The “We” in Wellness Gift Guide 2020
Originally published on LinkedIn.
Wellness isn’t just about self-care - it’s also about community care. Humans don’t thrive in isolation. We need to give and receive love and support for a strong sense of well-being.
One major conversation this year has been around learning how to better understand the struggle of BIPOC - or Black, Indigenous, and people of color - and how to empathetically and appropriately support their communities. Choosing to shop from BIPOC-owned businesses is one of the many ways we can do this.
In this spirit, I’ve put together a list of products made with love by BIPOC that support your mind, body and spirit. Each of these brands spoke to me in their own way. I hope you find something on this list to gift yourself and someone you love this holiday season!
1. Purifying face masks
Source: shopjacqs.com
With products that “kick butt” and are made by women of color for women of color, Jacq’s uses clean ingredients which contain no carcinogens, neurotoxins, or endocrine disruptors.
Jacq's Clarifying Green Smoothie Face Masque and Scrub is a standout product for the growing brand with over a dozen five star reviews and perfect for your beauty queens and kings.
2. Inspiring journals
Source: etsy.com/shop/effiespaper
Expressing yourself is vital to your emotional wellness. These beautiful journals designed by Effie’s Paper on Etsy will motivate you to develop a journaling practice every day.
3. Raw honey
Source: ivyees.com
Loaded with antioxidants and antiviral properties and delicious to boot, superfood honey makes a fantastic gift all year round. This floral ginger & hibiscus gift set from Ivyees caught my eye.
Natural & organic honey brand Ivyees was started by an ex-engineer turned Jamaican bee farmer that is dedicated to helping people “become more aware of what they are putting in and on their body.” The brand is committed to becoming a sustainable business and is pursuing B Corp Certification.
4. High quality cookware
Source: karibecompany.com
For those in your life that enjoy cooking, a cast iron skillet is a fantastic gift. Cast iron cookware is known for being a long-lasting, chemical-free alternative to non-stick pans, when maintained correctly. It also holds heat well and transfers easily from stove to oven.
Karibe, a new Black-owned cookware company, manufactures their cast iron skillets with high quality cast iron.
5. Gardening kits
Source: etsy.com/shop/HortikiPlants
A highly rated Etsy shop with over 1,500 sales, Hortiki Plants creates eco-friendly gardening kits for organic herbs and vegetables - and an educational kit for the kids, too!
I love that these kits connect people to nature and the creation of food. I’m partial to the microgreens kit because I don’t get to eat them often and they’re known for being highly nutritious (and delicious), but feel free to peruse the other kits to find one that piques your interest.
6. Clean & conscious beauty
Source: cheekbonebeauty.ca
Conscious beauty is on its way to becoming the norm - think clean ingredients and brands with sustainability at the center of their mission. I was excited to find Cheekbone Beauty, an Indigenous-owned beauty brand, is committed to economic, environmental and social sustainability, with a goal to become zero-waste by 2023. The brand also donates 10% of profits to supporting Indigenous education.
This powerful red lipstick caught my eye - and apparently, the card enclosed in the shipping box can be transformed into a flowering plant!
7. Powerful teas
Source: brooklyntea.com
Chock full of antioxidants and supportive of brain health and immunity, green tea is a superfood in its own right. Black-owned Brooklyn Tea creates delicious, high quality, organic and fair trade (when available) teas.
Beyond its alluring flavors, the Kyoto Cherry Rose Sencha is high in Vitamin C and has anti-anxiety and energizing benefits, according to the brand's website.
8. Cultural literature
Source: ravenreads.org
Everything, from the social media accounts you follow to the shows you watch, has the potential to impact you in a positive or a negative way. Your intellectual wellness, or the activities you do that stimulate your mind to expand your knowledge and skills, is an important part of your personal evolution and underrated element of wellness.
Raven Reads is a curated collection of Indigenous literature and giftware. It’s designed to “expand our understanding and gain perspectives of the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people around the world”, according to the website. They offer a number of subscription options for the adult or kid book lovers in your life.
9. Superfood self-care
Source: golde.co
Launched with a single product in 2017, Golde is on a mission to make wellness accessible and fun with their superfood face masks and latte blends. I’m personally a fan of turmeric lattes (or haldi dood as my Indian family refers to it), but the Superfood Latte Sampler stood out to me for the drink dabblers in my life.
10. House plants
Source: grounded-plants.com
After growing up in a house with over 50 plants, I always need some kind of greenery in my home. The wellness benefits of being surrounded by plants are numerous, from purifying the air to boosting your mood.
Virtual plant shop Grounded is the brainchild of two Black millennial women, who on their site talk about the benefits of slowing down in our fast-paced world to take care of and connect with these living things. The snake plant stood out to me, which is identified as “resilient” on its product page… a perfect metaphor & gift for our strength this year.
