Historically, Atlanta has been, and continues to be, a center for Black entrepreneurs across many industries. As of late, Black entrepreneurs are making waves in the city in the realm of beauty with successful national beauty brands and thriving local businesses. And the new launches keep coming.
“When there is a tangible community of peers, consumers and creators in one space, it’s only natural for like-minded people to flock to it. Business thrives where it is nourished, and Atlanta feeds its Black beautypreneurs,” said Kiana Baldon, CEO of ‘Jentl, a body care brand she started in her kitchen in 2017.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Here are five Black beauty product lines and businesses to know about and support, if you don’t already.
Camille Rose
“It’s easy to get inspired here. People are not afraid to freely express themselves in Atlanta, whether it’s through their hairstyle or their dress style,” said Janell Stephens, founder of beauty brand Camille Rose, who has been at the forefront of the multicultural beauty industry since the company’s inception in 2011.
Camille Rose began simply as an attempt to create products to cure the eczema of Stephens’ five young children. However, in a matter of three short years, it morphed into a multimillion-dollar company to meet the demand of a growing customer base. Today, it is in more than 300,000 stores and one of the top-selling haircare brands in retail giants such as Target, Walmart, Ulta and Sally Beauty.
Stephens has recently expanded her brand internationally, and is currently planning a tour to educate overseas consumers about Camille Rose.
“It should be everyone’s mission to inspire the uninspired to see the true value of who they are and what they can accomplish. Our gifts go beyond what we see immediately before us and encompass the limitless opportunities that we are given every day to be great,” she said.
The entrepreneur is also the pioneer of an annual Juneteenth celebration, the Beauté Noir Festival, a celebration of Black beauty, culture and changemakers.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Jiiv
Harold Stewart is no stranger to brilliant beauty ideas, and credits the Atlanta area’s welcoming ecosystem for launching them locally.
“While Black entrepreneurs are hugely under-represented nationwide, Atlanta is able to differentiate itself by creating a fairly tight-knit community of founders in the beauty and related industries by developing organizations, incubators and accelerators focused primarily on assisting Black entrepreneurs,” said Stewart.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
In 2018, Stewart launched multimillion-dollar haircare brand Dollar Curl Club. This month, combining his knowledge of beauty and tech (he was an electronics engineer for the U.S. Department of Defense early in his career), Stewart presents Jiiv (pronounced jive) and its skincare device, Neo, which simultaneously integrates the technologies of radio-frequency, red light therapy, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), massage therapy and heat therapy into an at-home facial. The brand is also debuting Supergel Activating Serum, a vegan skin serum.
“Through this development, our customers can now own the same beauty-tech treatments used in celebrity spas. This would generally cost thousands of dollars per year, but at just $199 [for Neo], we’re revolutionizing the market,” said Stewart.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
‘Jentl
By day, Kiana Baldon serves in the Air Force and, in her free time, she is CEO of ‘Jentl, a vegan, organic, cruelty-free body-care brand that offers hand-whipped body butters.
Baldon began making the rich moisturizers as a tool in her daily life that reminded her to breathe, slow down and care for her relationships with herself and others. But when her friends and family raved about them, she put them on the market where they have gained a cult following including notice by Kourtney Kardashian and her wellness brand Poosh, which now sells the products.
From the grade-A, organic ingredients used in each batch to the sustainable packaging, a lot of time and care are put into each jar. Because the whipped butters are so delicate, they can be altered during transit in warmer months, ‘Jentl will soon be launching a new product that will be available year-round, changing the brand’s production strategy from hand-whipped and small batches to manufactured.
“We’re really excited to offer more quality products and fan favorites all year,” said Baldon.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Luminous Skin Atlanta
“Atlanta is a wonderful place for beauty business owners of color,” said Morgan Rackley, licensed esthetician, licensed laser practitioner and owner of med spa Luminous Skin Atlanta for 11 years.
“We have a large demographic of clients here that are genuinely interested in maintaining their appearance and they understand how that correlates with their overall wellness,” said Rackley, who specializes in acne and pigmentation and how those skin issues are linked to gut health and nutrition.
Rackley was motivated to open Luminous Skin Atlanta to help clients change their lives for the better through helping them address skin concerns with a compassionate, whole-body approach. She made a name for herself through the results of her Acne Boot Camp, which she said continues to grow weekly and touts a 90% success rate of clearing acne. In it, clients receive a customized skincare regimen incorporating pharmaceutical-grade Face Reality products and professional treatment plan.
“Being that we treat primarily skin of color, clients know they will get a great and safe skincare experience,” said Rackley.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The Black Hair Experience
It was a no-brainer for friends Alisha Brooks and Elizabeth Austin-Davis to open the first location of The Black Hair Experience, a selfie museum celebrating Black culture and beauty in Atlanta in late 2020.
“Atlanta is the mecca for all this Black hair, Black beauty, Black music and Black culture. Many of our histories are rooted here, so we knew we had to be a part of that for generations to come,” said Brooks, CEO and owner of The Black Hair Experience.
Credit: Elizabeth Austin Photography
Credit: Elizabeth Austin Photography
The social-media-worthy museum concept turns nostalgic beauty moments into a fun, interactive experience. Exhibits feature walls covered in beauty magazines with Black models, a swing hung by hair braids, a beauty shop setting and an office with a sign behind the desk saying “my hair is not unprofessional.”
“We just want Black women to feel seen, celebrated and, most importantly, to have joy after they leave the experience,” said Brooks.
Since launching in Atlanta, The Black Hair Experience has expanded locations to Brooklyn and at National Harbor in Maryland. In 2023, Brooks is looking to open up shop in Houston, Chicago, New Orleans, Detroit and Miami, as well as create more digital content that continues to amplify Black voices and experiences.
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