Description
Experience the Legacy of Shea – Pure, Handcrafted Butter from Ghana's Women Artisans
Experience Shea Butter's legendary healing and moisturizing qualities. Our Shea butter is carefully crafted by a women's cooperative in Ghana, where the art of extracting this opulent moisturizer has been passed down for generations. With a history spanning centuries, the benefits of this luxurious balm will revolutionize your skincare.
No more plastic! Now the containers are handmade from repurposed coconut shells that are lined with beeswax to protect the Shea butter and the label is water hyacinth paper, all made by hand.
The Making of Shea Butter
Shea Butter, an incredibly versatile and beneficial product, has a long and cherished history in West Africa. The process of making Shea Butter starts with the Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), also known as the "tree of life." These slow-growing trees are highly valued for their hardy nature, longevity, and benefits to communities across generations.
To make Shea Butter, women wait patiently for the Shea fruits to ripen and fall naturally to the ground. By only collecting the fallen fruits, they ensure the trees continue to produce for years to come, ensuring sustainability. The collected fruits are then processed by removing the outer pulp, revealing the hard-shelled nut inside. These nuts are gently roasted over a fire, enhancing their naturally sweet and nutty aroma.
Once roasted, the women skillfully crack the shells and grind the kernels using traditional techniques passed down through generations. The finely ground Shea kernels are mixed with water to create a thick paste, then slowly warmed. Through a painstaking process of kneading and churning, the rich Shea butter gradually separates from the warm paste and rises to the top. This hand-crafted extraction requires incredible skill, patience, and an intricate understanding of the material.
Overall, the making of Shea Butter is a time-honored tradition of women in West Africa. The process is a testament to their skill, patience, and dedication to producing a high-quality product that is beneficial for both people and the environment.
History of Shea Butter
For centuries, the African people have treasured Shea butter for its remarkable ability to protect and nourish the skin against the harshest of climates. This luxurious ingredient has been an essential part of their beauty rituals, renowned for its soothing and restorative properties that leave the skin looking and feeling rejuvenated.
According to some traditions, the legendary Queen of Sheba celebrated for her beauty and wisdom, used Shea butter as a vital part of her skincare routine. It is said that the Queen relied on its luxuriousness to maintain her radiant and youthful complexion, and the stories of her beauty continue to inspire people even today.
Another iconic figure in history known to appreciate Shea butter's benefits was the legendary Egyptian queen, Cleopatra. She adored Shea butter for its exceptional ability to maintain the skin's radiance and youthfulness. The Caravans are believed to have transported clay pots filled with Shea butter to cater to her legendary beauty regimen.
Over time, Shea butter has gained global recognition for its exceptional moisturizing properties and rich concentration of vitamins. It is now a widely popular ingredient found in countless modern skincare products, valued for its natural benefits and ability to enhance skin's beauty.
Uses and Benefits of Shea Butter
Shea butter is a versatile natural ingredient that offers abundant benefits for your skin and hair. Shea butter is an excellent choice for a deeply hydrating moisturizer that can provide you with supple and incredibly soft skin. Naturally high in vitamins A and E, this butter has powerful antioxidant properties that encourage skin healing, minimize blemishes, and protect against environmental damage, making your skin radiant and glowing.
Moreover, Shea butter is well-known for its anti-aging properties. Its potential to boost collagen and minimize free radical damage can visibly diminish signs of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, helping restore your skin's youthful appearance and making you look and feel younger.
It is an exceptional leave-in conditioner that protects your hair from dryness and breakage. Its deeply hydrating properties add shine, improve manageability, and combat frizz, making your hair luscious and healthy. Additionally, applying Shea butter to your scalp can help to soothe dry, irritated scalps and offer relief from itchiness while promoting healthy hair growth.
Shea butter is a must-have ingredient for anyone looking to achieve radiant skin and luscious hair. Its natural properties make it a safe and effective choice for all skin and hair types, and you can enjoy its benefits without any adverse side effects.
Shea Butter: A Gardener's Best Friend
You’re probably familiar with the dryness, cracking, calluses, and minor cuts on your hands due to working with soil, plants, and tools. Shea butter is a great solution to this problem. Here's why:
- Intense Moisture Replenishment: Shea butter contains fatty acids that help lock in moisture like no ordinary lotion. It creates a protective yet breathable barrier, preventing moisture loss and restoring suppleness. Say goodbye to cracked and painful skin!
- Healing Power: Shea butter is rich in vitamins A and E, which are natural antioxidants. They promote skin regeneration and help minor cuts and scrapes heal faster and more seamlessly. Its anti-inflammatory properties can even soothe irritated and itchy skin.
- Soothing Relief: After a long day in the garden, massage a generous amount of Shea butter into your hands. Its gentle nature and subtle scent provide a feeling of restorative luxury. Say hello to calm, comfortable, and deeply nourished hands.
Extra tips for gardeners:
- Overnight Repair: For extra-dry or damaged hands, apply a thick layer of Shea butter before bed and cover them with cotton gloves. You'll wake up to softer, smoother skin.
- Barrier Protection: Before heading into the garden, apply a thin layer of Shea butter to create a protective shield against dirt and debris.
A Transformation for You, Empowerment for Them – Experience the incredible transformation that pure Shea butter can provide. Not only does it nourish your skin and hair, but it also helps support the extraordinary women of Ghana. By choosing our handcrafted Shea butter, you directly contribute to Global Mamas, a cooperative in Ghana that helps women by creating handmade products of the highest quality. The cooperative's mission is to help women achieve financial well-being, good health, and happiness. They do this by focusing on collaboration, innovation, and sustainability.
Feel the Shea Difference – Feel the difference in your skin and hair with this natural balm. Say goodbye to dryness and brittleness and welcome softness, radiance, and a healthy glow that comes from deep, natural nourishment.
Skincare with a Soul – Our Shea butter products are more than just skincare - they have a soul. Each time you use our products, you become part of the Shea butter story. Every jar of the cooperative's pure Fair Trade Shea butter is handcrafted using traditional methods in Ghana, resulting in an exceptional quality product. The cooperative takes great care in each step of the process.
Indulge in Self-Care, Uplift a Community – Order your jar of handcrafted Ghanaian Shea butter today. Discover a skincare ritual that revitalizes your body and spirit while making a tangible difference in the world. The cooperative provides Ghanaian women with an opportunity to support themselves and their families in a sustainable partnership with nature.
Video
Click the Video tab - above - to see how traditional Shea butter is made by hand and with lots of love and care!
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From the soil to the seed to the food you eat - we'll help you grow your best garden!
11 Reviews
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Comforting
Here in Wisconsin winter takes quite a toll on hands and fingers. Mine actually crack from the low humidity! Nothing in the world has ever given as much comfort and healing as this shea butter.
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Love this product.
Have used it for years now. Keeps my feet baby skin smooth. Wonderful product, and glad to help the hard working women who make it.
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Shea protection lasts.
Doesn't dry out quickly. Lovely unscented.
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Love my Shea Butter. Keeps my feet so nice a smooth. I use it to moisturize as well as for putting on scrapes for healing.
So glad I found your Shea Butter. Thank you for carrying a product that is such high quality as well as helping out those hard working ladies that make it.
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Shea Butter
Great moisturizer but that HAVE to work on a fragrance!
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Shea butter—so good!
I love this for my dry, aging skin. I rub it into my feet and hands right before bed. I recently gifted a jar to a young friend who is suffering from pregnancy dryness. She also says it’s the best!
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Shea Butter
Best stuff since sliced bread. It seems kind of hard at first but the butter just smooths and melts into your skin without feeling greasy or heavy. My hands and cuticles haven't looked this good since before I started gardening.....! A jar lasts quite a long time too as a little dab is plenty.
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Comparable to the best!
This is the only Shea Butter I have ever found in AZ that is equal to the one the first made me love this stuff. Being first introduced to a quality butter, I was disappointed to find out that the stuff sold in stores was nothing like it. Brand after brand was dirty grey and barely melted. When you find a good one like this, it is silky and literally and melts like butter. A different thing altogether.
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Quality
I have been using Shea butter for several years and nothing compares to this product. I used to go to African import stores to get the best prices but the quality was reflective of the bargain. Their butter would melt easily but sometimes would have a grainy feel and a grayish tint. This butter is the thickest, creamiest, and smoothest product I have ever used. You will not be disappointed.
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Scar Miracle
This is my second order of Shea Butter and I have been telling everyone about it. I got it to use on my scar after sugary on September 22, 2014, and it has healed miraculously. It looks like it was September of last year.
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Unlike anything I've used before!
I have been using the shea butter and it is unlike anything I've used before! It's not greasy, absorbs wonderfully. Thank you for carrying such a high-quality product.