Now more than ever, Black people need to be empowered, uplifted and supported. Whether you join as an ally on the front lines to protest racism and injustice, hire Black people in leadership roles (#PullUpOrShutUp) or support Black-owned businesses, the time is now to put your money where your #BlackOutTuesday post is.

One of the first ways to do that is to buy from Black-owned businesses . During the COVID-19 pandemic, many Black-owned businesses had to shutter their brick and mortar stores or suspend their e-commerce sites because of supply chain issues, yet only 12% of Black and brown business owners got Paycheck Protection Program loans. Even when the world isnt in the midst of a pandemic-induced recession, banks routinely deny Black businesses access to loans and capital, which makes them more susceptible to failure.

As if that didnt make things difficult enough, many Black-owned businesses were caught in the crossfire of tensions and frustrations in the wake of the deaths of Breonna Taylor , George Floyd and many others as looting took place across the country. Some Black-owned businesses were looted, and some were burned to the ground. Many Black business owners understand that things can be replaced and bodies cannot, but it still is important to support and uplift Black-owned businesses as they seek to rebuild and reopen.

Something that we can all do to support Black business owners at this time is to buy from Black-owned beauty brands. Beauty is a universal indulgence that often overlooks Black people. The beauty industry has long put Black consumers on the back burner, whether its offering limited complexion product shades, creating sunscreen that leaves behind a white cast on brown and Black skin or excluding Black models from marketing imagery. History has shown that its Black-owned businesses that have filled that void, leading to the thousands of Black-owned beauty brands we have today.

Its important to note that Black-owned does not mean Black only. The shampoos, conditioners, eye palettes, lipsticks, soaps and body butters created by Black-owned beauty brands not only provide the hydration or pigmentation that Black consumers need, but they also work amazingly well for consumers of other ethnicities. Black-owned beauty brands put careful time and consideration into making sure that formulas are perfect for the range of Black skin tones and hair textures, and they also put deep consideration into their mascara, eyeliner, lip liner and skin care formulas.

Some businesses that cater to the needs of the Black beauty consumer are not Black-owned. If youre going to stand in financial solidarity with Black businesses, you need to know which are Black-owned and not just Black-accommodating. Of course, its necessary for non-Black-owned businesses to start being or continue to be inclusive of the Black demographic which has an estimated $1 trillion in buying power in their product offerings, their marketing imagery and more. But its also important to give financial support to Black-owned beauty brands that unlike their non-Black counterparts are less likely to receive financial support from banks.

Out of the thousands of Black-owned beauty brands in existence, here is a list of 50 that you can support today and every day.

1. Demosea