Natural shea butter is a luxurious moisturiser packed with healing antioxidants to soothe and nourish your skin. An array of shea butter products can now be found online, from pure raw shea butter, to lip balms, body butters and a variety of topical skin applications. However, it is important to note that although all shea butter is natural, not all shea butter products are made using 100% natural ingredients, or natural processing techniques. If you are looking to buy genuine natural shea butter, you need to look for raw or unrefined shea butter products, originating from Western Africa.
Why Buy Natural Shea Butter?
Shea Butter in its raw ‘natural state’ contains vitamins A and E, and essential fatty acids such as cinnamic acid. Because shea butter is an emollient, these naturally occurring nutrients are able to penetrate the skin to fight free radicals and promote cell renewal. Unfortunately, these healing benefits are destroyed by the chemicals used to create the white odourless shea butter favoured for use in mass produced cosmetics.
Pure unrefined shea butter is extracted from the roasted shea kernels using water, or by cold pressing, to retain all the naturally occurring antioxidants. For buyers preferring a scent free option, shea butter that has been filtered using natural clay provides a more holistic alternative to chemical refinement.
How Can I Be Sure I Am Buying Natural Shea Butter?
For assurance that your shea butter contains only safe natural ingredients grown without pesticides and to high standards of ecological sustainability, always look for products that have been certified organic by the Soil Association. Only organic raw shea butter is guaranteed to be free from artificial chemicals.
Supporting Ethical Trade
Shea trees are a vital source of income for some of the poorest communities in West Africa, who depend on the shea harvest to support their families. In regions rife with malnutrition related diseases, shea nuts are gathered from the wild shea trees by women and sold to European processors, or hand made into raw shea butter for sale at the local markets. Despite high demand for high quality shea butter, most women will be paid below market value, exploited by buyers taking advantage of their poverty and illiteracy. The Fairtrade Movement is trying to change this, working with producers in developing countries to improve trading conditions and ensure fair market prices are paid.
Products bearing the Fairtrade mark are a sign of ethical production and high quality standards. All producers of Fairtrade products must contribute towards community products to help provide life changing amenities such as sanitation and healthcare. By buying Fairtrade certified shea butter you are helping to prevent exploitation and supporting ethical trade.
Where Can I Buy Natural Shea Butter?
A quick search online generates an extensive choice of shea butter products and bulk shea butter suppliers, all promoting pure natural shea butter. However, on closer inspection only very few are Soil Association certified organic and even fewer are Fairtrade certified. To guarantee a high quality natural and chemical free product that has been ethically sourced you should enter the search query: Where can I buy Organic Fairtrade certified shea butter?
Organic Fairtrade Shea Butter From Akoma
Unrefined shea butter from Akoma Skincare is both certified organic and certified Fairtrade. Over 100 tonnes of certified organic Fairtrade high grade shea butter is produced annually at the Akoma processing facility, owned by the Akoma Multipurpose Cooperative Society. Here women from the Pusu-Namogo village near Bolgatanga, in the deprived Upper East Region of Ghana, receive dignified employment, fair wages, training and healthcare to help them rise from poverty.
So why not try a beautiful 100% natural skincare product from the Akoma shea butter range and make a positive difference to your skin while supporting fair trading conditions for developing communities.
