Sustainable Shea Butter
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In my search for massage media I found fair trade, unrefined, certified shea butter from Togo, West Africa. It took some searching. I finally found it in bulk at http://www.agbangakarite.com/. Fair trade means that the women who harvest and make the shea butter are compensated with a fair wage. This is important because women’s incomes support households. I was very excited and at first I was heading for the 5lb block, but I restricted myself to the 1lb. sample size. That’s enough for me to keep some at my boyfriend’s house and keep some for my own use. Besides using it for massage I like it on the ends of my hair, after my shower, on my cuticles and on my face and lips. But what would I do with 5lbs of shea butter? It turns out there are a lot of uses like soaps, cosmetics, whipped up with blended oils into lotion, and enhanced with essential oils and fragrances. When you add other ingredients to certified shea butter it can no longer be sold as certified shea butter, but no matter what the recipe, it is good to start with the best ingredients. I considered a new life crafting in a workspace loft with soaps curing in wooden boxes, custom filling internet orders, discussing the best socially conscious sources of the best ingredients. I could be completely fair trade, sell my Yaris to women’s coop, ride a bicycle to farmer’s markets and live the life. That dream probably won’t grow to fruition, but it adds value to what I bought knowing that my choice connects with women across the globe in a positive way.
Tags: African shea butter, bath and body, fair trade, karite, natural skin care, pure shea butter, shea body butter, shea butter, sustainable
