For many teenagers circa early 90s, their first foray into adult beauty was a trip to The Body Shop. With a tub of Shea Body Butter their go to for banishing dry patches and make your skin glow? But, a little known fact likely lost on our adolescent selves was that, that silky-smooth jar of goodness also supported women’s empowerment, helped educate children, built schools, and provided clean water to entire communities. In fact, this year The Body Shop marked the incredible impact created through its 30-year partnership with the Tungteiya Women’s Association in Northern Ghana. And, celebrated three incredible decades of this game-changing collaboration.
The partnership began back in 1992, when The Body Shop’s founder, Anita Roddick, travelled to Ghana and met the remarkable women behind the handcrafted shea butter. Drawn in by their traditional knowledge, powerful sense of community, and the deep nourishment offered by this golden balm, Roddick saw more than a beauty ingredient. She saw a chance to build a more beautiful world.
Fast forward 30 years, and this partnership is one of the most inspiring stories in ethical beauty. Today, 640 women from 11 villages work using age-old methods to produce over 390 tonnes of shea butter every year. Their process is intricate and passed down through generations. 18 steps of careful, loving craftsmanship that transform the humble shea nut into the velvety, vitamin-rich butter we know and love.
But, the magic of shea butter goes far beyond hydration. While it’s a go-to for fighting winter skin, it’s also a symbol of what beauty can achieve when it’s rooted in respect, fairness, and purpose.
The Body Shop doesn’t just pay a fair price for the women’s work. They go above and beyond by also providing a community premium. That money has transformed lives. For example, seven schools have been built. Over 1,200 students educated. And health care and safe water access made possible for 49,000 people. Eleven whole communities uplifted and thriving – all thanks to shea.
This is what ethical beauty looks like: glossy results and grassroots impact.
And, while this story is decades in the making, it’s far from over. The Body Shop continues to evolve its iconic Shea range with the same love and transparency it started with. Today, their ultra-rich Body Butter wraps your skin in 96-hour moisture, while the hair mask delivers a nourishing punch to dry, damaged locks. Both products delivering a tiny tribute to the hands that made it and the heritage behind it.
There’s something wonderfully grounding about using a product that has journeyed from the heart of Northern Ghana to your bathroom shelf. And after three decades of partnership, The Body Shop is proving that ethical sourcing doesn’t have to be a trend. It can be a promise. A purpose. A way to butter up the world, one community at a time.
So, next time you scoop up some Body Shop Shea Body Butter or smooth a little of that dreamy Intense Repair Hair Mask through your ends, pause for a moment. Feel the care, tradition, and empowerment in every drop. Because glowing skin is great … but glowing communities? That’s real beauty.