Empowering beauty, empowering community; curating gifts that honour the rich heritage and contributions of the Black community

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

This week, we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on a phenomenal Black-owned hair care line that goes beyond just hair – they are making waves in the global community and empowering individuals to embrace their natural beauty. Join us as we celebrate Black History Month with SheaMoisture.

SheaMoisture wasn’t just created to sell hair products; it was born out of a vision to uplift and support the African Caribbean community. SheaMoisture is the leading global beauty brand serving up no-compromise, naturally infused products for textured hair and melanin rich skin. From hair care, to hand and body lotion, to products for babies and men, every purchase of SheaMoisture is sure to nourish your: hair, body and your community.

As an African-founded business with humble beginnings that has remained African-led and African-inspired, they recognize the power of entrepreneurship to address racial inequality. They believe that commerce can bring true economic independence. Community Commerce, created by their founder Richelieu Dennis, set the stage for their purpose-driven way of doing business. Now, as a part of Unilever, they can accelerate their investments even further.

Throughout the month, you are going to see organizations do their due diligence to honour African Caribbeans during Black History Month, but usually it ends there. To date, SheaMoisture has reinvested over $10 million in African American, and Caribbean communities through: purpose-driven programs, partnerships and donations. They stand committed to celebrating and investing in the beauty and richness of our community, and it is not limited to one month.

Globally, their impact is being felt in more ways than one. Women in Africa are paid 20% above market prices for their ingredients. They provide a year-round income for women, beyond the seasonal shea nut collection. This creates more jobs and keeps wealth in the community. Long term funding supports women’s cooperatives to create lasting generational wealth and positive community outcomes. Organic ingredients protect the environment and workers’ health as they avoid contact with chemicals while farming and processing shea butter.

SheaMoisture overstands the power of partnership and collaboration and have aligned themselves with the Savannah Fruits Company. They work with local, women-led cooperatives in West Africa to source handcrafted ingredients. They purchase organic and Fair for Life certified shea butter and virgin coconut oil for their products. In addition to organic and fair-trade premiums, they pay an extra premium to the women who hand make their shea butter. This represents an 89% increase in revenue for the women in the cooperatives. They are working together to fund infrastructure and technology to empower women to improve their livelihoods, while positively impacting the environment.

“Together with SheaMoisture, we support hundreds of women’s cooperatives across West Africa… Most women in the cooperatives are now able to send their daughters to school, whereas before they could only afford to send their sons… helping to break women and girls out of the poverty cycle.” shared Raphael Gonzalez, Managing Director, Savannah Fruits Company.

Each year SheaMoisture celebrates Black History Month, by curating gifts that honour the rich heritage and contributions of the Black community. The gift includes Black, female-owned businesses, and is a tribute to the resilient spirit, cultural richness, and achievements of the Black community throughout history.

This year’s celebratory Black History Month Gift Basket included:

• Shea Moisture’s loved and iconic Coconut & Hibiscus Collection, which includes a Shampoo, Conditioner, Masque, Smoothie and BRAND-NEW Edge Gel. It gives hair a smooth and shiny finish, formulated using naturally derived ingredients like Coconut Oil, Neem Oil and Silk Protein.
• Arbre Dry Shampoo with SPF 20. This product allows you to protect your scalp from the sun without having to deal with hat hair! Preventing scalp burns has become easy with this dry shampoo!
• Black & Fabulous Cookies by Fran Murray. Fran Murray is a self-taught baker who loves to create handcrafted desserts with love and expertise!
• Parting the Roots Affirmation Cards by Simone Wright, a 52-card deck of affirmations for everyone seeking that confidence boost and opportunity to build a positive relationship with their hair.

There you have it, community! Know that when you purchase SheaMoisture products, you are investing in nourishing, no-compromise beauty products that give back to our community. There’s power in every purchase. With your help, they will continue to nourish and invest in the richness of our communities.

We salute their dedication to making a difference. Thank you for joining us on this inspiring journey. Remember, beauty is not just about how you look; it’s about how you make others feel.