6 Latina-Owned Small Businesses to Shop and Support Right Now

Being Latina is a major point of pride for me because in so many ways, I am what society sees as “less-than.”

I’m:

• Female

• Young(ish)/A Millennial

• Not rich

• Not thin

• Not a mom

Because I’m Latina, however, I am part of a phenomenal and magical community.

We Latinas come in different shapes, sizes, colors, and levels of fabulous, and very other ethnicities can pull off oversized hoops like we can.

Our cultures vary, our dialect and colloquialisms vary, and our cuisine definitely varies. But being a Latina means more: it means power beyond measure.

And these Latinas are showing the world that the sky’s the limit!

6 Latina-Owned Small Businesses to Shop and Support Right Now

1. Casita Candles

Carla Corazon is the owner and creator of Casita Candles. Carla was born in El Salvador, and she is spiritual and sassy—just like her candles. She says:

“The truth is—with all this moving, feelings of displacement can easily find you, but creating a sacred space in my home always made me feel grounded. The ritualistic energy made me feel powerful. The warmth, the scent, and the glow of candles created a sense of safety that comforted me.”

Que linda!

I stumbled upon one of Carla’s posts in a Latina Entrepreneur Facebook group called #MakeJefaMoves. There was a massive thread of folks begging her to restock her Big Hoop Energy candle.

Smells like Selena rocking the Astrodome,

Cardi slaying the MET Gala,

AOC speaking up in Congress,

And you – crushing your goals.

If you tell me you didn’t just get goosebumps, I know you’re lyin’.

Casita Candles features several other scents, including one with hints of lemongrass and jasmine called Y El Novio? (Got a boyfriend yet?) which helps ward off bad energy from nosey abuelas and tias.

2. Hija de Tu Madre

Hija de Tu Madre says it’s “on a mission to latinafy your life,” which—trust me—you totally want.

Patty Delgado, founder and designer of this culturally rich and vibrant apparel and accessories company, says that Hija de Tu Madre was designed to “celebrate the beautiful mess that is being Latina and Latinx.”

“Each piece of art and clothing is inspired by my cultural crossroads.”

The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Patty started her business with nothing but Latina Power and $500 in her pocket.

If you’re ready to embrace your inner Latina or need a hoop upgrade, check out one of Hija de Tu Madre’s most popular pieces:

The Jefa Hoops: “The bigger the hoops, the bigger the Jefa.”

You know it, girl.

If you’re working from home (sans hoops and braless… like no one I know) and thriving on that all-you-can-drink homemade cafecito, they’ve got you, too, boo:

3. Brujita Skincare

Brujita Skincare has one of my all-time favorite brand taglines:

“We are a community of people who are just a little bit different from the rest. Including and celebrating the misfits that the natural beauty market left behind.”

You guys are speaking right to me.

Leah Guerrero started Brujita as a passion project because she noticed the crazy-expensive prices of organic and healing skincare products. She set out to create “affordable, organic, and ethically-sourced” products. Yes, ma’am!

Two fan-faves (that sell out in literally hours) are the Purple Reina Facial Scrub and the Hechizo Facial Serum.

Guerrero is a licensed esthetician, so she takes great care that the products Brujita develops help your skin thrive. Many of their products are also vegan.

The Purple Reina Facial Scrub is *chef’s kiss* gentle enough to use daily and helps with breakouts and pigmentation or acne scars. It also smells like a blood orange dream.

4. Sunday Energy

Many of you YouTube-aholics are probably familiar with Melissa Flores, a Latina beauty and. Lifestyle content creator. She (and her fabulous Dominican eyebrows) recently launches a collection of jewelry called Sunday Energy.

She individually curates each piece with a purpose, and each is a (bougie) little tribute to the special kind of class that comes with being a Latina.

My absolute favorite piece in her shop right now is this pair of Evil Eye drop earrings:

I’m all kinds of obsessed with everything in her Evil Eye collection, honestly.

So friends, throw on your faux-leather jeggings, fill in those brows, and get yourself (or your mami) something sparkly.

5. Loquita Bath & Body

Loquita Bath & Body is your 90s Latina dreams come true.

They have the best-smelling concha bath bombs you have ever seen.

But wait – you’ve probably never seen a concha bath bomb, have you? Me neither!

A concha is actually a deliciously fluffy Mexican sweet bread. They’re called conchas because their crunchy-sweet and colorful topping looks like a seashell.

I don’t recommend eating Loquita’s conchas, but I do suggest you get yourself to the nearest Latinx grocery store and buy them all a few. That way, you can go home and eat them while soaking in your bath-bomb-filled tub.

Loquita’s bath bombs come in different scents: flan, pan dulce, and unicaca (which is unicorn poop).

If you’re not eating carbs right now, you can stick with the Chill Pill or either one of the Selena-themed bath bombs: Como La Flor and Bidi Bidi Bath bombs (I cannot say that with a straight face).

My crazy vapor-rub-obsessed mom (I mean, vaporu) is all over Loquita’s Sana Sana (Colita de Rana Nasal Inhaler):

(Made with essential oils for when you feel those sniffles coming on.)

6. Lil’ Libros

Okay, even though I’m not a mom, I’m not going to lie: this Latina-owned business makes my heart swell and my ovaries ache a little.

Lil’ Libros was started by two Latina moms, Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein (nee Sauceda), in 2014 when they couldn’t find any bilingual kids’ books.

Talk about making lemonade!

Their books have become such a success, that they were actually a huge hit feature at Cardi B’s lavish baby shower, and both actress Jessica Alba and comedian Ali Wong have featured the company on their social media.

These mamas write:

“At Lil’ Libros, we celebrate Latin American culture and important figures in its history. Our books honor beautiful stories like the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and Cuban music icon, Celia Cruz, in English and Spanish with rich and colorful illustrations while also introducing [kids] to concepts like first words, numbers, colors, shapes, and biographies!”

I may or may not have already (and very prematurely) ordered Where Is-Donde Esta El Chavo? and La Catrina: Emotions – Emociones.

What It Means to Be Latina

I am a Dominican immigrant. I am bilingual and technically bicultural. I don’t remember a time when I didn’t speak Spanish, but I definitely remember moments where I struggled in grade school to remember the English words for toothpaste or thumb.

My grandparents are abuela y abuela, and I grew up terrified of El Cuco and La Llorona.

There have been times, however, where I’ve experienced an identity crisis of sorts. I’m not a U.S. citizen, but I’m not really American. I’m also a little less Dominican than a Dominican. But that’s ok. We Latinx folks are an ever-changing, colorful, whatever-the-opposite-of-homogenous-is group of people.

And one thing is for sure: we’re in great company!

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Nikki Sanchez is a Dominican-American millennial blogger with a love for bread and trash television. If you’re interested in receiving her newsletter, sign up here. Find more of her work at Good Golly, Mrs. Holley!