5 Ultra-Hydrating Shea Butter Products

Made from the oil in shea-tree nuts, the shea butter in these products isn’t only ultra-hydrating, it also has a higher purpose: supporting women’s cooperatives and economic development in several West African communities.

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Ojoba Collective

Shea Butter All Natural Skin Moisturizer

This 100 percent raw shea butter is handcrafted traditionally by the Ojoba Women’s Shea Cooperative in Ghana, helping women earn a living wage and providing financial support for malaria prevention, adult literacy, and organic farming programs.

($15, OjobaCollective.com)

Alaffia

Coconut & Shea Daily Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner

Alaffia’s Fair Trade–certified shea butter comes from women’s cooperatives in Togo, where the company sponsors programs for poverty alleviation and gender equality, including school repairs and pre- and postnatal care.

($9 each, Alaffia.com)

Shea Yeleen

Shea Butter Lip Balm

Shea Yeleen is a company that grew out of a longstanding nonprofit in Ghana that works with two different women’s cooperatives. Proceeds from the business now help improve the earning power and employment status of more than 1,200 women.

($3, SheaYeleen.com)

Andalou Naturals

Shea Butter + Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream

This cream combines organic and Fair Trade–
certified shea butter from Burkina Faso with sea buckthorn and fruit stem cells. One hundred percent of net profits from this product go to Andalou’s philanthropic organization, A Path of Light, which promotes women’s equality, empowerment, and education worldwide.

($9, Andalou.com)

Out of Africa

Shea Body Oil

Out of Africa products are made by several women’s cooperatives in West Africa, and the company donates a portion of all sales (20 cents per bottle) to the Benin Education Fund, which offers scholarships to students from Benin’s rural areas, allowing them to stay in school.

($20, OutOfAfricaShea.com)