Northwestern University’s first clinical dermatology laboratory, multi-million dollar companies, celebrity skincare brands, the use of radium to treat cancer — would you be surprised to know all of these initiatives were led by Black folks?
When we think of skincare in the United States, our minds may jump to the mainstream products, doctors and companies. However, there is a long legacy of Black dermatologists, business owners, and innovators who paved the way and laid the foundation for generations to come. With their groundbreaking research and beauty products, these skincare pioneers opened the door to not only loving our beautifully melanated skin, but also achieving racial equity in the medical and business fields.
It’s time to give these leaders their flowers and thank them for the work. From chemistry geniuses to entrepreneurial powerhouses, these pioneers built a legacy that continues to shine today. Let’s dive into the incredible contributions of our most revolutionary skincare pioneers, starting with Dr. Theodore K. Lawless.
In the same year, he became an instructor and research fellow at Northwestern University Medical School, where he served as a professor of Dermatology and Syphilology until 1941. During his tenure, he helped establish the university’s first medical laboratories and founded its first clinical laboratory dedicated to dermatology. In 1957, Lawless broke barriers as the first Black member of Chicago’s Board of Health. As a renowned skin specialist, his work focused on conditions like leprosy, syphilis, and other skin diseases, as well as pioneering the use of radium to treat cancer.
Black dermatologists comprise only 3% of all dermatologists in the United States, according to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. While the number still has room to grow, Lawless’ research paved the way for today’s Black dermatologists to thrive and address common skin conditions like atopic dermatitis, dry skin, childhood eczema, and eczema inflammation.
Lawless was not alone in his groundbreaking work. He is joined by fellow Black skincare pioneers Annie Malone, Anthony Overton, and Anita Patti Brown.
Before there was Madam C.J. Walker, there was Annie Malone, a chemist and entrepreneur who revolutionized Black hair and skincare in the early 20th century. Born in 1877 in Metropolis, Illinois to enslaved parents, Malone developed her love of chemistry in high school. After being forced to withdraw from school due to illness, Annie founded her own beauty company, Poro College.
BlackLove.com Related Articles:
Stress and Eczema: Exploring the Emotional Impact on Your Skin
A History of Black Skincare in the United States
Can Stress Permanently Damage Your Skin? What to Expect Over Time
The multi-million dollar company produced a wide range of skincare products, including face powders in a variety of shades, “to help women adapt to a society that judged them based on how they met the American standard of beauty (which excluded the natural appearance of most African Americans),” according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
“Poro College also provided a meeting place for African Americans and major black organizations such as the National Negro Business League to meet since they were denied access to most public spaces,” NMAAH reports. A philanthropist, Malone gave thousands of dollars to the local black YMCA and the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C. She also served as a benefactor and president on the board of directors of the St. Louis Colored Orphans Home from 1919 to 1943.
Malone didn’t just create products; she empowered Black women with jobs and a sense of self-worth. She was joined in this fight by skincare pioneer Anthony Overton. Born into slavery during the final year of the Civil War, Overton graduated with a degree in chemistry from Washburn College. He went on to graduate from the University of Kansas School of Law in 1888 and found his own company, Overton Hygienic Company, in 1898.
Overton was one of the first entrepreneurs to create skincare products for Black women, including the High Brown Face Powder, which was “the first market success in the sale of cosmetics for Black women,” according to researchers.
In the early 1900s, department stores largely ignored the needs of Black customers, leaving the community without access to products designed for them. Facial products were also made up of ground-up chalk and other problematic materials. In response, Overton created the first face powders made with high-quality ingredients specifically for Black women, testing all ingredients to ensure their safety for customers.
An advocate for Black causes, Overton’s influence extended beyond skincare. He established the Douglass National Bank, the second nationally chartered black-owned bank in the United States, in 1923, and founded the Chicago Bee, a Black newspaper known for its support of liberal causes, in 1925.
Lastly, we have opera singer turned beauty entrepreneur Anita Patti Brown. Born in 1970 in Georgia, Brown trained as a singer in Chicago and later studied music in Europe. After building a successful career as soprano recitalist from the 1900s to 1920s, Brown became a skincare and beauty sensation — much like Fenty Beauty phenom Rihanna. She launched her own mail-order business and brand, Patti’s Brazilian Toilette Luxuries, which offered Black women several skincare products.
Brown’s skincare philosophy was rooted in enhancing what you already have—long before #SkincareGoals became a thing on Instagram. She created a booklet sharing her skincare tips and introduced carefully curated products to help women achieve clearer, smoother skin. Brown’s transition from music to beauty reminds us that Black women have always worn multiple crowns.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION