I’m always on the hunt for interesting beauty brands. From innovative independent skincare brands and female-founded brands to viral products and trendy new items, if something looks exciting to me, I’m willing to spend money on it.
I stumbled across LIHA Beauty online. This black-owned and female-founded brand harnesses the power of African beauty secrets to create an array of products that smell amazing, nourish the skin, and contain high-quality ingredients. The brand is cruelty-free and celebrates the founders’, Abi and Liha, Yoruba and British heritage.
The brand’s beautiful message really stood out to me. Plus, after LIHA Beauty appeared on Dragons’ Den, I knew I had to purchase a selection of products. Despite not securing an investment from the Dragons, I was intrigued, especially as the Dragons all noted how great the products are.
In this honest review, I share my thoughts on whether LIHA Beauty is worth it, with a closer look at the products’ ingredients, textures, and efficacy.
Products in this review
4 LIHA Beauty products are featured in this review:
Below, I review each product individually before sharing my overall thoughts on this black-owned beauty brand.
1. Oju Omi Mud Cleanser
£34 for 50ml
The LIHA Beauty Oju Omi Mud Cleanser can be used as either a cleanser or a face mask. As a daily cleanser, it has a fun mud-to-milk formula that promises to deeply cleanse the skin, without stripping, irritating, or drying it out. As a mud mask, apply it to dry skin, leave it for 10-20 minutes, and then rinse it off. The result from either method is hydrated, balanced, clean, and smooth skin.
Key ingredients include:
- Agave syrup: nourishes skin
- Kaolin: a clay mineral with absorbent properties that help reduce excess oil on the skin
- Moroccan lava clay: exfoliates the skin but can be a bit abrasive
- Marula oil: moisturises skin
- Molasses: LIHA Beauty says molasses is hydrating, gently exfoliating, and calms redness
This mud cleanser has a thick, creamy, and slightly gritty texture. It feels rich and luxurious. It has an earthy scent, but it’s fragrance-free. I love the consistency and smell of this cleanser; it gives spa day vibes.
As a cleanser, I initially used this as a second cleanse. However, it’s rich, exfoliating, and leaves a slightly oily residue, so I think it performs better as the first cleanse in your evening skincare routine.
The mud-to-milk formula is satisfying, as it effortlessly rinses off once emulsified. This performs more like a physical exfoliator, as there are some small particles that scrub your skin. I find this a bit abrasive. While the cleanser doesn’t cause redness in my skin, it does leave it feeling a bit stripped. Although this leaves my skin feeling soft, clean, and smooth, I still prefer using a traditional cleanser formula, such as a gel, oil, or balm.
This product works better as an exfoliating mud mask. After using it, my skin feels less oily, smoother, and hydrated, while also appearing brighter. It feels as though it’s really working to unclog my pores, helps get rid of stubborn blackheads, and leaves my skin in great condition. However, dry skin might find the mask too drying, due to the clays.
Rating: 4 stars
While I’ve used other cleansers that I prefer, I think this is an excellent face mask, especially for oily skin.
2. Idan Oil
£42 for 100ml
The LIHA Beauty Idan Oil is designed to deeply nourish and soften skin, while giving it a gorgeous glow. This innovative oil starts off as a solid balm at room temperature, but it transforms into a liquid when warmed. You can warm the oil up by rinsing the bottle (with the cap on) in warm/hot water. This multi-purpose oil can be used on the skin and hair.
Key ingredients include:
- Coconut oil: moisturises skin
- Tuberose: offers a sensual, warm, and floral scent
- Cinnamal: imparts the gorgeous spicy and sweet aroma of cinnamon
When warmed up, this oil is quite runny, non-greasy, and feels lightweight. It absorbs quickly, within a couple of minutes. I’m obsessed with the scent of this oil. It’s sweet, slightly spiced, floral, and romantic. Every time I use it, I smell absolutely amazing. Although this oil is fragranced, so that’s something to be mindful of if you’re sensitive to perfumed products.
And the results are fantastic. I use this as a body oil to hydrate and soften skin. I apply the oil overnight, and by morning, my skin is soft, smooth, nourished. Any dryness on my skin, such as on my feet, is significantly improved. With consistent use, the Idan Oil easily gets rid of dead, rough, or dry skin.
I’ve not used this as a hair oil, as I’ve already got a greasy scalp, so this might be a bit too rich. However, for dry ends or scalps, I think this would be a fantastic hair oil to moisturise and smooth frizz.
Rating: 5 stars
I love this oil and look forward to using it.
3. Orinrin Cleansing Balm
£32 for 50ml
The LIHA Beauty Orinrin Cleansing Balm claims to effortlessly dissolve makeup, SPF, and daily grime, while delivering nourishment that lingers long after rinsing. The balm transforms into a milk when in contact with water, allowing you to easily wash it off after massaging the product into your skin.
Key ingredients:
- Sweet almond oil: softens skin and helps the skin retain moisture
- Mango seed butter: hydrates and soothes skin
- Cocoa seed butter: locks in hydration and calms sensitive skin
- Sunflower seed oil: replenishes and strengthens skin
- Rice bran oil: has barrier-repairing properties
This cleansing balm has a rich, thick, and creamy consistency. A grape-sized amount of product is enough to massage into dry skin and thoroughly cleanse it. The balm features fragrant components that give it a mildly sweet and citrusy aroma. Again, something to be mindful of if you’re sensitive to perfumed skincare.
I quite like this cleansing balm, but it’s not my favourite. It smells and feels luxurious, thanks to a gorgeous fragrance profile and sumptuous texture.
As a first cleanse in my evening skincare routine, it easily lifts any lingering dirt, SPF, or oil on the skin. The balm rinses off easily when emulsified with water. But I’ve used cleansing balms and oils that take less work and are more effective at dissolving makeup.
While this cleansing balm makes my skin soft, clean, and moisturised, it unfortunately leaves a slightly greasy and tacky residue. I need to pair this with a powerful cleansing gel or foam that removes this residue, as it could otherwise lead to breakouts on my skin. Ultimately, I prefer cleansing balms or oils that feel more compatible with my combination skin and are easier to use.
Rating: 4 stars
This cleansing balm is nice, but I think this would be better for people with dry skin.
4. Osé Gidi Black Soap
£16 for 120g
The LIHA Beauty Osé Gidi Black Soap is supposed to deeply cleanse and gently exfoliate the skin, without stripping it. The soap works into a creamy lather that leaves skin hydrated, soft, and luminous. It can be used on the face and body.
Key ingredients:
- Sodium shea butterate: cleanses the skin
- Sodium cocoate: cleanses the skin but can be drying
- Glycerin: hydrates skin
- Molasses extract: hydrates, gently exfoliates, and calms redness
This cleanser has a soft, smooth, and slightly grainy texture. It glides over skin effortlessly with no resistance. Multiple fragrant components, including bergamot, benzoin, and palmarosa, give the soap a calming and mildly citrusy aroma. Again, if you’re sensitive or dislike fragranced skincare, this might be one to avoid.
Personally, I wouldn’t use this as a facial cleanser, as the exfoliating particles would be a bit too abrasive for my skin.
As a body soap, though, this does an excellent job of cleansing my skin, while leaving it feeling nourished and removing dead, dry, or rough skin. It smooths over my skin easily and lathers effortlessly, without ever leaving my skin feeling stripped, tight, or dry. The combination of nourishment, gorgeous scent, and gentle exfoliation makes this soap feel expensive and high-quality.
Rating: 4.5 stars
I’m a big fan of this body soap.
Overall LIHA Beauty review
Overall, I think LIHA Beauty has some fantastic products that smell amazing, feature some interesting and innovative ingredients, and boast luxurious textures. These products are effective, meet their claims, and are excellent at moisturising, smoothing, and softening skin.
I love LIHA Beauty’s brand story, and the combination of the founders’ British and African heritage really comes through in their products. They’re packaged beautifully, foreground excellent Yoruba ingredients and Yoruba culture, and feel authentic.
I’m impressed with LIHA Beauty and would particularly recommend these products for people with dry skin.
Sarah Sarsby is the owner of Honest Reviews Woman. With over 7 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has combination skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.