black-owned skincare brands to support instead of dove

By Katie Mitchell / Wear Your Voice*, AFROPUNK Contributor

We don’t need Dove. Dove needs us.

This week, the popular bath and body brand Dove released an uncomfortable at best and racist at worst (let’s be real; it was racist) GIF advertisement featuring a Black woman removing a brown shirt, revealing a white woman in a white shirt. A bottle of Dove body wash was in the corner of the image. Before the image looped, it asked viewers, “Ready for a Dove shower?”

The underlying message of this Dove advertisement isn’t new. Skincare and beauty companies have been equating Blackness and dirtiness in their advertising since advertising began. What Dove and other companies that employ these racist tactics fail to acknowledge that bathing hasn’t always been a staple in “white culture.” In fact, the Bubonic Plague was able to kill two-thirds of Europeans because they believed bathing was a sign of vanity that made the spread of disease easier.

This instance isn’t the first time Dove has green-lighted racist advertisements, and it likely won’t be the last. Companies that don’t value Black people will allow their biases and disregard to reflect in their product and their advertising. Luckily for us, there are several Black-owned skincare brands that specialize in caring for sensitive skin. Check them out and support them. Tell a friend to tell a friend.

We don’t need Dove. Dove needs us.

Jacq’s Organics

Barbara Jacques, the co-founder and CEO of Jacq’s Organics, takes her cues from nature. Fruits, roots, and flowers infuse all of Jacq’s skin, bath, and body products. Unlike Dove, Barbara is passionate about creating products for women with a myriad of skin types and her products reflect the complexity, diversity, strength, and wisdom of her customer’s beauty. Jacq’s is handcrafted in South Florida and is vegan and cruelty free. Slay naturally with Jacq’s Organics.

Temple Zen

Formulated to heal, rejuvenate, and restore, Temple Zen Organic Skincare is all-natural and handcrafted with a therapeutic touch for all skin types. Temple Zen has a face, shea therapy, and bath line. Starting at $8, the face line uses organic herbs, salts, and oils penetrate to restore and promote natural cell rejuvenation as vitamin-rich minerals polish the dull outer layer of skin to reveal a healthier radiant glow. Temple Zen’s shea therapy line features fragrant body butters that seep into the skin, rejuvenating and locking in moisture to reveal your natural sun-kissed glow. Their bath products are detoxifying, aiding in the releasing of harmful toxins. The best part of Temple Zen? All products are organic and their website offers free shipping on orders over $35.

BeeLux Goods

BeeLux Goods are made with all natural ingredients, including honey from local Georgia bees. At BeeLux, they believe that the earth provides everything we need to take care of our bodies. That’s why their products are handmade with simple formulas. There is something for everyone at BeeLux. BeeLux hopes that their natural goods will lead customers to a more balanced life full of natural self-care. Stop by the physical store in Atlanta or order offline.

Serenti Bath Body and You Spa

Renee Sessoms is a wife, mother of four, and licensed esthetician. She has been in the business of creating quality bath and body for five years. Serenti has several soaps, butters, oils, and scrubs. Sessoms sets herself and her business apart by offering the best products and customer service as well as spa services at her physical store in North Carolina. After you order your Breakfast Bar Soap, you might be tempted to make a trip to Rocky Mount for a facial.

PLANT Apothecary

Founded by Holly McWhorter and her husband, PLANT Apothecary has been promoting healthy ingredients, environmental friendliness, and social responsibility since 2012. PLANT started off as just body washes, and over the years, the line has grown to include moisturizers, masks, and more. PLANT’s unisex, USDA Organic beauty, grooming and bath products contain NO petroleum, parabens, PABA, sodium lauryl sulfate, silicones or any other synthetic nasties–so you can lather up, moisturize, purify, de-stress, exfoliate and be well without worry!  Based in Brooklyn, PLANT partners with BKLYN UNLTD, a nonprofit workshop for adults with mental and physical disabilities, for various production and distribution needs.

Do you know of any Black-owned skincare companies we didn’t list? Please tell us about their work and link to their website in the comments!

*This post originally appeared on Wear Your Voice