We talk a lot about how our products are 100% natural and organic, but did you know much of the inspiration for our natural skin care products, and the effectiveness of it, stems from African beauty practices?

These practices have been around for centuries — the wonders of ingredients like shea butter, cocoa butter, and marula oil are nothing new to the world of African beauty — and were passed along from generation to generation because they worked.

In honour of Black History Month, we’re shedding light on our traditional African beauty ingredients (ethically sourced from women producers in Nigeria, West Africa) that allow us to develop the best skin care products for beautiful, glowing, and healthy skin.

Shea Butter

This skin care staple ingredient is the first plant-based ingredient we need to tell you about. It’s in more than half of our products, and for good reason, it’s a natural skin care miracle ingredient. It’s extracted from the Karite Tree in West Africa. The use of this ingredient can be traced back to ancient Egypt where the likes of Cleopatra included this butter in their beauty routines.

We can easily say that shea butter has stood the test of time, and this can be related to all of the amazing shea butter benefits there are! Some, but not all, of these skin care benefits include:

Relief and prevention of dry skin, eczema, psoriasis and more
Reduced look of dark spots, hyperpigmentation, stretch marks, and scarring
Protection from the sun
Softens skin and gives a natural glow
Soothed scalp irritation (with the bonus of deeply conditioned hair!)
Softened tough skin on feet (especially for heels)

It’s safe to say this is a great natural remedy for skin concerns!

Want to learn more about this plant-based skin care miracle? Checkout our blog posts Is She-a-Butter? Because She Got That Skin So Fine and Isn’t SHEAmazing?

Our Best-Selling products with Shea Butter include our Mango Papaya Body Butter, Satsuma Body Butter, and Shea Smooth Body Butter. Add these body butters to your skincare routine to enjoy the many benefits that shea butter has to offer.

Black Soap

African Black Soap has traditionally been used to clear skin, treat acne, eczema, psoriasis, oily skin, and a host of other skin concerns.

This ingredient is made from a collection of locally based plants in West Africa (for us we source this ingredient from Nigeria) and is highly regarded for its many skin benefits. In fact, publications like Byrdie even recognizes it as a “holy grail” of skin care, and for those who have used this ingredient, this is no surprise. Black Soap boasts the sought-after skin benefits of being:

Gently exfoliating
Anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial
Anti-Aging
Moisturizing
Suitable to all skin types (yep, healthline tells us that this ingredient is helpful to the most sensitive of skin types and the oiliest of skin types.)
100% plant-based (meaning its suitable for those looking for vegan alternatives in their skincare routines)

Because of the cleansing abilities of this ingredient, we include it in one of our favourite facial cleansers: our Black Soap Cleanser.

Cocoa Butter

This ingredient we like to celebrate for more than just its incredible skincare qualities, but also because its key to making chocolate (and we’re suckers for a little chocolate whenever possible!).

Other than being key to chocolatey treats what are the benefits of this African ingredient? According to dermatologist Adarsh Vijay Mudgil (interviewed for a Refinery 29 article), this product is particularly great for relieving dry skin thanks to it’s emollient capabilities (aka it’s ability to soothe and soften the skin). On top of this, Cocoa Butter skin care benefits include:

Anti aging properties (it helps to smooth fine lines and wrinkles)
Reduced appearance of marks and scars
Rich vitamin E content (which helps to support healthy and renewed skin)

We include this natural skincare ingredient in many of our body butters and body oils, including our Vanilla Body Butter, our Mark and Scar Therapy, and our Premium Gold Oil (a great option to nourish both your skin and your hair!).

Aloe Vera

When you take a moment to Google this plant, you’ll notice an interesting fact about aloe vera: its origins are seen in multiple continents, including Africa.

When it comes to skin care aloe vera benefits include:

Antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties (making it great for acne treatment)
Rich Vitamins C and E content (both support and promote healthy skin)
It also helps to improve the skin’s natural firmness, elasticity, and the appearance of wrinkles (so it is anti aging!)
It’s hydrating and will leave skin feeling soft
It helps to heal and treat acne, blemishes, burns, and other skin irritations

We include it in many of our face cleansers and toners because of these benefits. Find aloe vera in our Rose Water Face Mist, Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner, Black Soap Cleanser, Chamomile Hydration Mist, and our Lemongrass Balancing Mist.

Baobab Oil

This oil comes from an African fruit tree and is known for it’s uses in skin care routines, hair care routines, and beauty regimens. Baobab oil is rich in vitamins and nutrients your skin loves, and aids in maintaining and promoting your skin’s hydration and health thanks to properties and abilities like:

Rich vitamin A, E, and F content
Rich (and nourishing) omega fatty acids 3, 6, and 9 content
Reduced appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, marks, and scars
Intense and fast-absorbing moisturization

For beautiful glowing skin you can add this oil to your skin care routine through our Radiant Glow Elixir, a deeply nourishing and repairing oil blend.

All in all, these ingredients offer your skin and beauty routines so much good! And, whether you’re looking to add products or ingredients to your skin care routine that are plant-based, or all-natural, each of these African all-natural skincare ingredients offer amazing benefits.

And one more incredible thing about these ingredients: they’re all gentle enough for you to use on your face and effective enough to use on your whole body. So, go ahead, coat yourself head-to-toe in our organic skin care products founded on the teachings of African beauty practices.

Curious about our other all-natural and all-organic skin care ingredients? Check out our Ingredients list and our recent blog post, Our New Ingredients & All the Benefits they Offer Your Skin, for more details.