Sourcing Our Community Trade Shea Butter – The Body Shop

Here at The Body Shop, we’re so proud that each of our quality Community Trade ingredients tells a story, and this one from Ghana is one of our favourites. Our Community Trade shea butter is sourced from northern Ghana, where it has been used for centuries to protect skin from harsh Saharan winds. Anita Roddick placed our first order in 1994 after an earlier visit to Ghana where she discovered the natural moisturising properties of shea butter and the amazing women who produce it. 500 women from the amazing Tungteiya Women’s Shea Butter Association produce our rich shea butter using a traditional 18-stage process handed down through generations! The freshly fallen shea fruits are sustainably harvested from the ground. The women plant some of the nuts to reseed and grow trees for future generations. The very act of gaining an income from the shea tree is an act of environmental preservation. Without an income from this resource it could be cut down and sold for firewood. The Body Shop provides a fair price and also pays a premium for the women to invest in community projects. So next time you indulge in our nourishing Shea range or anything enriched with our moisturising shea butter, you’re helping to support a community of truly inspiring women. No wonder we’re totally nuts about shea nuts! Love this Community Trade video? Let us know what you’d like us to do next in the comments below! Don’t forget to visit The Body Shop YouTube channel for more upcycling hacks,