"With SHEA YEAH, I am building a bridge between time-honoured plant traditions that are cultivated by women - in Ghana and Switzerland."
A beneficial raw material
Shea butter, which has been popular for centuries, shows amazing nourishing and protective properties. It makes the skin supple, binds moisture to the epidermis and thus prevents it from drying out. Shea butter is known to penetrate deep into the skin and give it a natural glow.Due to its many positive properties, it is used in many care products such as lotions, creams, lip balms & Co. It is a true all-rounder and is used not only in cosmetics but also in the food industry.
A beneficial raw material
Shea butter, which has been popular for centuries, shows amazing nourishing and protective properties. It makes the skin supple, binds moisture to the epidermis and thus prevents it from drying out. Shea butter is known to penetrate deep into the skin and give it a natural glow.Due to its many positive properties, it is used in many care products such as lotions, creams, lip balms & Co. It is a true all-rounder and is used not only in cosmetics but also in the food industry.
The origin
The natural occurrence of the shea tree is from West Africa to the Upper Nile region, i.e. in about 21 countries of the Sahel zone. The main producing countries of shea butter, also called shea butter or beurre de karité, are Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Gambia, Benin and Burkina Faso. The shea tree is a characteristic tree of the savannah woodland. We at SHEA YEA source the shea butter from the north of Ghana.
Shea Butter Traditionally Made
Many women in the rural village communities of northern Ghana have mastered a true art form of a craft: that of the traditional processing of shea kernels into unrefined shea butter. This process takes several days and is carefully done by hand. For generations, this knowledge has been passed down among the women and maintained in this way. This is a parallel to what happens with the knowledge of herbs in Switzerland.
The cooperative
The women who work in the processing centres (we only work with handmade material) are organised in cooperatives. These cooperatives are independent and very democratic with a board of directors elected by the members. The cooperatives pay the workers transparently and equally based on the quantities produced. Our local partner on the ground pays the cooperatives and they pay their members and cover their costs. The organic shea butter is also Fair For Life certified and audited every year. We are also a member of the Global Shea Alliance, based in Accra, Ghana.
The difference
The quality of shea butter, similar to the production of a wine or olive oil, varies depending on the origin and processing method. Therefore, there are significant differences in quality from shea butter to shea butter. We focus especially on unrefined, pure shea butter and also ensure the high quality of our products with other factors:
- Traditional production
- Bio-certified
- Laboratory tested
- Direct local contacts
- Membership of the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) to promote the sustainability (social, ecological and economic) of the shea industry.
Sustainable cycle
SHEA YEAH tries to use the environment's resources sparingly wherever possible, and our partners also support this. Therefore, for example, the by-products of production are recycled into fuel & feed using a traditional system. The fuel, in turn, is then used instead of wood for production. This creates a natural utilisation cycle that benefits the environment.
