Built for POC skin. Never adapted.
Afri-Skin exists because the biggest skincare concerns for people of color were treated as a niche by an industry worth hundreds of billions. We are building the brand that treats them as the whole point.
Why we started
Hyperpigmentation is the number one skincare concern for people with deeper complexions. It is not rare, it is not niche, and it is not hard to understand: melanin-rich skin responds to inflammation by producing more pigment, so a breakout that fades in days on lighter skin leaves a mark that lasts for months. Add faster water loss, a tendency to ashiness, coarse hair that curls back into the follicle, and a reaction to harsh actives that turns every sting into a spot, and you have a set of problems that almost no mainstream brand was built to solve.
And yet the shelves are full of products designed for one skin type and then extended to everyone else. Retinoid strengths that trigger the very inflammation that causes dark marks. Lotions too light for skin that loses water faster. Sunscreens that leave a chalky cast and so never get worn. A shade range on the box, and the same formula inside.
Afri-Skin started with a single decision: begin with deeper skin, and never adjust.
What we build around
Every formula is judged against four things melanin-rich skin does differently. It holds pigment longer after inflammation. It loses water through the surface faster. It reacts to harsh actives by marking. And it shows dryness as a grey film that lighter skin never sees. If a product does not help with at least one of those, it does not get made.
The ingredients come from the continent: shea from northern Ghana, baobab from Senegal, marula from the southern plains, moringa from Tanzania, kigelia from Malawi, mongongo from the Kalahari, rhassoul from the Atlas Mountains. Each is paired with the actives modern dermatology trusts for deeper skin, niacinamide, tranexamic acid, ceramides, polyhydroxy acid, gentle enzymes, and nothing else.
What we leave out
No fragrance. No hydroquinone. No high-strength acids. No denatured alcohol. No essential oils. No twelve-step regimen. The ritual is eight short steps, most under a minute, because a routine you keep beats a routine you abandon.
Where we are going
Our aim is plain: to become the biggest and most trusted skincare brand for people of color. Not by shouting louder, but by being the first one that published its panel sizes, named its sources, and built every product for this skin from the first day.
“I spent years buying products tested on skin that looked nothing like mine, then blamed my skin when they didn’t work.”
Role Model, Afri-Skin
Formulated first
Deeper skin is the starting point of every product, not a line extension or a shade range.
Traced sourcing
Every botanical is traced to its region and bought at a fair price from the people who have used it longest.
Measured claims
We publish panel size, duration and the exact question with every result, or we don’t publish it.
Each traced to its region.
Never pooled with lighter skin.
The full list is below.
Formulated and filled in the United States.
From the continent. For the skin.
These plants were skincare long before skincare was an industry. We buy them from the regions that have used them longest, at prices that keep those supply chains alive, and we name the origin on every product.
What we leave out
Every exclusion is there for a reason specific to deeper skin.
Vegan. Cruelty-free. Fragrance-free. Tested on Fitzpatrick types IV to VI for finish, not just function. Made in the United States.
Questions
Who formulates the products?
Formulas are developed with a US contract laboratory to our brief and tested on Fitzpatrick IV to VI panels before release. The full ingredient list is printed on every product and on every product page.
Do you work with dermatologists?
Every formula is reviewed by a board-certified dermatologist with a practice focused on skin of color before it ships. Their name will appear on this page once the first full range has been reviewed.
Can I stock Afri-Skin in my salon, spa or store?
Yes. Email wholesale@afri-skin.com with your location and we will send the line sheet.
Where do you ship?
Across the United States today. Complimentary standard shipping on orders over $75. International shipping is planned; join the newsletter to hear when it opens.
Contact
For orders, press and wholesale enquiries. We reply within two business days.