BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Black History Month is a time for all of us at So Good So You to celebrate and recognize the ongoing achievements of African Americans in our society. Especially Black Women-Owned Brands.
We strive for sustainability in everything we do, and in recognizing and supporting these brands we're able to be So Good together!
Each year a theme is designated for Black History Month, with 2022 being "Black Health & Wellness," which has been outlined by the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH).
Black Health & Wellness is a theme that is very close to our hearts and values at So Good So You, and we want to shine the spotlight on two Black Women-Owned Brands that are a driving force in the health & wellness space.
We want to celebrate these women and their businesses, while also working toward a place where racial disparities in access to healthcare & wellness no longer exist.
BLACK WOMEN-OWNED BRANDS
Each Black History Month and beyond, we are reminded of the many Black Women-Owned Brands that do incredible work for their customers, their staff, and their communities. We encourage you to take time to learn about two phenomenal brands, Pur Home and BLK + GRN!, and support their amazing work in observance of this annual tribute.
PUR HOME is a line of eco-minded, non-toxic soaps, detergents, and sprays that began as a one-woman quest for true eco-friendly, healthful hair care.
That woman, Angela Richardson, has successfully created and expanded a business that is now dedicated to creating household cleaners. These are made from carefully considered ingredients and housed in sustainable packaging.
Angela's business has four core values:
People
Pur Home produces natural & safe cleaning products for use by anyone. The products and their packaging are plant-based, biodegradable, sulfate-free & use non-toxic ingredients.
Environment
Pur Home's laundry detergent packaging is biodegradable, and all bottles are recyclable.
Their ingredients are sourced from companies that are "ethical in their production of ingredients and do not pollute."
Community
Angela's company participates in community gardens, volunteerism & sustainability efforts on a local level while bringing awareness globally to clean water, fair trade & the ethical treatment of workers.
Sustainability and Minimalism
As we're sure you can tell, Pur Home has a strong commitment to recyclable and reusable packaging.
Their streamlined and minimalist product line gives them the opportunity to educate consumers about being conscious in their efforts to reduce waste.
Pur Home regularly feature on "Black-Owned Businesses to Support" articles and have also won awards for their products. In 2021, Parents Magazine voted Pur Home's detergent as "Best Laundry Detergent."
Pur Home's website features products for your kitchen, bathroom & laundry room as well as a full glossary of ingredients so you know exactly what goes into these products.
To shop all of Pur Home's products, you can view their website here! You can also find them on Instagram here!
BLK + GRN is an online marketplace for all-natural beauty and lifestyle productsfrom black-owned businesses.
Its founder, Dr. Kristian Edwards, was convincedthat supporting black-owned brands was important and that every dollar should be a vote.
So she created a space to elevate black artisans who might not otherwise have the opportunity to share their stories and products.
BLK + GRN's ultimate goal is to connect "Black people with natural lifestyles to high-quality, toxic-free brands that share in our mission of health, wellness, and community cultivation."
They do this through a four-step process for finding Black artisans with products that align with their goals.
Discover
BLK + GRN seeks out and also accepts applications for Black artisans to sell products on their site. This selection is curated to include "only the best of the best of Black-owned brands."
Alignment
BLK + GRN ensures that the values of the artisan align with their own. Values such as sourcing, packaging & community responsibility are taken into consideration during this process.
Quality Assurance
Product ingredients are checked against BLK + GRN's "Never List," which includes ingredients such as petroleum, retinol, and parabens.
Nothing that scores more than a 5 for toxicity is accepted, meaning consumers will get the least toxic products available on the market.
By implementing this process, BLK + GRN strives to offer the consumer the "cleanest, plant-based products" available.
Test
"Aestheticians, dermatologists, makeup artists," and more test the products themselves
Dr. Kristian also test each product and reads reports on effectiveness and quality
Alongside their many products, BLK + GRN has a blog and a podcast where they discuss being eco-friendly at home and at work, self-care, and boosting your immune system.
BLK + GRN's best sellers list includes products such as sunscreen, all-natural deodorant and even candles.
You can shop on their website here, and follow them on Instagram here!
Pur Home and BLK + GRN, as well as many other Black Women-Owned Brands, do so much work in their communities and globally toward sustainability and really personify our motto "For the Love of Body and Planet."
During Black History Month and beyond we hope you find plenty of opportunities to shop at both of these wonderful businesses, and if you're already a customer, let us know what you use in the comments below!