shea butter

¿Qué es la manteca de karité?

 La manteca de karité es un producto natural extraído de las nueces del árbol de karité, científicamente conocido como Vitellaria paradoxa. Este árbol es nativo de las regiones de África occidental, y la manteca que obtenemos de sus nueces ha sido un ingrediente fundamental en la medicina tradicional y el cuidado de la piel de las comunidades africanas.

El proceso de obtención de la manteca de karité es laborioso pero valioso. Primero, las nueces del árbol de karité se recolectan y se dejan secar al sol. Una vez secas, se extraen las semillas y se muelen para obtener una pasta. Esta pasta se cocina y se separa la manteca de karité. El resultado es una sustancia rica en vitaminas, minerales y ácidos grasos esenciales que proporcionan beneficios increíbles para la piel.

La manteca de karité es conocida por sus numerosos beneficios para la piel. Entre ellos se incluyen propiedades hidratantes, antiinflamatorias y regenerativas. Gracias a su alto contenido de ácidos grasos, es excelente para mantener la piel nutrida y suave. Además, sus propiedades antiinflamatorias la convierten en una opción ideal para tratar afecciones como la piel seca, eczema y dermatitis.

La versatilidad de la manteca de karité la hace ideal para una variedad de usos. Se utiliza comúnmente en productos para el cuidado de la piel, como cremas hidratantes, lociones, bálsamos labiales y jabones. También es efectiva para el tratamiento del cabello, ayudando a mejorar la hidratación y la salud del cuero cabelludo. Además, se ha utilizado tradicionalmente para aliviar la irritación después de la exposición al sol y para reducir la apariencia de cicatrices y estrías.

Espero que te enamores de este ingrediente tanto como yo llo estoy.

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Funlayo Alabi, CEO and Co-Founder of Shea Radiance, wants to see women win. The founder, who was born in Manchester, England, and raised in Nigeria, moved to the United States at 17 to attend college. But she brought with her a strong sense of beauty implanted in her growing up in Nigeria, which included gleaming skin. 

After realizing that following in her father's footsteps by studying accounting, she settled on international business. And ended up with a career in coding and software by happenstance. Funlayo and her husband knew they wanted to create a business that allowed them to access resources on the African continent but little did they know that their search for a solution to treat their son's eczema and find an effective body moisturizer led them to explore shea. 

After mixing up products in their kitchen, their local Farmer's Market became their testing ground, and they refined their formulas from there. The duo also traveled to Nigeria to connect with the women who were harvesting shea, eventually traveling to and supporting women in several countries and banding with a few others as founding members of the Global Shea Alliance. 

Funlayo shares her thoughts on ashiness, why shea has gotten a bad rap, and how she got her brand into Whole Foods and took it from a local to a global offering with the retailer. In addition, she shares how the brand's first foray into a big box retailer didn't work out and what she learned from it. 

Rahama Wright, CEO of Shea Yeleen, volunteering for the Peace Corp was a no-brainer, it was how her parents met. But it was during her time volunteering for a health clinic in West Africa that she had a desire to create an ecosystem that provided economic support for women. And she saw shea butter as a vehicle for her end goal. Eventually, that led to the launch of Shea Yellen, through which she partners with 14 different women's cooperatives in Ghana. 

While other companies work on a buy one give one model, or tout their fair trade status, Rahama is on a mission to make sure that her work has a real social impact. Her Ghanian partners benefit from the business--making five times the local minimum wage. And she's invited the growers to see the finished products in Whole Foods too.

Rahama shares the challenges she faced getting her products into Whole Foods and how she was able to expand the brand's footprint as a result. And the other retail avenues she created before the pandemic included MGM hotels and retail space at the airport.

Covid-19 presented many obstacles for Shea Yeleen, Rahama shares them as well as some new opportunities that came her way, including being approached by Macy's.

But Rahama is not solely focused on her brand but defines real success by equipping other beauty entrepreneurs with the tools to find success too, she has partnered with her local government as well as some partners (to be named soon) on a new venture. 

She also shares how she became the youngest Black woman to serve on a Presidential Advisory Council on doing business in Africa.

And she shares five great tips for anyone interested in creating a social impact business of their own. 

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