Yangu Beauty is created for women, by women. The skin-care line is using technology to generate products specifically for women of color, and it’s also employing women in Africa.

“We are not only a cosmetics company—we truly care about giving back,” Founder Sipho Gumbo says.

In this year’s Naturally Curly Editor’s Choice Awards, Yangu Beauty was recognized for three out of its 12 skincare products: the Cleansing Whip, Gel to Milk Cleanser, and Even-Tone Serum. Other recent success includes an award in Feb. 2018 as one of the Best Black-Owned Businesses. Gumbo says it’s these acknowledgments that have allowed the brand to garner a “cult following” of influencers.

“For us as a brand, this means that the market we had in mind has given us an affirmation and confidence,” she says.

“We are not only a cosmetics company—we truly care about giving back.”
Sipho Gumbo

Growing up, Gumbo—who was born in Zimbabwe—recalls having extremely sensitive skin that most cosmetics just didn’t treat.

“It was during my search for products that I could use on my skin that did not have a tingling sensation that I realized how few products were on the market that really addressed skin issues faced by women of color,” Gumbo says.

And so, Yangu Beauty was born.

Translated as “My Beauty” in most Bantu and KiSwahili African languages, Yangu Beauty combines innovative pharmacology technology with ancient African skincare techniques to create a line specifically for women of color—although Gumbo says Caucasian women with sensitive skin also enjoy the products.

The complete skincare line can be found on yangubeauty.com. [Courtesy: Yangu Beauty]

The vegan cosmetics use ingredients from South African oils and herbs that aim to prevent irritation on dark skinned women. Gumbo says that challenges these women face include easy scarring and dark spot development, dark circles under eyes, skin irritation from common cosmetic chemicals, and larger pores.

“Concepts of beauty have been redefined for women of color or women with darker skin tones that denigrate their skin tones to even include bleaches,” Gumbo says, “So that current products are aimed at changing the skin color, instead of enhancing them.”

Renewable resources are purchased from a company in Zimbabwe that employs rural women in co-ops. Gumbo says these women often use this income for familial reasons, such as paying their children’s tuition.

Through its Beauty with Compassion program, the company also donates a portion of its sales to Munhu Inc., a nonprofit that supports children orphaned by AIDS by allowing them to continue their education.

NEW PRODUCTS COMING THIS FALL

Everything from the packaging to manufacturing is done locally, which is why Gumbo calls Dallas a “hidden gem” for starting a cosmetics company. She is able to meet with vendors in-person and says the city has the demographics needed for her products. In the future, Gumbo says new products will be released and a brand ambassador will be introduced this fall.

“Dallas is a microcosm of what the ideal client looks like for Yangu Beauty,” Gumbo says. “There are enough people from the different strata of the different women of color that Yangu Beauty was created for.”