Make no mistake about it: Self-care is essential to both our physical health and emotional wellbeing. And while everyone can benefit from incorporating a self-care practice or two into their daily routine, the wellness industry has a history of ignoring women of color when launching product lines and marketing campaigns.
Fortunately, there’s a rise in Black women-founded wellness brands that are making self-care more accessible to people of color of all ages. From the founder of a subscription-based wellness platform for people of color to the one-woman powerhouse behind a luxury tea company, here are eight Black women who are spearheading the movement to make the wellness industry a more inclusive space.
Naj Austin of Ethel’s Club
When Naj Austin first launched Ethel’s Club, a subscription-based social and wellness platform for people of color, in 2019, her mission was to create a place where she, and other Black creatives, could meet in person and connect. Four years, 1,500 members, and one global pandemic later, Ethel’s Club has transformed into a digital clubhouse for all things wellness, offering everything from live-streamed yoga classes to online discussions with mental health practitioners, career coaches and more, for just $16.99 a month. By building virtual spaces that encourage personal healing and wellness, Austin is paving the way for people of color to more easily incorporate self-care rituals into their daily lives and moving the industry forward.
Lauren Ash of Black Girl in Om
After years of practicing yoga and observing how few women of color were in her classes, Lauren Ash decided to do something about it. In 2014, she launched Black Girl in Om, a podcast and wellness website, with the intention of rewriting the self-care narrative to include Black women. Along with guided online meditation classes (led by Ash) and live-streamed new moon gatherings, Black Girl in Om is also home to The Circle, a membership-based service providing a monthly curriculum centered on spirituality, wellness, and self-love, exclusively for women of color for $43.99 per month.
Kim Knight and Shanelle McKenzie of The Villij
When Kim Knight and Shanelle McKenzie launched The Villij, an inclusive wellness community for women of color, in 2017, they did so by offering everything from yoga and meditation classes to inspirational talks on a sliding scale fee, so that clients only had to pay what they could afford. In response to the pandemic, Knight and McKenzie took their in-person classes online and expanded their offerings to include live wellness workshops and fitness classes, all of which are accessible for only $18 a month by joining the Inner Villij.
Alechia Reese and Dr. Sanaa Jaman of Tru3 Yoga Agency
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, entrepreneurs Alechia Reese, a brand marketing strategist, and Dr. Sanaa Jaman, an internationally renowned yoga instructor, saw an opportunity. Together, the pair launched the Tru3 Yoga Agency, with the goal of equipping Black women who have a passion for wellness, with the essential tools required to launch, expand, and maximize their brands into profitable and successful businesses. By offering a comprehensive 12-week online course led by Jaman for $1,697 – which covers subjects ranging from accounting to management to trademarking rights – the duo is playing key roles in the success of Black women wellness leaders, which is resulting in a significant transformation of the predominately white, 4.5 trillion dollar wellness industry.
Taylor Lindsay-Noel of Cup of Té
After suffering a devastating fall from a high bar during practice, Taylor Lindsay-Noel, a then-14-year old gymnast training to represent Canada in the 2012 Olympics, was rendered a quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound for life. In 2018, she launched Cup of Té, a luxury tea company, to bring the wellness benefits of loose-leaf tea to the masses. In addition to 19 blends of organic and ethically-sourced teas, the brand offers a gorgeous array of high-end tea accessories, including gold-finished infusers and cast iron kettles, ensuring that Cup of Té is a one-stop shop for all your tea-related self-care needs.
Rebecca Grammer-Ybarra and Christy Grammer of Homebody
When sisters Rebecca Grammer-Ybarra and Christy Grammer were forced to close their award-winning bakery chain, Suite 106 Cupcakery, in 2018, they chose to turn lemons into lemonade. After becoming the first Black women to win a televised dessert competition (on the Food Network show “Cupcake Wars”), the pair decided to shake things up in the wellness industry by launching Homebody, a line of pearlescent herbal bath bomb soaks designed to naturally alleviate pain and relieve stress. Composed of high-quality sun-grown holistic herbs and food-grade active ingredients, like chamomile and arnica flower, Homebody’s bath soaks also turn the water in your bathtub a pretty color, so you can make bath time a more sensory experience.
Coral and Rah Hines of Buena Botanicals
After years of helping their mother manage her high blood pressure and arthritis pain, sisters Coral and Tarah “Rah” Hines launched Buena Botanicals, a cannabis lifestyle brand, in 2019 to help bring relief to the millions of men and women suffering from depression, anxiety, and chronic daily pain. Along with offering products ranging from organic CBD tinctures to CBD-infused bath bars, the pair uses the brand as a platform to raise awareness about the all-natural benefits of CBD, especially in the Black community.
Mariam Mouna Guessous of I See You Wellness
After discovering the depression and anxiety-quelling benefits of herbs, Mariam Mouna Guessous founded I See You Wellness, a wellness and lifestyle brand, to help make self-care and healing a priority for people of color. In addition to essential oils, herbal tea blends, bath salts, smudge sprays, and skincare products, the brand hosts everything from live-streamed reiki sessions to virtual healing gatherings all for the sake of educating the population about the importance of self-love and inner happiness. I See You Wellness also offers Sanctuary Memberships, which grants members access to special monthly cleansing workshops and guest teachings for starting at $44.00 a month.
