Indigenous beauty brands don’t just represent a moment in time; often, they are built on centuries of knowledge, community and personal care. Since launching (decades ago for many of them), these brands have been pushing the industry forward while staying grounded in tradition, and they’ve been doing it without ever compromising on quality. Here are 10 Indigenous brands that deserve space on your shelf.
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Cheekbone Beauty
You probably already know Cheekbone Beauty as the Indigenous-owned brand that made sustainability feel covetable before most of the industry caught on. Founded in 2016 by Anishinaabe-Canadian Jenn Harper, Cheekbone set out to make high-performance makeup in biodegradable packaging. The matte lipsticks are legendary, but the brand’s growing skin and eye lines are also worth a second look. Most recently, the brand released a berry blush collab with Red River Métis influencer Fallon Farinacci.
Ojibway Natural
Nangoons Wabegijig from the Ketegaunseebee (Garden River) First Nation started her business, Ojibway Natural, in Northern Ontario while she was on mat leave. Her goal? To start a business that would allow her to stay home with her son while making natural products more accessible to the general public. “I strive to make all products gentle for skin and for those with scent sensitivities, both of which I have personal experience with. It’s also important for me to tie in my culture by incorporating medicine scents into the products, sharing knowledge in workshops and demonstrations, and setting up a vendor’s table at events, powwows and other gatherings.” The brand’s collection now features bath and body products, candles and liquid smudge mists. We suggest the Berry Box for a seasonal sampling of lip balms, soaps and rollerball fragrances.
Sḵwálwen Botanicals
Sḵwálwen Botanicals, founded by ethnobotanist Leigh Joseph of the Squamish First Nation, is an Indigenous skincare brand that honours the ritual of self-care by combining cultural plant knowledge with Indigenous science. Each product is carefully crafted with sustainably harvested plant ingredients and bears a Squamish name to honour the place from which the plant knowledge originates. The bestselling Kalkáy (“rose”) line includes the nourishing rosehip-, jojoba- and sweet almond-infused Kalkáy Rose Facial Oil, which would fit right in at a top-tier spa.
Satya Organic Skin Care
Based in North Vancouver, Anishinaabe member of the Fort William First Nation Patrice Mousseau is the woman behind Satya Organic Skin Care. Mousseau set out to create a natural and effective alternative to steroid creams when her eight-month-old daughter developed eczema. After plenty of experimentation with combining traditional medicine with scientific research, Satya Organic Skin Care was born. Now, Mousseau provides organic plant-based skin relief products that are not only super effective, but affordable too. The Eczema Easy Glide Stick, which is now available at Shoppers Drug Mart, glides on effortlessly to provide an instant soothing effect, and the Multi-Use Balm effectively combats all forms of itching, from eczema flare-ups to bug bites and thigh chafing.
Wildcraft
Laura Whitaker, a Haudenosaunee and member of the Mohawk nation from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, built Wildcraft with a clear mission: uncomplicated, small-batch skincare that works and doesn’t cost a fortune. The Toronto-based brand makes every product by hand, all $36 or less, and its ingredients lists are full of herbs (think: yarrow, calendula, turmeric). The Calm Face Lotion, a plush mattifying moisturizer, is a solid entry point if your skin is easily overwhelmed; it features chamomile and lavender to balance the skin and calm inflammation.
Mother Earth Essentials
Mother Earth Essentials is a beauty line inspired by traditional Indigenous recipes and teachings, created by Carrie Armstrong, who comes from a long lineage of Cree Medicine women. Armstrong draws upon the knowledge passed down to her to create high-quality, plant-based products, such as the refreshing and soothing Peppermint Sage Collection. For a calming and grounding experience, light up a Cedar Balsam Candle, made with 100 percent natural soy wax to naturally purify the air.
Spirit Earth Holistics
Founded in 2008 on the Oneida First Nation Reserve, located near London, Ont., Spirit Earth Holistics combines traditional Indigenous teachings with holistic practices and high-quality, soothing formulas. With a range of bath and body products including DIY kits, essential oils, soap bars and sanitizer, the line includes everything from herbal foot creams to earthy bath soaks, all made in small batches and rooted in ceremony.
Nuez Acres
Pecan oil isn’t an obvious skincare hero, but husband and wife team Nancy and Anthony Wingham make a strong case for the powerhouse ingredient. Nancy grew up in Parral, a tiny town in the Chihuahua region of northern Mexico which is one of the world’s largest pecan producing areas and when Anthony (Metis) visited the town, his ancestral knowledge and business acumen combined with her knowledge of the advantages of the antioxidant-rich oil to create the award winning brand. The potent oil’s vitamins, antioxidants and essential fatty acids can be used to moisturize, nourish skin and strengthen hair and Nuez acres has distilled these properties to create a waterless collection of sustainable serums, body scrubs, beard oils and multi-purpose products.
Sisters Sage
This Tsimshian-owned wellness brand was founded in 2018 by Lynn-Marie Angus from the Gitxaala, Nisga’a and Métis Nations and makes self-care products using First Nations knowledge and traditional ingredients like Sage, Cedar and Sweetgrass. The collection of smudging sprays, bath bombs, soaps and salves are made with natural ingredients and the care, intention and protocols of Angus’ heritage.
Yukon Soap Company
Joella Hogan based in Mayo, Yukon, doesn’t just make soap. She runs a beloved company with a dedicated following that empowers local youth, employs Elders and turns boreal botanicals into something giftable, sustainable and deeply connected to place. The soaps are gorgeous, yes, but the story behind them is what really resonates with shoppers. Featuring wild rose petals, juniper berries, a Yukon-shaped press and the artwork of Indigenous artisans, these soaps are literally infused and imprinted with the spirit of the territory.
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