The beauty of African shea butter
«Our shea butter comes directly by ship from Ghana to Switzerland, without expensive intermediate trade at the expense of the women’s cooperative and without repeated repackaging at the expense of nature. Yeah!»
Sandra, SHEA YEAH
A highly potent ingredient
Popular and healthy for centuries, shea butter shows amazing nourishing and protective characteristics. The kernel of the shea fruit is extremely rich in antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins. Shea butter is known to penetrate deep into the skin and give it a natural glow.
Shea butter’s properties are very similar to those of human skin fat, supporting the skin’s self-regulating function and respiration. Although it is very rich, it allows the pores to breathe well. It also strengthens the protective function of the barrier layer and supports the skin’s natural collagen production. The combination of vitamins helps to neutralise damage caused by free radicals and can thus reduce fine wrinkles and age spots.
Shea butter is a multi-talent and is used not only in cosmetics but also in the food industry, pharmaceuticals and medicine.
The source
Under the hot West African sun, the shea tree grows wild, far away from pollution and agriculture. An ancient tree full of history, culture and centuries of rich tribal tradition.
The area where the nuts of SHEA YEAH are collected is located in a nature reserve. The nuts that are collected and prepared for production are certified organic by Ecocert.
The traditional craftmanship
Many women in rural village communities have learned a true art form, the traditional processing of the shea nut into shea butter. This process takes several days and is carefully done by hand. For generations, this knowledge has been passed on and maintained among the women.
Positive impact at its heart
SHEA YEAH is convinced that beauty begins at its source. If the shea butter is made by hand and with ritual character, this positive energy can be felt in the end result. The traditional production supports the women in village communities to earn an income for the family. The label attaches great importance to sustainability and ethics.
The difference
The quality of shea butter varies similarly to that of wine or olive oil. They all consist of a single natural ingredient, but the origin, the processing methods and the knowledge of how to make them are very different. Therefore there are significant differences in quality between different shea butter.
SHEA YEAH is not supplied by an anonymous company, but is directly involved in the production of the vegetable butter and knows exactly where it comes from, who and how it is produced. Thus SHEA YEAH together with their local partner succeeds in producing the best and finest unrefined shea butter.
- Member of the Global Shea Alliance which promotes the sustainability of the shea industry, quality practices and standards
- Wild collection and certified organic
- Tested in the laboratory
- Quality control & ethical payment on-site through personal contacts
Direct Trade
After production, the shea butter is transported directly to the port in Tema, Ghana. From there it is transferred to a container ship and reaches Zurich, Switzerland within 1-2 months. The supply chain at SHEA YEAH is short to avoid costly intermediate trade, which would be to the disadvantage of the women’s cooperative. Additional to this it also ensures that the shea butter is not repackaged several times #lesswaste and comes without incorrect storage.
Sustainable cycle
SHEA YEAH tries to use resources with care wherever possible.
If you take a look at the total environmental balance of a product, it becomes apparent that about 90% of the environmental impact is caused by the production of raw materials and the packaging makes up about 1%.
SHEA YEAH’s partner has developed a traditional system to recycle the by-products from production into fuel. This in turn is then used instead of wood for production. This creates a natural cycle of use that benefits the environment. SHEA YEAH is also working on using the sun as energy. Work in progress 🙂
