midnight on Mount Kenya and Nairobi Sunrise, this company specialises in makeup that has bold colours inspired by Africa’s natural beauty and designed for women with darker skin-tones. Indeed, their line of products found on http://suziebeauty.com/ is found all across Africa, from stores in Addis Ababa to Kampala, Uganda, and all the way down in South Africa, such as the success of their product line.
Courtesy of Oamobu Naturals/Facebook
Courtesy of mbiri-skincare.com
Exotic African Fruits: Kola Nut
Mbiri is found online at http://www.mbiri-skincare.com/, and brings something truly unique to the African beauty product market. Their entire product range includes ingredients from Namibian plants, the core of which lies in Namibian Myrrh, which is wild-harvested by the Himba people of Namibia. The oil is extracted from a resin which Himba women have been using for centuries as a traditional perfume. This oil is sourced from women’s co-operatives, ensuring they are paid fair wages and have excellent working conditions. Some of the products on offer include Mbiri Body Lotion, which includes additional ingredients such as citrus oils, marula oil, and Kalahari melon seed oil. Needless to say, all products are 100% biodegradable and natural and are not tested on any animals.
Courtesy of orikigroup.com