Are you a naturalist looking for a marketplace filled with products that are Black-owned and non-toxic? Well, look no further than BLK + GRN, which is a natural market powered by women of color. Shopping with BLK + GRN allows the products from Black artisans to be viewed on a larger scale and the company is big on promoting a green lifestyle.
Founder Dr. Kristian Edwards embarked on her path to create an easier way for conscious consumers to spend their money after reading Our Black Year by Maggie Anderson. Reading Anderson’s work deepened her understanding of the economic importance of buying Black as well as the barriers faced by Black business owners. Dr. Edwards is a graduate of Yale and Johns Hopkins University, a Public Health professor and a yogi. While on her journey of entrepreneurship, she has made sure to elevate other Black women. All of the roles on her team are currently filled by women of color which further shows her commitment to the cause.
The company was founded in 2018 and has been on a mission to challenge the marketplace, normalizing access to non-toxic products targeted to Black women. BLK + GRN also seeks to fund the Black women entrepreneurs who are responsible for making personal care products. Like Dr. Edwards, the Black Artisan brands (136) featured in the marketplace believe that products being used or brought into living spaces should not contain toxic ingredients that can lead to negative health effects.
There are currently over 1,500 harmful chemicals that are banned or highly restricted by the European Union (EU), but the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has only banned 11 of those chemicals. BLK + GRN wants its shoppers to be informed, so the company compiled a list of the top 20 toxins as well as guaranteed that these ingredients will not be found in any product being sold on its marketplace. Some of those toxins include hydroquinone, petroleum, heavy metals, formaldehyde and coal tar.
Products are available to customers in categories including bath and beauty, skincare, hair, home, menstrual care, groceries and more. Best-sellers on the marketplace include Black Girl Sunscreen, Hunny Bunny’s all-natural deodorant, honeypot menstrual pads, The Healing Place Apothecary’s daily greens whipped moisturizing cream and more.
Interested artisans can connect with BLK + GRN to get their products into the marketplace. However, there is a four-step approval process that consists of the initial product discovery, determining if the product aligns with the company’s mission, quality assurance and testing.
