Reading books, watching documentaries, attending protests and having difficult conversations with family and friends about systematic racism are all great ways to actively practice anti-racism.
Another way to support BIPOC is to shop their brands — from clothes to beauty products and even supporting local restaurants owned by people of colour, showing your support financially goes a long way.
A new initiative is encouraging consumers to swap out some of their most-used beauty products for brands owned by BIPOC. Malaika Jones Kebede, Nia Jones, and Tai Beauchamp are the co-founders of Brown Girl Jane, a CBD beauty and wellness brand based in the United States. And, they’re also the creators of “Brown Girl Swap”.
The Brown Girl Jane co-founders have started this initiative to encourage consumers to replace at least five of their go-to beauty products with brands that are Black-owned.
“We thought, ‘How can we shine a light on our sisters who have small businesses?'” Beauchamp told Refinery29.
“We need allies to understand that the way we’re going to support the growth of the Black community is by making the wealth gap smaller.”
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Investing money into a Black or Indigenous-owned business might not seem like a big change but as Beauchamp noted, it helps to distribute the wealth more evenly which is a small step to bigger change that is needed.
“This is an opportunity for the community at large to be a part of making a difference,” Beauchamp told Refinery29. “Our goal with Brown Girl Swap is to have everyone engaged and to be more thoughtful about how they can be a part of the solution.
“We want to see people put their money where their mouth is by making these purchases.”
While this particular initiative has started in the U.S and is focusing on predominately American brands, there are a plethora of beauty brands owned by Indigenous Australians covering all areas of beauty including hair care, skincare and makeup.
When your current face cream runs out, consider replacing it with the Wear All Day Moisturiser from Juddarnje. Filled with almond, macadamia and grapeseed oils, as well as cocoa butter, it supports your skin’s collagen network to make skin look firmer and reduce fine lines.
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When it comes to hair care, the Moisturising Shampoo and Conditioner by Dilkara is great for dry hair, as the added Kakadu plum and apricot kernel oil help to hydrate and strengthen your locks.
These are merely two examples of many great products created by Indigenous Australians.
Slowly beginning to swap out your products is a great way to incorporate Black and Indigenous-Australian owned beauty brands into your everyday routine.