Five skincare and beauty lines with an LGTBQ+ founder or focus
June is LGBTQ Pride Month. In the United States, it’s celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots, which occurred in June 1969 and were pivotal in the fight for gay rights. Since Pride Month was established over 20 years ago, events and parades have been held to recognize the impact LGBTQ people have had on the world.
In addition to recognizing the contributions of the LGBTQ people, Pride Month is a great time to support the community. Here are five skincare and beauty lines with an LGBTQ+ founder or focus that have made inclusivity part of their company’s mission and purpose:
1. Beekman 1802
This skincare line, made from clean and cruelty-free ingredients, was created by Josh Kilmer-Purcell and his husband, Brent Ridge. Back in 2010, a reality show called The Fabulous Beekman Brothers followed their journey as they learned how to become farmers to launch the brand. Made primarily from goat milk and skin-balancing probiotics (like “yogurt for the skin”), their products are effective and gentle enough for sensitive skin. And bonus: they occasionally offer tours of Beekman Farm in Sharon Spring, NY. Farm-to-medicine cabinet is the new farm-to-table.
2. Fluide
Fluide was founded by Laura Kraber, the parent of NYC teenagers, who wanted to showcase and celebrate gender-expansive beauty. The line carries everything from lip gloss to mascara to biodegradable glitter products. It’s as playful as it is affordably priced (nearly every product costs less than $20), allowing those playing with their personal style or even their gender expression to experiment with different colors, textures, and looks.
3. Jecca Blac
Jessica Blacker, founder of the Jecca Blac makeup brand, got her start as a makeup artist on film and TV projects in London. The company was born out of her experience giving makeup tutorials to the local trans community, including trans prisoners in Wales, UK. From there, she created the line which is suitable for all genders, sexualities, pronouns, shapes, and expressions. Jecca Blac’s first product, the Correct & Conceal Palette, was designed to provide coverage for beard shadow, blemishes, and an all over base. Today, the brand carries a number of bundles matched to tutorials to provide help and guidance to anyone wanting to explore makeup and feel flawless.
4. Malin + Goetz
The Malin + Goetz brand is so ubiquitous that it’s surprising to learn it was founded as recently as 2004 when Matthew Malin and Andrew Goetz opened their flagship store in Chelsea, NY. Their soaps and candles (with scents like cannabis and rum) can be found in all the fanciest restaurant bathrooms and hotels in the country, and loyalists swear by their deodorants and skincare products like their resurfacing glycolic pads.
5. Noto
Founded by Gloria Noto, a former makeup artist who identifies as queer, Noto Botanics is a vegan, cruelty-free, and gender fluid skincare line. It also works. The clean and simple ingredients, understated marketing and packaging, and inclusive mission have earned the brand’s moisturizers, serums and scrubs a cult-like following. What’s more, proceeds from their Agender oil — a popular product for wherever someone grows hair, especially suited for the scalp — go to causes aligned to Noto’s mission and have raised over $25,000 to date.
Give any of these brand’s products a try this June, and once you find something you love, continue to support them year-round!
Khalid El Khatib is a Brooklyn-based writer and marketer who tweets too much.
