Alaffia - Facial Cleanser Skin Recovery Neem & Black Soap - 3.4 oz. (100 ml)
Alaffia Facial Cleanser Skin Recovery Neem & Black Soap is made with african black soap and provides a lathering, deep yet gentle cleanser that removes excess oils, makeup, and other impurities without over-drying your skin. Neem oil, neem leaf and tea tree oil add properties to prevent blemishes and dry patches from forming.
Alaffia Facial CareAt Alaffia, they formulate with handcrafted, unrefined shea butter for its unrivalled skin protective, regenerative and moisturizing properties. They do not "remove" their shea butter to remove color and odor, and as a result, it refine its full moisturizing and healing properties. Alaffia facial care line contains a high amount of shea butter combined with other wild-harvested, unrefined oils and fresh herbal extracts for effective and powerful formulations for every skin type.
- Acne Prone ~ Acne prone skin is usually oily and distinguished by blackheads and pimples. If neglected can lead to scarred and pitted skin.
- Oily ~ Oily skin is caused by excessive sebum production. It is often shiny with enlarged pores. It may also have patches of flakiness around the nose.
- Combination - Oily ~ The combination skin type has an oily T-zone across the forehead, nose and chin, but a normal to dry area around the cheeks and throat.
- Normal ~ Normal skin is not too oily or dry and blemishes are uncommon. It is firm, with a healthy appearance and small pores.
- Combination - Dry ~ This skin type has normal skin across the forehead, nose and chin, but a dry area around the cheeks and throat.
- Dry ~ Dry skin has reduced ability to produce moisture and natural oils. It may have fine pores and few blemishes, but with a tight or flaky appearance.
- Mature Skin ~ Superficial fine lines, slower cell regeneration, reduced skin elasticity and thinner appearing skin characterize this skin type.
Indigenous Knowledge for Skin Care Shea Butter has been used for centuries in Africa as a decongestant, an anti-inflammatory for sprains and arthritis, healing salve, lotion for hair and skin care, and cooking oil. However, the protective and emollient properties of Shea Butter are most valued for skin care. In recent clinical trials, Shea Butter was found to help to protect skin against climate and UV aggressions, prevent wrinkle formation, soothe irritated and chapped skin, and moisturize the epidermis. Shea Butter also enhances cell regeneration and capillary circulation, which helps prevent and minimize stretch marks, inflammations, and scarring.
Why Unrefined Shea Butter?Handcrafted, unrefined Shea Butter contains the maximum amount of healing and moisturizing properties. Most shea butter available to the general public outside West Africa is white and odorless: in other words, it has been "refined" to remove the natural scent
and color of natural shea butter. In the process, the majority of the effective agents are also removed. For example, the yellow tint of unrefined shea butter is due to the Vitamin A content. Remove this color, and the beneficial vitamins have also been removed. Furthermore, refined Shea Butter has usually been extracted from the shea kernels with hexane or other petroleum solvents. The extracted oil is boiled to drive off the toxic solvents, and then refined, bleached, and deodorized, which involves heating it to over 400 degrees F and the use of harsh chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide.
and color of natural shea butter. In the process, the majority of the effective agents are also removed. For example, the yellow tint of unrefined shea butter is due to the Vitamin A content. Remove this color, and the beneficial vitamins have also been removed. Furthermore, refined Shea Butter has usually been extracted from the shea kernels with hexane or other petroleum solvents. The extracted oil is boiled to drive off the toxic solvents, and then refined, bleached, and deodorized, which involves heating it to over 400 degrees F and the use of harsh chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide.
Try Shea Butter on these conditions:
- Wrinkles
- Dry Skin
- Psoriasis
- Massage
- Hair care
- Stretch marks
- Burns
- Arthritis
- Chapped lips
- Sun damage
- Cracked and dry heels or elbows
- Small wounds and scrapes
- Diaper rash (prevention and relief)
- Insect bites & stings
- Muscle fatigue, aches & tension
- Pets (skin infections, dry skin & coats)
Shea Butter extracted in this manner still contains some undesirable solvent residues, and its healing values are significantly reduced. Antioxidants or preservatives such as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) or BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) may be added as well. The end result is an odorless, white butter that may be aesthetically appealing, but lacks the true moisturizing, healing, and nutritive properties of true traditional shea butter.
The DifferenceIn addition, refined Shea Butter is often hard and grainy, not smooth and creamy like pure, unrefined Shea Butter. All that can be said for refined Shea Butter is that it has an extended shelf life, a white, uniform color, and no odor.
How to use Shea ButterFor direct application to the skin, take a small amount in the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to warm up the butter until it is smooth and liquid. Then apply to your skin. If you are concerned about an oily feeling, use only a small amount or apply the Shea Butter before going to bed. Shea Butter absorbs quickly into the skin, but there will be a few minutes that it feels oily. Shea Butter can also be applied to your hair. Some people apply it before washing to protect the hair from harsh shampoos. It can also be applied after washing as a conditioner. Apply it in the same manner as to the skin.
Sustainable Skin CareShea Butter is the oil from the nuts of wild Shea trees (Vitellaria paradoxa - also known as Butyrospermum parkii in the cosmetic industry) scattered throughout the wooded savanna of West and Central Africa. Shea Butter has been used for centuries in Africa and is completely enmeshed within the history and culture of the West African savanna. Shea Butter is mentioned in almost all African historical documents, including a reference as early as Cleopatra's Egypt, which mentions caravans bearing clay jars of Shea Butter for cosmetic use. Funeral beds of kings were carved in the wood of old Shea Trees, and Shea Butter has always been a staple of African pharmacology.
Alaffia was founded to alleviate poverty and advance gender equality in West Africa through the fair trade of handcrafted shea butter. Their mission embodies three clear principles:
- CREATE - They formulate and create their products based on indigenous beauty knowledge and unrefined, fair trade ingredients.
- INFORM - Their products inform the public about interconnections between communities and how, together, they can alleviate poverty through fair trade and sustainable choices.
- EMPOWER - Their fair trade shea butter cooperative and community projects encourage self empowerment and gender equality for women in their West African communities.
Wild shea trees in central Togo during the dry season.Now, more than ever before, it is important for all of them to make decisions that take into consideration the well-being of the generations to come. To them, sustainable means making choices and actions that improve current and future living conditions for their communities while maintaining the cultural and bio-diversities of their planet, including:
- Using Sustainably Harvested, Wildcrafted, and Traditionally Extracted, Unrefined Shea Butter for the base of their skin and hair care products.
- Providing fair wages and prices to their Shea Butter Cooperative members and farmers.
- Dedicating 10% of sales proceeds to Community Enhancement Projects in Africa and other parts of the World.
- The motivation to commit to these principles comes from the hope that their actions will:
- Improve current living standards and promote gender equality and feelings of self worth for individuals in their communities.
- Help break the cycle of poverty in Africa and preserve indigenous resources and knowledge for future generations
- Increase awareness of how individual actions and choices affect communities worldwide.
Cycle of Sustainable Skin CareOne of the main ways they strive for sustainability is by fostering direct relationships and removing the "middleman". These direct relationships reduce waste and costs, but also have another benefit. Each piece of the Alaffia sustainability cycle has a clear, unique and imperative role in helping them achieve their goals.
Sustainability begins with handcrafted, unrefined ingredients.In Sokode, Togo, members of the Alaffia Shea Butter Cooperative handcraft shea butter, other indigenous oils and extracts using traditional, organic methods under fair trade guidelines. Their members gain pride and equality as well as a living wage.
In Lacey, Washington, they repackage their shea butter, formulate and produce their finished products under the same principles. Their products are their voice to educate individuals and other organizations about the importance of fair trade and sustainable living. Alaffia's customers help spread their message, provide feedback and ideas, volunteer their time to help with Alaffia's projects, as well as provide the funds with which they conduct their projects and support their cooperative members. They appreciate your support in reaching their goals.
10% of Alaffia's sales are returned to West Africa to fund community enhancement projects. These projects are designed to help lift their communities out of poverty and become self-sustaining. Their projects focus on the future, emphasizing the environment, gender equality education and empowering communities.
Alaffia Certified Fair Trade Shea ButterTo Alaffia, fair trade means paying a fair price or wage in the local context, providing equal employment opportunities, engaging in environmental sustainable practices, providing healthy and safe working conditions, being open to public accountability, and reducing the number of middlemen between producers and consumers. They believe fair trade should be environmentally, economically and culturally sustainable and give local communities the opportunity to self empower.
What is Fair Trade?Fair Trade is a movement of individuals and organizations working to ensure that producers in poor countries receive a greater percentage of the price paid by consumers. While there are several definitions of fair trade, they all include:
- Fair Trade Price - base price for raw ingredients or goods is adjusted higher than the open market price
- Price Premium - a percentage above the base fair trade price is paid into a separate account for development projects in producer communities.
- Working Conditions - Fair Trade operators must adhere to basic human and labor rights - including the right to organize, no child labor, access to health care, and so on.
- Environmental Stewardship - Fair Trade organizations must minimize environmental impact.
What does Fair Trade Certified mean? Fair Trade certification in an independent, neutral third party certification verifying that an organization upholds to fair trade, social and environmental standards in their operations.Alaffia shea butter is certified Fair for Life:Social and FairTrade by IMO - the Institute for Marketecology, one of the first and most renowned international inspection & certificationagencies for organic and social (fair trade) accountability. IMO's Fair for Life certificationcombines strict social and fair trade standards with adaptability to local conditions.
Why is Fair Trade of shea butter important? Unrefined shea butter is a valuable natural resource for West Africa and could be an important tool in empowering local communities. However, most shea butter on the market in the United States and Europe is not fairly traded. Without fair trade, the women who gather shea nuts and hand craft this remarkable oil receive only a tiny fraction of the final price.
It is estimated to take 20 to 30 hours of labor to produce one kilogram of handcrafted shea butter, which is traded at $1 or less in today's market. A woman making shea butter in West Africa will receive only a fraction of this price. Therefore, a person working for 30 hours, almost a week's worth of work, will not receive even a dollar for her efforts. Even if she received the whole dollar, this does not even begin to reach living wage standards.
A little back ground info on shea butter since I will be reviewing a few shea butter and bees wax products
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