BIPOC-Owned Wellness Brands
I’m not going to lie. When I began to write this article I had to google the definition of wellness….a couple of times. I even texted a few of my friends who replied “What do you mean when you say wellness?”
It's a word as saturated as the word sustainable is green-washed. I’ve often heard it used in interviews coming out of the mouths of white celebrities describing their newfound love for sound baths and bone broth diets. I’ve been in fancy-looking wellness centers in LA where I’ve received an overpriced massage and felt overwhelmed by all of the oils and crystals that no one in my tax bracket could ever afford.
What the hell does wellness mean?
It's a concept that's hard to define but easy to describe, and it took me researching the five BIPOC brands below to finally understand. Wellness is a practice of rituals that benefits our internal and external beings. These practices are often traditions passed down to us. It's an act of nourishment and self love for our vessels.
Here are five BIPOC-owned wellness brands that personify the word wellness from their core values to their ingredients used.
Peak and Valley
Peak and Valley is a Seattle-based adaptogen company started by Nadine Joseph. While Joseph was in the lab studying the neuroscience of stress, she was also struggling with her own chronic fatigue and health problems at home. She was desperate to find a natural cure and this led her to discovering the healing powers of adaptogens.
The use of adaptogens is an ancient tradition and Joseph knew she needed to share the knowledge and make her blends accessible for everyone. Peak and Valley herbal blends include: Balance My Stress, Nourish My Brain, Nurture My Skin, and Restore My Sleep. Each blend retails for $38. So how do you take the blends, you ask? Well, Joseph has designated recipes for each. I recommend trying the raspberry cashew smoothie with the Nourish My Brain blend for the ultimate productivity levels with none of the work anxiety.
Medicine of the People
From an early age, Virginia Boone learned about Navajo herbal traditions from her father. He not only taught her, but educated the local community about the medicinal properties of the plants and herbs growing in their state of Arizona. Carrying on his teachings was part of her inspiration for taking the path of a Healer. Boone also wanted to create products designed for Indigenous people, keeping in mind their needs and philosophy of respect for all plant life. When she met her partner Leonard Marcus, the two brought their company to local Navajo markets and quickly made a name for themselves.
Medicine of the People is a collection of lip balms, salves, massage and hair oils, moisturizing creams, hand sanitizer, and insect bite and burn relief. Every part of their process is handcrafted, from gathering the herbs to drying them and then cleansing them.
The company's most popular collection is their ointments used to treat arthritis and sore muscles. If you struggle with psoriasis, try their Greasewood Ointment which helps relieve dry skin. As the company continues to expand, Boone and Marcus want to stay true to their grassroots vision. They want to grow, but responsibly and in alignment with their cultural values, traditions, and of course, the earth.
Mount Lai
For Mount Lai founder and esthetician, Stephanie Zheng, skincare is self care and beauty routines are ritual. Zheng was inspired by her grandmother’s jade rolling and gua sha regimen which she describes on the website as her grandmother's “breath of calmness in her busy life.”
Gua sha (pronounced gwah-shah) comes from the Chinese word for scraping. It’s an ancient Chinese healing technique that has been used to treat heat stroke and other seasonal illnesses through the scraping of skin. This technique is done with a massage tool and increases circulation and energy flow.
Mount Lai carries non-toxic skincare products, facial rollers, gua sha tools, eye speciality tools, and what caught my attention immediately -- skincare fridges? Its purpose? To keep your skincare products chilled and increase depuffing properties. You can shop by product or stone and don’t worry if you're not well-versed. Mount Lai provides a stone guide. If you’re still lost, let the experts pick for you by taking their stone quiz.
Shaz & Kiks
Shaz and Kiks stand on the foundation that beauty traditions are a form of women nurturing other women.The company is the brainchild of Indian-American sisters Shaz Rajashekar and Kiku Chaudhuri. The two are forever bonded by their summers spent watching and participating in their grandmother’s traditional Indian Ayurvedic practices.
Ayurveda originates in India and is the belief that health is a balance between body, mind, and spirit. It's the idea that beauty comes from within and is nurtured physically through Ayurvedic wellness practices. With this philosophy in mind the sisters concocted products for all hair types.
The website contains a curated product selection of Back to Your Roots Scalp + Hair Pre Wash for all hair types, which also comes in a mini set, handmade neem wood combs, and a “Love Is In the Hair” cotton tote bag. The company’s products are a mix of traditional herbs, medicinal plant oils, and naturally-derived preservatives that balances the skin’s oil production and PH levels. They keep their ingredients simple using names you’ll recognize, like: Turmeric, Neem, Aloe Vera, Coconut Oil, and Almond Oil. Read their full list of ingredients here.
Brujita Skincare
Leah Guerrero, owner of Brujita Skincare, started her brand in 2017. Inspired by her many trips to Mexico City’s mercados where she handpicked a portion of her ingredients, Guerrero brought her products to the local LA market scene and created a skincare cult.
As an esthetician with over 15 years of experience with holistic practices, Guerrero knows the magic of using organic and unrefined ingredients. On the site you can shop by set, bundle or a la cart. Check out the Estoy Stoned Lip Balm Bundle, which sadly won’t get you high, but will cure your chapped lips with gusto. In the market for a new cleanser? Try the Sea Algae Creme Mask, made with Blue Spirulina and fruit-derived hydroxy acid. It's best used for exfoliation and boosting skin immunity. Confused on where to start? No worries. Take the Brujitas Skin Quiz to find out which products best support your skin type.
If you think the fun stops at cleverly-named skincare products, you’ve got another thing coming. The Full Treatment is Brujita’s video podcast, hosted by Guerrero herself, where she dives into topics like jelly masks and how tarot and magic are incorporated into daily rituals. Why stop there? Check out BrujitaTV where you can watch a Q&A of Guerrero and even see a video of the mercados where it all started.