Two Black Founders Share the Cult-Loved Skincare Brands They Can't Stop Using

There are a ton of great beauty and wellness brands out there on the market, and once in a while, I'll come across one that really speaks to me. When I discovered Trywell, I was immediately excited by the brand's mission but was equally as enthusiastic to discover that every formula is $25 or less. It isn't easy to find quality vitamins at an affordable price, so I think the brand is worth checking out based on this sentiment alone. However, the brand is also doing important work for the Black community, and its easily digestible gummies are downright delicious. I spoke to the brand's founders, mother-son duo Kathy and Tashon Thompson, about their favorite formulas from the brand and the cult-loved skincare products they love using morning and night. Keep on reading!

Trywell is, first and foremost, a Black-centered health and wellness brand. "We started the brand during COVID after seeing how disproportionately African Americans were being affected and the lack of knowledge in the community," say founders Kathy and Tashon Thompson. They've developed the brand to specifically address the nutritional shortfalls often faced by people of color, specifically African Americans. "With significant and disproportionate health disparities in African American communities, providing vital supplements to fill these nutritional gaps left unmet by the daily diet is essential," they say. "[We] aim to not only highlight and eradicate this devastating cultural healthcare divide but to also do everything possible to promote healthful living as part of the overall beauty, resilience, identity, and plight of the Black experience."

Both Tashon and Kathy take Trywell's Adult Multivitamin daily. It's packed with essential ingredients such as zinc, pantothenic acid, and vitamins A, C, D, E, and B.

Kathy says the vitamins D and C and multivitamin formulas are the top three she uses daily. Vitamin D is a supplement that people of color should definitely consider adding to their diet since many are deficient. Vitamin D is produced by the body in response to sunlight exposure, but higher melanin concentration in the skin often results in a reduced intake.

Most of us know about the wonderful benefits vitamin C can offer for your internal health and skin, but in case you don't, vitamin C stimulates tissue repair, aids in enzyme function, boosts immunity, and helps encourage collagen production in the skin.

Tashon counts this Daily Immunity formula as a favorite in his morning routine. It features a potent blend of vitamin C, zinc, and elderberry, which can help relieve pain and inflammation and treat the common cold. This formula is so good it's currently sold out, but keep an eye out for when it comes back in stock.

Tashon also reaches for the brand's Apple Cider Vinegar formula in the morning, which can reduce cholesterol levels in your blood, support immune function, and even aid in weight loss.

Sea moss is rich in key vitamins and minerals like zinc, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B, and ashwagandha is a celebrated Ayurvedic herb that increases energy, reduces inflammation, and can even help with anxiety. Tashon considers it the perfect formula to pair with the brand's melatonin at night. 

Tashon adds, "At night, I take Ashwagandha and Sea Moss plus a Melatonin on days when I can't sleep."

Tashon loves the TikTok-viral brand Peter Thomas Roth. "I tend to have oily skin, so I avoid products that are heavy and oily. Though most people recommend not to use a scrub daily, it helps me! My morning skincare routine is basic. I use the full Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C vitamin C suite, starting with the Power Scrub," he says.

After the scrub, Tashon follows with Roth's Potent-C Power Serum, which is packed with 20% vitamin C, vitamin E, ferulic acid, and hyaluronic acid to improve hydration, firmness, and uneven texture and tone.

He finishes with the Peter Thomas Roth moisturizer that features similar ingredients.

"My night routine changes depending on my mood, but some products I've been using consistently lately are the Dr. Dennis Gross AHA/BHA Cleansing Gel (super gentle), then I pile on the moisture to stay hydrated throughout the night," he says.

Both Tashon and Kathy love fan-favorite brand Fenty Skin. "Right now, I'm [also] loving the Fenty Brightening Overnight Recovery Cream," he says.

To top off his routine, Tashon finishes with the Augustinus Bader eye cream, which features peptides and Bader's patented TFC8 complex that helps protect the skin and supports cellular renewal.

"I recently tried Black-owned brand BAO [and its] Enzyme Night Cream and really liked it!" Tashon says.

"My daily skincare routine is a very old-school method I learned from my grandmother incorporated with a modern twist. I exfoliate once a week with a homemade scrub that has sugar, jojoba beads, almond oil, and more. I cleanse my face daily with the Fresh Soy Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser, and I use extra-virgin olive oil every night," she says.

Kathy also loves this oil-free, lightweight moisturizer from Glow Recipe, which is packed with watermelon extract, hyaluronic acid, and other botanicals that give skin a radiant glow.

For makeup removal, she loves this oil cleanser from Fenty. Kalahari melon, baobab, sunflower, safflower, and castor oils help gently lift away stubborn mascara, sunscreen, and foundation while hydrating your skin.

"I also love to incorporate a Rose Quartz Facial Roller," she says. 

from Who What Wear