The beauty industry in South Africa has seen the flourishing of local beauty brands that care for skin, use local, natural ingredients, are sustainable and deliver dewy skin to match. The local beauty brand space is exciting, innovative and almost completely female-led – we love!
With the international success of independent beauty brands like Glossier, Milk Cosmetics and many more, the independent beauty world is booming. And it’s no different in SA. So stretch those fingers, grab your purse and get ready to have your best skin and face yet!
Skoon.
As the name suggests, Skoon is all about clean beauty. Dreamed up by engineer Stella Ciolli, SKOON came about when she read that people apply about 515 ingredients to their skin daily. That got her thinking about multi-tasking formulas and pared-down routines that still delivered great skin. Their products are produced in Cape Town. None of their ingredients are tested on animals and they contain no obvious toxins or controversial synthetics. Plus, they’re science-backed and all their products are formulated to deliver real results.
Standard Beauty
Standard Beauty is here to prove that great skin doesn’t have to be a luxury. With a mission to provide affordable, high-quality formulations, Standard Beauty is redefining the beauty standard. The brand commits to helping you embrace your unique glow, ditch unrealistic beauty standards and have fun while doing it.
AMAZI
AMAZI beauty products are all about accessible skincare that doesn’t cost the earth. Their compact oil-based range is clean and 100% natural. It boasts powerful local botanical ingredients like moringa, devil’s claw and rooibos to nourish the skin and restore balance. Now that’s a local beauty brand we can get behind.
Gloei
Gloei’s award-winning formulas are natural, non-toxic and vegan, delivering high-performance results that are good for both you and the environment. Their products are cruelty-free and vegan, containing no animal-derived ingredients and never tested on animals. Designed and manufactured in Cape Town, Gloei celebrates local craftsmanship while creating inclusive beauty products for all ages, genders and skin tones. They reflect their sustainable approach in their minimalist packaging—eliminating mirrors, false bottoms and unnecessary inserts—while using FSC-certified paperboard to maintain eco-consciousness without compromising on quality.
Yearn Skin
Yearn Skin offers non-toxic, dermatologically tested skincare designed to tackle hyperpigmentation, dark spots and uneven tone while boosting overall skin health. Their approach is holistic, recognising that great skin results from a balance of skincare, environment, nutrition, mental and physical health. With a blend of natural and lab-created bioactive ingredients, Yearn Skin restores, brightens and maintains healthy skin. Their mission goes beyond beauty—it’s about empowering individuals to feel confident and beautiful inside and out, with a range that’s inclusive and rooted in self-care.
Swiitchbeauty
Started by Rabia Ghoor when she was just 14 years old, Swiitchbeauty is one of the leading local cosmetic brands in South Africa and with a reason. Their products are great quality, affordable prices and you’re honestly spoilt for choice. Fills cart! One of the things we love most about Swiitch is how they pull from your own experience with make-up and skincare, creating products from feedback from their customers.
Skin Creamery
In 2014, Hannah Rubin saw the future of skincare in its stripped-down, purest form. Growing up in the lush Garden Route, in the Western Cape and being educated as a beauty therapist, Rubin found an appreciation for quality, luxury beauty products that echoed the slow, intentional tempo found in nature. The Skin Creamery is all about multi-functional formulas and reusable containers, reflecting a hankering towards a simpler, slower form of skincare that customers are looking for.
Eco Diva
Created by Nicole Sherwin best known as the ‘Eco-Diva‘, their products are carefully designed to match the skin on a molecular level. Real anti-ageing, glowing results are now possible without using any harmful chemicals. All products are paraben- and sulfate-free, cruelty-free and vegan.
Lumiglo
Lumiglo works with powerful formulations that’ll treat skin concerns. Made by founder Shahnaz, a makeup artist who wanted hard-working skincare that would treat her sensitive skin. She came up with a few products and tried them out on her clients’ skin and saw results. Effective skincare that’s easy to use – and that feels fun, too.
Lulu & Marula
Lulu & Marula is a natural, ethically produced skin and body care collection developed in a beauty studio in Cape Town. The natural skincare stalwart got its start in a kitchen when founder Jesslynn Shepherd struggled to find natural formulations to treat hormonal breakouts. The result: a line of clean, simple beauty products, all derived from plant extracts. Their packaging is eco-friendly and they locally produce ingredients backed by science. And, they never test on animals.
Chick Cosmetics
The brainchild of strategist Nomfundo Njibe, Chick.cosmetics aims to do beauty differently. They create safe effective beauty products that use cruelty-free ingredients and sustainable practices while having some of the best-priced products on the market. The modern, multi-tasking products that make up the CHICK.cosmetics line are all inspired by science-backed solutions to your skincare and make-up woes. Think: hydrating and acne-squashing ingredients that work.
Afari
When Margaux Knuppe was looking for skincare that could meet her beauty needs and have a positive impact on others, she couldn’t find one- so she decided to create her own. Afari is skincare that promises to bring you skin-friendly products while supporting the women who harvest its star ingredient, Bulbine fritescens, a plant known for its anti-inflammatory effects.
Lelive
Created and used by actress Amanda Du-Pont, Lelive, christened after Amanda’s Swazi name, focuses on African botanicals to unlock problem-free skin. Each product is kind to the earth while being laser-focused on solving common skin setbacks. They use stand-out ingredients like bakuchiol, nature’s retinol and natural derivatives like turmeric.
READ MORE: Local Sustainable Skincare Brand Lelive Goes Global
Noa & Co
Megan Pietersen’s inspiration for Noa & Co started in Japan, where she lived for a few years with her professional athlete husband. During her time there, she became enmeshed in their wellness culture and started making concoctions at home to give to her husband; blends of proteins that contained probiotics and organic goodness. Eventually, she decided to launch Noa&Co in South Africa. The brand embodies integrity, from the carefully created formulations that receive expert input and backing to their market introduction. It also prioritises family, offering products that kids can consume and enjoy.
Hey Gorgeous
Hey Gorgeous formulates amazing, affordable and effective skin body and bath care products. They only use sustainably sourced, naturally harvested botanical ingredients that are proven to help you reach your skincare goals. From their range of skincare, they’ve expanded to include make-up that’s sustainably made and delivers *that* glow.
Oh-Lief
Oh-Lief family brand aims to bring you and your family products that are safe enough for sensitive skin and the environment. The name refers to olive oil, the main ingredient in their product. Like olive oil, Oh Lief products are safe for the whole family and nourishing for the skin.
Suki Suki Naturals
The brand’s founder, Linda Gieskes-Mwamba, started Suki Suki when she wanted to grow out her natural hair. All the hair products available were either full of chemicals or were ridiculously expensive — or both. She then started playing around with natural ingredients, this would lead to Suki Suki Naturals first and most popular product. Now crafted in Johannesburg, their product list has grown to include skincare too.
Terres d’Afrique
Terres d’Afrique is a local natural, ethical and fair-trade skin and body care range. It captures the unique power of rare African botanicals in science-driven, organic formulas that balance the skin. No harsh chemicals or animal-derived additives are in any of the Terres d’Afrique products. Only the purest ingredients are in organically-certified formulations that nourish and balance the skin are used. TDA is founded by Dr Stephan Helary, with a Master’s degree in Environmental and Wildlife Management and a PhD in Nutritional Ecology.
Nilotiqa
In 2014, Nilotiqa founder Thokozile Mangwiro began experimenting and researching a natural and organic hair care solution for dry, damaged and brittle hair. From her careful research came Nilotiqa. The products are made using African ingredients and are made on South African soil and are all organic and plant-based. This local beauty brand delivers nourishing solutions made from natural ingredients that deliver bouncy curls.
Pure Beginnings
Once seen as a brand focused on baby care that’s organic and gentle, Pure Beginnings has expanded its offering to include care for teens, kids and your adult self. Their founding principle – that skin should be kept as pure as the day you’re born – seeps through the products, which are all-natural, organic and free from chemicals. Now, they’ve got toothpaste, body wash and more on offer.
iWori
iWori is beauty with a conscious. Made with luxurious natural ingredients, iWori’s range caters to both hair, body and face. The range is made from natural African oils and extracts, rooted in ancient advice from the continent. Think: luscious marula, hydrating and potent rooibos extract and nourishing baobab working together for a glowing, healthy complexion.
African Extracts
Cape Town entrepreneur Rob Tiffin founded African Extracts in 2002, developing a skincare range that harnesses the powerful antioxidant properties of Rooibos, an indigenous plant from the Cederberg mountains. Ideal for South African skin, the original Classic range remains a best-seller, with their Moisturising Day Cream SPF15 topping the charts. Over the years, they’ve expanded to include Purifying, Advantage and Radiance ranges, all featuring Bio-Active Rooibos and natural extracts for quality skincare at affordable prices. Today, African Extracts is a leading local brand competing with international names.
ENOUGH.
ENOUGH. is all about upcycled beauty, repurposing by-products to create sustainable, cutting-edge products that reduce waste and support a circular economy. In a world where sustainability and conscious beauty choices matter more than ever, ENOUGH. empowers individuals to make confident decisions while positively impacting both personal care and the planet.
MSLONDON COSMETICS
MSLONDON COSMETICS was born from two sisters’ mission to create high-performing, inclusive makeup for sensitive, acne-prone skin. After years of hand-formulating at their kitchen table and matching over 50,000 skin tones, they developed clean, mineral-based powders free from common irritants like bismuth, fragrance and preservatives. Their rich, long-lasting pigments cater to every skin shade, offering a flawless finish that supports even the most sensitive skincare routines. From the kitchen to 70,000 faces, MSLONDON is redefining what clean beauty looks like.
SMOOCH
SMOOCH is all about skin love! This brand’s obsession with constant innovation means they’re always bringing something fresh, cute and effective to the table. SMOOCH takes skincare beyond the basics, with products that are fun, cruelty-free and natural, designed for everyone to enjoy at any age. Forget boring beauty standards – SMOOCH is about redefining beauty on your own terms. No rules, no striving for perfection—just fun, freedom and a whole lot of self-expression. With premium ingredients, luxe packaging and a playful approach, SMOOCH creates an experience that’s as unique as the people who love it.
Hugo Apothecary
Hugo Apothecary is a luxurious skincare brand dedicated to delivering clean, sustainable products with uncompromising standards. Ethically sourcing vegan ingredients from nature’s best, their formulas are free from toxins and fillers, offering potent plant actives rich in vitamins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits. Every product is crafted to deliver a sensorial, indulgent experience that transforms your skin and your impact on the planet.
Lanolab
Lanolab started as a hand-poured, small-batch balm made in a garage, with labels applied by hand. After a 2018 rebrand, production moved to an ISO-certified lab, but the hands-on approach remained. The founder juggles everything from sales and packing to social media and decision-making, fuelled by a passion for every aspect of running the business. With support from a close-knit circle of female entrepreneurs, Lanolab has grown through loyal customer feedback, proving that personal connection is key to the brand’s success.
Oh So Heavenly
Oh So Heavenly believes every woman deserves to feel confident and happy in her own skin. It’s about discovering what makes you unique, celebrating your strengths and finding fulfilment. When you truly love and respect yourself, you’re ready to share that love with others. Their products are all about daily indulgence, pampering and self-care – like a trusted friend that’s always there for you. From haircare to hand creams, their range smells incredible and works like a charm.
