Sabrina Elba is building an inclusive beauty brand for diverse skin tones

Sabrina Elba is building a beauty brand with people of color at its center — not as an afterthought, but as the starting point. Her work blends ancestral African skincare traditions with modern lab science, aiming to create products that truly care for melanin-rich skin. In a recent episode of the podcast Go Off, Sis — part of Target’s Black History Month spotlight on Black entrepreneurs — Elba laid out how intentional sourcing, gentle formulation, and community-led values shape everything she makes.

What drives her is a simple idea: beauty knowledge travels through generations, and when brands honor that lineage while using rigorous formulation standards, the result is both culturally rooted and clinically effective. Below, the principles behind her brand, the key African botanicals she champions, and how she wants to change the way the industry thinks about Black-founded beauty.

Rooted in tradition: the concept of “A beauty” and generational knowledge

Sabrina Elba frames her work around a concept she calls “A beauty,” a shorthand for the rich tapestry of African beauty knowledge transmitted across families and communities. Rather than treating these practices as mere inspiration, she treats them as a functional blueprint for product development — a way to honor customs and apply time-tested ingredients where they perform best.

Her approach reframes traditional ingredients as active partners in formulation. That means looking beyond origin stories and asking: How were these botanicals used historically? What are their resilience traits? How can modern science enhance, stabilize, and scale those benefits for today’s skincare needs?

Why African botanicals matter for modern skincare

African ingredients like shea butter, Black soap, and rooibos are not chosen for trendiness. They are favored because they evolved to survive some of the planet’s toughest environments — and that resilience translates into skincare benefits.

• Shea butter: deeply moisturizing, rich in fatty acids and vitamins that support skin barrier repair.
• Black soap: traditionally made from plant ash and oils, offering gentle cleansing with minimal stripping of natural oils.
• Rooibos: an antioxidant-rich herbal extract that can help calm inflammation and protect against environmental stressors.

Elba emphasizes that these botanicals are powerful not simply because of where they grow, but because of how they are incorporated into formulas that respect skin biology — especially for those with higher melanin levels, who may experience unique sensitivities and inflammation.

Clean, purposeful formulation built for melanin-rich skin

A defining tenet of Elba’s product design is to prioritize sensitivity and reduce irritation. That commitment shows up in choices such as leaving out unnecessary fragrances and minimizing known irritants. Her logic is practical: start with the needs of inflammation-prone skin, and you produce gentler, more universally tolerable products.

Practical formulation principles she follows

• Fragrance-free bases to limit potential triggers for irritation.
• Combining traditional botanicals with evidence-backed actives for stability and efficacy.
• Testing on a range of skin types, with attention to post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation risk.

By foregrounding sensitive-skin considerations, Elba argues the industry moves forward rather than offering temporary fixes that work for some people and harm others.

From personal experience to founding a brand

Elba’s motivation grew out of frustration with products that worsened her skin. Teen years spent coping with barrier damage and inflammation made clear that mainstream beauty often missed the mark for many Black consumers. Instead of reshaping herself to fit available products, she decided to build alternatives that addressed unmet needs.

That personal history informs both the empathy and the technical decisions behind the brand: product efficacy is measured by how it supports skin health over time, not by short-lived effects or marketing claims.

Ethical sourcing: partnerships with African farming communities

Ethics aren’t an add-on for Elba — they’re central. As a UN Goodwill Ambassador and a founder committed to transparency, she insists on supply chains that benefit the people who produce raw materials. That includes documenting ingredient origins, ensuring fair wages, and creating safe working conditions for farm and processing communities.

• Direct relationships with suppliers to verify provenance.
• Fair-pay commitments and support for local economies.
• Transparency practices so consumers can trace ingredient journeys.

These practices align with initiatives like Target’s Made With Purpose program, which frames ethical operations as essential to product value rather than optional extras.

Reframing the narrative around Black-founded beauty brands

One of Elba’s core messages pushes back on reductive labeling: building for Black skin doesn’t make a product niche — it often results in a better product for everyone. Her position is that starting with underserved communities raises quality and standards across the market.

By centering communities of color from day one, she says, brands can avoid tokenism and instead create innovations that become industry benchmarks.

Where to hear the full conversation and learn more

To dive deeper into Elba’s philosophy — including her thoughts on African beauty knowledge, clean formulation strategies, and the work still needed in beauty — listen to the full Go Off, Sis episode featuring a conversation with Refinery29/Unbothered editors and brand leads. The episode explores how culture, science, and ethics intersect in contemporary skincare development and why centering community is a competitive advantage, not a concession.

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David Miller

David Miller is an entertainment expert with a passion for film, music, and series. With eight years in cultural criticism, he takes you behind the scenes of productions and studios. His energetic style guides you to the next big releases and trending sensations.