8 proudly Mzansi beauty products we love

Let’s hear it for some of the best local beauty brands shaking it up in the industry! From Mzansi to the world, some of these products are not only loved locally but are steadily gaining traction in the global space too. No matter what your pocket, these brands that are firmly entrenched in our heritage will offer you options that go from kind to your pocket to the worth-the-splurge must-haves.

Suki Suki Naturals

This is a beauty editor’s favourite and well on its way to becoming a cult brand with distribution now in the United States. Suki Suki Naturals, the brainchild of Linda Gieskes-Mwamba, is an efficacious natural hair, body and skin-care brand that works with the use of loved ingredients such as rosehip, sheabutter, acai and papaya.

Optiphi

This powerhouse brand birthed in a laboratory in Irene, Pretoria, and now with distribution in Germany, easily houses most (if not all) of our favourite products to date. From the super-hydrating hydraderm masque to the complexion-refining intense retinol serum – the brand’s unique skin-balancing formulations are worthy splurge items that change skin from the first use –thank us later.

Swiitch Beauty

You can’t talk about local brands we love and not mention Swiitch Beauty. The creation of 19-year-old Rabia Ghoor, these well-packaged, highly pigmented, long-lasting formulas with fun millennial-focused names has not only landed on our must-have list but that of local celebrities and makeup artists too.

ANIM Naturals

If you love natural ingredient goodness like shea butter or Jamaican black castor oil, then you will love this newbie to the local beauty scene, ANIM Naturals. Created by young entrepreneur Akosua Koranteng, this brand is loved for its eye-catching, vanity–worthy packaging, sustainably sourced ingredients, pricing and is easily available online and at Clicks.

African Extracts

Using one of our indigenous plant ingredients and favourite tea-time beverage, African Extracts prides itself not only on its use of bio-active rooibos, but on its all natural skin formulations that combine nature and science at an affordable price.

Clere

We can’t help but love this heritage brand that has been a feature in our homes since its conception in 1961. Whether you love their fruit body lotion scents for women or energising male body lotion formulas, Clere’s glycerine-rich creams are guaranteed to keep your skin soft and hydrated, no matter the season.

Sorbet

It would be difficult to not find what you’re looking for under the Sorbet brand. Local and packed with variety– the brand spans over make-up, skincare, hair care, nails, body and grooming. The foundation range alone is enough to keep any beauty lover happy with a wide range of shades and textures to choose from, ranging from mousses, 2-in-1 to liquids.

Foschini All Woman

We love this brand for its 100% local strategy implementation into all its product offerings and its proudly South African, female-empowered philosophies. Exclusive to all Foschini stores, the All Woman brand boasts makeup and skincare that is designed to suit all local skin tones with high colour payoffs and on-trend product offering.