9 Female Founders Making Products You Actually Need in Your Life
Okay, I have to tell you about some people I've been obsessing over lately.
As a natural skincare formulator, I spend a lot of time thinking about ingredients, craftsmanship, and the intention behind products. And every once in a while, I come across businesses that just stop me in my tracks — women who spotted a gap and built something remarkable to fill it, often while juggling everything else life demands. This list is for them.
Small business shopping is one of my absolute favorite things. There's something about knowing that the hands behind a product belong to a real person with a real story — not an algorithm or a production line. These nine women-owned businesses are my current favorites, and I'm not being subtle about it. I want you to go shop them. Like, right now.
Let's go.
KinMarked — Lisa Tremblay
The Double Disc Name Necklace That Makes the Most Meaningful Gift
There is a specific kind of jewelry that you reach for every single day without thinking about it. Just... always on. That's what KinMarked makes.
Lisa Tremblay spent eleven years building her hand-stamped jewelry business from scratch — starting with a creative outlet during new motherhood and growing it into something genuinely beautiful. KinMarked pieces are handstamped in sterling silver and 14k gold-filled metals, one letter at a time, by actual human hands. Never machine engraved. Every tiny variation in the stamping proves a real artist touched it.
The Double Disc Name Necklace is one of those gifts that makes people cry — in the best possible way. Two names, two discs, layered on a delicate chain. Children's names, a partner's name, someone you've lost. The piece is hypoallergenic, waterproof, and made for real life. Every order arrives in a signature gift box with a polishing cloth. You don't even need to wrap it — it's already done for you.
Shop: kinmarked.com
Tasty Tin — Thembi Aleah
The Garlic Dust Shaker That Goes on Literally Everything
I'm going to say something bold: this seasoning blend changed the way I cook dinner.
Thembi Aleah built Tasty Tin around a philosophy I love — that exceptional entertaining starts with intentional flavor. The blends are small-batch, thoughtfully curated, and packed in adorable reusable tin shakers that ship to all 50 states. There's even a refill pouch so you never run out. Sustainable and delicious. My kind of women-owned small business.
The Garlic Dust Shaker is the one I started with and the one I can't stop talking about. It's the blend that goes on everything — roasted vegetables, eggs, pasta, bread, grilled chicken, honestly anything that needs to taste more alive. The flavor is deep and complex in a way that makes you wonder how you cooked without it. At $15, it's also a fantastic gift from a women-owned business when you want to give something people will actually use.
Shop: tastytin.com
Sage Gems Jewellery Co. — Lesley Chang
The Persephone Labradorite Ring You'll Never Want to Take Off
Here's the thing about Lesley Chang and Sage Gems: every piece has a story behind it.
She's a vintage-loving, hopeless romantic who was inspired by a special locket and the realization that true style is about pieces that carry meaning. Her shop is fueled by her love for her mother, who lives with Alzheimer's — and 10% of all Sage Gems sales go to the Alzheimer's Society of British Columbia. When you support women-owned businesses like this one, your money goes somewhere that genuinely matters.
The Persephone Natural Labradorite Gemstone Ring is a bestseller for good reason. Labradorite catches light in this almost magical way — flashes of blue and green depending on how you move. The Sage Finish Lesley applies to every piece keeps it from tarnishing in weeks the way cheaper jewelry does. Protected by a one-year warranty and delivered in a signature baby blue gift box. It's one of those pieces you'll stop and look at on your own hand.
Shop: sagegems.ca
Rooted+Wilder — Vicki Rye
The Sow+Salve Rescue Balm for Skin That's Done Being Irritated
Oh, Vicki Rye. I feel like I know her because her story is so personal and so real.
She was a new mom with sensitive, reactive skin that was breaking and bleeding most days. She prayed through nap times and night nursings for relief, and eventually started handcrafting gentle products herself — using plants and science together. Rooted+Wilder grew from that desperate, loving place into a full skincare and wellness practice that includes Holy Yoga classes, Reiki sessions, and wellness retreats alongside the products.
The Sow+Salve Rescue Balm is the one I want everyone with sensitive or reactive skin to know about. It's a bestseller, and for good reason — reviewers describe skin that finally feels calm and less red, from someone who had tried everything else. As someone who formulates for sensitive skin, I know how hard that is to achieve. Vicki did it. At $20, it's also one of the most accessible gifts from a women-owned business you'll find.
Shop: rootedandwilder.com
The Laced Shoe — Esther Regina
The Spring Kids Shoes Collection That Makes Shoe Shopping Actually Fun
I know, I know — shoes in a natural skincare blog. But hear me out.
When I'm raving about my favorite things and women-owned small businesses I love, Esther Regina and The Laced Shoe deserve a spot every single time. She runs an upscale boutique focused on European-style, handcrafted children's and women's footwear — shoes that are chosen for quality, comfort, and durability over the throwaway fast-fashion approach to kids' shoes that most of us are stuck with.
The Spring Collection is stunning right now. We're talking Maria Catalan handmade Spanish leather Mary Janes, Falcotto velcro sneakers, Atlanta Mocassin penny loafers. These are shoes that hold up, look beautiful, and actually fit properly — because Esther's team provides the kind of personalized fitting guidance most big retailers don't bother with. If you've got a child who's outgrown yet another pair of shoes that fell apart after three weeks, this women-owned small business is going to feel like a revelation.
Shop: thelacedshoe.com
Dear Naura — Karen Mok
The Vitamin B Hyaluronic Acid Serum That Works While You Sleep
As a fellow formulator, I am always reading ingredient lists. Always. And Karen Mok's work at Dear Naura genuinely impresses me.
Her philosophy: sustainable, ethical, small-batch skincare made with integrative natural science. No phthalates, parabens, SLS, or petroleum-based dimethicone. The ingredients are fresh, thoughtfully chosen, and backed by science rather than just marketing language. She's been at this long enough to know the difference — and it shows in the formulations.
The Vitamin B Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a standout. Fragrance-free and oil-free, designed for the eye area, face, and neck — this serum layers vitamins B3 (niacinamide) with hyaluronic acid for hydration and a more even-looking complexion over time. It's the kind of product that works quietly while you sleep and you notice the difference before you realize why you look better. At $32, it punches well above its weight. Support women-owned businesses and take care of your skin at the same time? Yes.
Shop: dearnaura.com
Shade Tree Naturals — Tara Scheel
The Eucalyptus Spearmint Lip Balm That's a Best Seller for a Reason
There's something about a small batch, eco-conscious product that just gets it — and Shade Tree Naturals gets it.
Tara Scheel built her brand around a commitment to sustainability, health, and community that goes beyond talking points. She partners with Eco-Soap Bank, donating product to support clean hygiene access globally. The whole line is cruelty-free, made with natural ingredients — gentle oils, butters, and botanicals — and handcrafted in small batches. She doesn't participate in Black Friday because her values don't support the throwaway consumption it promotes.
The Eucalyptus Spearmint Lip Balm is the bestseller I keep gifting to people. Starting at $6, it's deeply moisturizing with a cool, clean scent that isn't overwhelming — just enough. When it comes to gifts from women-owned businesses that feel personal without being expensive, this one is perfection. Stock up. You'll want several.
Shop: shadetreenaturals.com
Jenna Bricher Swim — Jenna Bee
The Gigi Bikini Top for D+ Women Who've Given Up on Finding the Perfect Swimsuit
I want to talk about the Jenna Bricher brand for a minute, because what Jenna Bee built matters to a lot of people.
She designed luxury swimwear specifically for D+ cup sizes — the women who have historically been told their options are limited and unflattering. Her bikini tops are engineered with real structural support, not just decorated elastic, and they're made from fabric created from reclaimed ghost nets pulled out of the ocean. Woman-owned. Eco-friendly. Designed in Phoenix. Handcrafted in Los Angeles.
The Gigi Bikini Top is a balconette-style with a secure under-bust band and two layers of support that create real lift without the halter headache. Reviewers say things like "I almost cried putting this on" and "I feel sexy and supported for the first time." That is the power of a product made with a specific person genuinely in mind. This is small business shopping that actually changes how someone feels in their body. That's worth celebrating.
Shop: jennabricher.com
Willow Field Soap — Terri Allen Knudsen
The Blue Agave Silk-Infused Soap That Makes Your Skin Feel Unreal
Last but absolutely not least — the soap. Because how could I not?
Terri Allen Knudsen started Willow Field Soap to share what she'd discovered for her own skin: that feeling clean could also feel genuinely comforting. Her soaps are silk-infused — real tussah silk added to the recipe — which creates a lather that's creamier, more conditioning, and noticeably different from anything you'd find at a grocery store. Over 120 reviews with people saying things like "I don't know which one to use first, they all smell so good."
The Blue Agave Soap is a bestseller and one I'd point anyone toward who hasn't tried Willow Field yet. At $9 a bar, it's genuinely the most accessible entry point into what good handmade soap feels like on your skin. Cruelty-free. Natural ingredients. Small batches. Made with the kind of care that you can feel the moment you work up a lather. As someone who lives in the natural skincare world, I know what quality looks like — and this is it.
Shop: willowfieldsoap.com
Go Support These Women
I say this all the time and I mean it every time: your purchase is a vote. Every dollar you spend with women-owned small businesses instead of a big retailer is a dollar that pays a mortgage, funds a school supply run, or keeps a dream alive one more month.
These eleven female founders aren't just making great products. They're building something, one handstamped disc and one silk-infused soap bar and one perfectly designed bikini top at a time. They deserve your attention and your cart.
Go shop small. Support women-owned businesses. Tell a friend. And come back here when you find your next obsession — I'd love to hear what you discover.
Which of these women-owned businesses is your new favorite? Drop it in the comments — I'm always on the lookout for the next great find.
