The reality is, running a Black-owned beauty brand is hard. This year, we’ve seen an onslaught of , file for bankruptcy, or be sold to acquisitions to remain afloat as a looms. Despite many Black beauty brands hitting record numbers in 2020—marked by the George Floyd protests and an increase in —the 2024 attack on DEI and a makes the current reality of minority beauty businesses more bleak now than before.
“Everything has become harder—raising capital, negotiating with retailers, finding authentic influencers, and ensuring we have the highest quality products on the market at a reasonable price,” co-owner of Desiree Rogers tells ESSENCE. “Performance of independent makeup brands in the first quarter has been mixed, especially those that are focused exclusively on the ethnic space.” While we’ve seen a rise in melanated beauty brands amid the (think: ), trying to mend the inequity gap may also come at a difficult price.
“I don’t think there’s a future for beauty brands that focus solely on the ‘melanin rich’ demographic,” esthetician and founder of Dija Ayodele writes in a . “Not if you want to go big,” she says, pointing out a potential hurdle with niche brands. Nevertheless, a beauty brand is as big as the community supporting them, and with all odds stacked against us, it is our job to help each other break the barriers.
In honor of , three Black founders weigh in on how we can support their beauty businesses right now. “First and foremost.