From the Kitchen to the World - The SHEA YEAH Founders' Trail

What started in the kitchen at home, found its way via a small studio in Zurich's old town finally to the laboratory of a renowned Zurich pharmacy. SHEA YEAH is taking off again - what a journey!

Let me tell you the story from the beginning. Not quite from the beginning, because you can read about it in About. Let's start in 2016; since then I have been producing the water-free natural cosmetic products for SHEA YEAH with my own hands. With me are hard-working production assistants and a great laboratory manager from Bellevue Apotheke in Zurich - thank you! But slowly but surely the pots are too big to stir and the storage space is too small. And somehow I can't keep up with the organisational side of things either. Because apart from product manufacturing, there are many other things to do: Brand building, back office, marketing, sales, logistics and so on.

«Handmade in Zurich», sore muscles in the upper arms and nightly logistics missions are now a thing of the past. Honestly, I'm not even that unhappy about it!

Production by hand - past

Work in progress - Brand development with York in Zurich.

Servus, Bonjour, Moin, Hello, Ciao

It has been a long-awaited wish (also repeatedly expressed to me from outside) to supply customers in neighbouring countries with water-free natural cosmetics in combination with unrefined organic shea butter from Ghana and herbs from Switzerland. But it definitely takes a lot more power than my own two hands.

And now the time has actually come! The step to expand the activities of SHEA YEAH internationally is a very big one for me. Especially as I have so far preferred many small steps to the really big ones. Despite many preparations and considerations, I have great respect for the logistics, production, all the administrative work, legal issues and regulations. The path is turbulent and full of unforeseeable surprises. But as they say, the journey is the destination! (I know, easier said than really patiently followed).

With the production partner in Germany

Ready to visit the production

Researched, developed and produced

After a lot of research in advance, I finally worked on the existing recipes for several months together with great partners in Germany. These were further developed, adapted, reshaped... until we were finally thoroughly satisfied. with the result (a loud YEAH at this point!). Somehow this sounds so simple now and is told so quickly.

But in reality it was a long and intensive process. And then there are my clear, not always easy, guidelines and ideas :-) The shea butter from Ghana has to be unrefined (no, the compromise of using refined shea butter was never an option, even if it would be easier), the herbs have to be 100% grown, harvested and processed in Switzerland, all ingredients vegan and organic whenever possible. And then the whole thing without water, not easy!

Hard nut to crack - production of waterfree natural skincare

In addition to all the "basic requirements", waterfree cosmetics are also quite a challenge to produce. For example, the mass of shea butter, oils and herbal extracts must have exactly the right temperature so that it can be filled and cooled properly. Not easy at all! And as I said, this is just one example of many...

Thank you Thank you Thank you to the community

The effort, the sleepless nights, the preparatory work over the last few years, the eye for detail, the consistency and the perseverance have (hopefully) paid off. My motivation is still the same as on day 1 - no, actually even greater!
All this would not have been possible without such a strong and motivating community. So a big, infinite thank you to all of you for your loyalty and trust in SHEA YEAH and me.

Hartily,
Sandra