blogger at shea butter event hosted by The Body Shop

Shea Butter Workshop @Body Shop

The Body Shop in Melbourne hosted a Shea Butter workshop to celebrate International Women’s Day and 25 years of Community Trade shea butter. Social media influencers and their guests were invited into the Burke Street store after closing time to get a taste of a unique product which gives back.

We were treated to a wonderful assortment of beverages and some delectable vegan catering. In addition there were work stations set up for us to mix our own moisturisers, hair conditioning treatments and lip scrubs using Shea Butter. The lovely gift bag will ensure that we are shea butter lovers for life.

raw shea butter - how it looks like

shea butter - presentation

Shea Butter – versatile recipes

Shea (rhymes with “day”) Butter is a fat which is extracted from the nut of the African Shea tree. It is edible and is used to prepare food in some African Countries. Shea Butter starts of brown in colour when raw, then turning white when processed. Shea butter is used widely in cosmetic products such as in moisturisers, lotions or hair treatments and conditioners. It is a fantastic emollient for dry skin. My psoriasis-prone hands just love it!

We got to make a lot of different Check out some great recipes here: Shea Butter Recipes!

Montana Lower is a young woman with a lot of heart. She was chosen by The Body Shop Australia to travel all the way to Ghana to see how the “Community Trade” program has made an impact on the community there. Listening to her speak about her experiences of her trip there was quite inspiring. Above all it had us all thinking a bit more about how we too can make a difference by making the right choices in the beauty products we purchase.

 

shea butter - fair trade

25 years of community trade in Ghana

Since 1994, the Body Shop has sustainably sourced its Community Trade Shea Butter from the Tungteiya Women’s Association in Northern Ghana. Each year, 640 women handcraft approximately 390 tons of Shea Butter. Moreover the process (which has been passed down through generations of women) involves 18 stages using traditional techniques to achieve a high-quality product.

The Community Trade program between the Tungteiya Women’s Association in Ghan and The Body Shop is helping to empower these women in many ways. The Body Shop not only pay a fair price, but they also pay a premium to enrich these women’s lives.  The program is providing them with an opportunity to work together in a safe and social environment, learning from each other as they work. This program has also enabled them to send their children to school. The shea butter industry (99% women run) was once run privately from their own homes.

creating with shea butter - recipies

shea butter products

Community Trade

The “Community Trade” agreement has seen over 640 women employed and working in safe workplaces. It has helped to build seven schools which have provided an education for over 1200 students. The program has helped to provide clean drinking water from boreholes and rainwater tanks. A health care centre for the community and for the training of up-coming nurses have also been established. Well done!

100% Natural Shea Butter is $25 and leaves your skin feeling nourished. Simply mixing the natural Shea Butter with coconut oil is how I love using this product. The Body Shop also has Shea Butter scrub, shower-cream, lotion and new hair-care products.

Body shop event Body shop - shea butter workshop in Melbourne

 

Try it out. It’s a great feeling to know that you have chosen to use a product which is ethically sourced and gives so much back to the community. You can find the Shea Butter range here.

You will feel the benefits and be hooked.

Post in Collaboration with The Body Shop.