Vamigas / NoPalera / 4.5.6 Skin
Skincare is far from an untapped market, but mark our words: some of the best brands have yet to hit the mainstream. These days we're flooded with so many options that the truly remarkable newbies on the scene can get lost in the shuffle. Now we wouldn't dare tell you to give up your tried and true favorites (you couldn't pay us to either), but there's something thrilling about discovering something new.
There are a ton of reasons to shop with budding skincare brands. For one, small brands tend to have a unique origin story (often born out of the founder's skin woes). They also typically target a specific demographic (like melanin-rich complexions or acne-prone skin) and often feature a beloved hero ingredient across the entire line. Ahead, we've rounded up 16 emerging skincare brands worth adding to your routine.
Nuebiome
This microbiome-friendly skincare line launched with a hand cream earlier this year. The founder, Ricardo Gray, worked in hospitals at the height of the pandemic and noticed hand sanitizers stripped skin of moisture. The brand's hero product is infused with probiotics and powerful emollients that lock in moisture and help maintain balanced pH without that thick, greasy feel. Since then, the line has expanded to include an abiotic ferment essence, face cream, and exfoliating face mask.
4.5.6 Skin
4.5.6 Skin targets melanin-rich complexions (specifically, skin phototypes IV, V, VI). According to CEO Noelly Michoux, research shows darker skin is denser and sheds dead skin faster. That's why, across the board, the line is infused with botanical-rich ingredients focused on improving hydration and dullness. Take the brand's Come Clean Hydrating Cleansing Oil, for instance. It's stacked with an array of natural oils like sunflower, tea tree, lavender, and rosemary leaf.
Dehiya Beauty
Dehiya Beauty champions simple, time-honored beauty. The California-based brand creates uncomplicated skincare staples using highly-active, native botanical ingredients. For example, their cult-favorite Aya Restorative Goddess Mask is made with adaptogenic herbs and roots (like rose clay, Chaga powder, and turmeric) to help reinvigorate sensitive skin.
Relevant Beauty
Relevant Beauty is the brainchild of Nyakio Grieco, who is also the founder of the inclusive beauty marketplace Thirteen Lune. The brand launched in June 2022 with its One & Done Everyday Cream SPF 40. The sunscreen is made with melanin-rich skin in mind, boasting a mineral-based formula that doesn't leave a white cast.
Katini Skin
Katini Skin has garnered its fair share of social media love thanks to the Collagen Facial Oil ($115). The squalane-based hydrator is one of four products from the brand. Each no-fluff formula relies on vegan, fair-trade, and wild-harvested ingredients. Bonus: The gorgeous glass bottles are very worthy of countertop display.
LaBruna Skincare
When Nina LaBruna started attending NYU, she began crafting handmade body butters, face masks, and scrubs for fun. However, what started as a dorm room DIY project has since become a full-fledged brand. LaBruna Skincare offers a range of powerful plant-based skincare products—like the Natural Retinol Alternative Serum made with 1% Bakuchiol.
NoPalera
NoPalera’s skincare products are powered by nopales (or cactus paddles). The founder Sandra Velasquez grew up eating them and later created DIY body products using the plant. From there, NoPalera was born. The line consists of exfoliants, soaps, and botanical bars (which can all be used on your face and body).
Vamigas
Vamigas—an organic, plant-derived skincare line—is led by two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. They aimed to develop conscious beauty products using ingredients connected to their Latin roots. Vamigas’ best-selling product, the Rosa Mosqueta Oil, is a shining example of the brand’s ethos. The product’s star ingredient—native to the Araucana region of Chile—has been used to treat skin ailments across generations.
Visha Skincare
Tennessee-based dermatologist Dr. Purvisha Pate developed this results-driven clinical line. Her goal? To create a safe, effective line that addresses all genders, ethnicities, and ages. The comprehensive brand includes everything you could think of (including products catered towards mother and fitness fanatics). For instance, the top-rated Cheek 2 Feet Spray features soothing ingredients (like aloe, witch hazel, and tea tree extract) that help with post-workout body odor, sweat rashes, and chafing.
Joaquina Botánica
Named after the founder's great-great-grandmother (who started a Columbian apothecary back in 1875), Joaquina Botánica pays homage to family heritage. The range consists of four simple products—a cleanser, essence, cream, and face oil—made with luscious botanicals indigenous to Latin America. The Orquídea + Vitamin C Hydrating Glow Oil is one of the brand’s buzziest products, which taps ingredients like Camu Camu and maracuja to give your skin a dewy glow.
Ustawi
Natacha Paugam drew inspiration from her upbringing in Africa to create Ustawi. Her nature-forward products (inspired by old family recipes) target skin that's stressed, especially from traveling and environmental pollution. For example, the brand's Glow Protection Mist shields skin by creating an anti-pollution barrier. As for what's inside, bamboo water surges skin with moisture while organic myrtle leaf detoxifies.
Namesake
Davlyn Mosley started learning about skincare early as her mother is a dermatologist. Having a front-row seat to the industry inspired her to launch a brand that caters to melanin-rich skin. Enter: Namesake. Mosley and her mother (the brand’s advisor) launched with just one product: The Daily Moisturizer ($60). The non-greasy face cream contains rosehip oil, polyhydroxy acids, and plant stem cells (known as butterfly bush) to help boost radiance, elasticity, and smoothness.
Mary Louise Cosmetics
Founder Akilah Mary Lousie Releford's obsession with natural beauty products inspired her to enter the skincare industry. In 2017, the then college student started whipping up products in her dorm (the Mississippi Mud Mask being the first hit). Since then, Releford has created other star products, ranging from a green tea-infused cleanser to pigmentation-focused serum.
House of M
Vietnamese immigrant Anne Oliver discovered the mood-boosting benefits of saffron while dealing with postpartum depression. As she researched the ingredient further, she realized it also had unique skincare benefits (i.e., reducing redness, balancing sebum production, and boosting radiance). It was then she decided to launch House of M, a line of saffron-infused skincare products. The brand currently offers three powerhouse products: The Saffron Miracle Serum ($98), Clean Skin Polish ($48), and Silk Night Concentrate ($70).
Honua Skincare
Founded by a Hawaiian-born licensed esthetician, Honua Skincare incorporates traditional island herbs. Locally sourced ingredients—like laukahi (Hawaiian plantain), ni'oi (Hawaiian chili pepper), and aloalo (hibiscus)—can be found in each hand-crafted formula. The brand's five-star rated Aloha Youth Serum pairs Hawaiian "super oils" with bakuchiol (a plant-derived retinol alternative) to douse sun-stricken skin with immediate hydration.
Ode to Self
Ode to Self is focused on delivering elevated must-haves. The line consists of only four products—the Hydrating and Clarifying Oil, Soothing and Refining Toning Essence, Cleansing Balm and Spot Treatment, and Nourishing and Exfoliating Cream Cleanser. Most products have become so popular that they’re currently sold out. However, the silver lining is that you can snag a mini version of the best-selling face oil. The $17 vial is filled with eight key ingredients (such as rosehip seed, sea buckthorn, jojoba, and squalane) that help alleviate dryness.
