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SHEA BUTTER: THE ESSENTIAL MOISTURIZING INGREDIENT
Shea butter is an essential ingredient in the beauty sector. Its moisturizing power and other benefits improve the appearance of skin and hair. Produced in Africa, it is often harvested by women. It is a precious and beneficial ingredient for all, especially when it comes from fair trade. Since June 2022, Le Secret Naturel has been committed to the NGO Days for girls in Ghana. €1 is donated to the education of young girls for each sale of an Oléanat shea and argan or extra-pure shea balm.
Shea Butter: A Naturally Moisturizing Ingredient
It is one of the most popular beauty ingredients. You will recognize it on your cosmetic products under its INCI name: "Butyrospermum parkii butter". This is shea butter.
A moisturizing treatment for beautiful skin
Shea has been used for centuries in Africa as a beauty treatment. It is known to enhance the skin and hair thanks to its moisturizing properties. Its composition, rich in fatty acids and vitamins, gives it many virtues. It is particularly recommended to soothe, nourish and soften dry areas of the face and body. Repair chapped lips, dry hands, skin that has been attacked by extreme conditions (cold, wind, sun). It moisturizes, revitalizes and protects all skin types. However, use it sparingly if you have oily skin.
By applying shea butter, the skin regains elasticity, it is nourished and softened. Its “protective film” effect and the presence of karitene/latex and terpenic alcohols in its composition protect you from the harmful effects of UV rays. Its regenerating and soothing properties also help to calm irritations that may be caused by shaving. Its virtues, texture and versatility make it a key ingredient for the formulation of cosmetic products. It is also the ingredient that you will find most often in Le Secret Naturel products.
An ingredient that also hydrates and enhances hair
Well-hydrated and nourished hair becomes more supple, soft, shiny and dense. Just like the skin, healthy hair is more beautiful, voluminous and disciplined. Using shea butter in your hair care helps maintain and beautify your hair to make it less dull. Many hair care products, milks, masks and shampoos contain it. Indeed, it deeply nourishes the hair fiber. It is particularly recommended for taking care of dry, curly or frizzy hair. Colored and healthy hair - thanks to the benefits of shea butter in particular - retains beautiful highlights for longer. To take care of your damaged, dry, brittle hair, you can apply it as a hair mask. Leave on for at least 1 hour, ideally under a warm towel, then wash your hair carefully.
A practical beauty ingredient to use
Shea butter is often used in cosmetics, pure or combined with other ingredients. Its texture is very practical for formulating solid care products such as lip balms or Oléanat solid perfumes. However, the butter melts and turns into oil if the temperature rises above 35°C. So be careful not to forget your treatment in your car in the middle of summer. At room temperature, its texture is solid. Simply take a small amount of butter and warm it between your hands to easily spread it on your skin or hair.
Beyond beauty products, shea butter is also used in cooking. Indeed, it is edible and is used as a vegetable fat as a substitute for cocoa butter or other butters of animal origin.
Where does shea butter come from?
A beauty secret from Africa
Shea butter comes from a fruit that grows on shea trees. It is mainly found in West Africa, in countries such as Ghana and Burkina Faso. These wild trees grow in the bush. They live for about 300 years and produce their precious fruits when they reach about 15 years of age. Grafted trees can produce fruits in just 4 years. Once ripe, between May and September, the shea fruits fall to the ground and are harvested by women. After harvesting, the shea nuts are boiled and dried to crack their shell. The almond inside is then recovered, containing the butter (40% fat). On average, 4 kg of almonds are needed to obtain 1 kg of shea butter.
Fair trade and income for women
Shea butter is exploited by women, which is why it is sometimes called “women’s gold”. Its commercialization provides a source of income for thousands of women. This regular income allows women to raise their standard of living, emancipate themselves and give their children access to education. Shea butter is sold and exported mainly to European companies for the creation of cosmetic products.
Organic and fair trade shea butter in Le Secret Naturel skincare products
The shea butter used in Le Secret Naturel products is certified organic and fair trade and produced in women's cooperatives in Ghana. To go further, several shea-based products are also labeled Fair For Life (fair trade) by Ecocert. Ecocert is an international certification body, specializing in sustainable practices.
This concerns: The balm with extra-pure organic and fair trade shea butter, the balm with organic and fair trade shea butter and argan oil, the balm with organic and fair trade shea butter with vanilla and the lip care with shea and argan oil
A natural beauty treatment used raw or deodorized
Naturally, it can give off a characteristic scent that is sometimes a little too strong for cosmetics. This is why it is rarely used in its raw state. There are several refining and/or deodorization techniques to make its odor neutral and its color white without altering its qualities. The organic and fair trade shea butter used for Le Secret Naturel care products is treated using a process that preserves all of its properties. It involves injecting pressurized steam to release the volatile odorous substances into the water and then recovering only the oily phase. No chemicals are used. This process does not alter the quality of the shea butter and makes it more stable to oxidation.
A raw material that can come from fair trade
The shea butter we find in Le Secret Naturel treatments comes from a group of hundreds of cooperatives bringing together around 20,000 women in Ghana. For the moment, 4 Oléanat treatments are Fair for Life certified. Our goal is to label more shea-based products.
A Fair for Life certified sector for fair trade
Fair for life guarantees that fair trade principles are respected throughout the supply chain. The Fair for Life certification constitutes a complete ethical guarantee (human rights, working conditions, biodiversity, good agricultural practices, governance, etc.). Producers involved in the supply chain receive a fair price, see their production tools improve, and have the means to carry out collective projects. All stakeholders commit to acting responsibly, through good economic, social and environmental practices. These commitments involve establishing real relationships, governed by long-term contracts with fixed rates and volumes. Workers have access to various social and economic benefits that help maintain a local social fabric.
Solidarity partnership with the NGO Days for Girls
Fair trade ensures a win/win relationship with our shea suppliers. However, we want to go further. This is why in June 2022, we set up a solidarity operation in partnership with the NGO Days for Girls. An association present in Ghana, in the regions where our shea butter is produced. This operation consists of donating €1 to the association for each extra-pure shea balm or shea and argan balm sold. According to UNESCO, in Africa, 1 in 10 girls do not go to school when they have their period. Days for Girls raises awareness and helps young girls in Ghana by distributing reusable sanitary protection kits for 3 years. But their action does not stop there. The NGO provides training for girls and boys in order to combat the stigma associated with menstruation. In addition, it trains and employs people to create hygiene kits. Finally, it acts on the political level with the aim of changing standards in favor of young girls. Since the launch of the operation, we have been able to collect nearly €300. In total, we have set ourselves the goal of donating at least €1,000 to the association by June 2023. To find out more about the commitments of Le Secret Naturel, visit the commitments page.
Beauty ingredients at the origin of sustainable business partnerships
At Le Secret Naturel we attach great importance to carefully choosing our suppliers and establishing long-term relationships of trust. The quality of our products depends on the quality of the ingredients they contain. Just like for our “Africa” range with shea butter, we have developed an “Azores” range with organic donkey milk. An ingredient that comes from partner donkey farms located in particular in the Azores. These farms that produce organic-labeled donkey milk are regularly inspected. They are, de facto, concerned about the well-being of the animals they raise. If you have dehydrated and reactive skin, you can use donkey milk treatments: particularly suitable for sensitive skin. Like shea, donkey milk has moisturizing and nourishing properties. It also has the particularity of soothing sensitive skin. Its composition, rich in vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, trace elements, is well suited to dry skin.