“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.” - Kofi Annan

This year The Body Shop will celebrate 25 years of its contribution to female empowerment. But how exactly does a beauty ingredient help empower women?

The production of shea butter -a product that is known to intensely nourish skin and hair for generations- actually involves a lengthy and tedious 18-step traditional process of extraction from the nuts of the shea tree to the rich and creamy texture of the finished product.

Through a trade partnership that started in 1994 with the Tungteiya Women's Shea Butter Association in Ghana, the beauty brand with a conscience has chosen yet again to ‘enrich, not exploit’ by sourcing its shea butter only through fulfilling its long-standing commitment to trading fairly. 25 years later, that same partnership is still going strong, but now, it directly benefits 640 incredible female workers (and their families), across 11 Ghanaian villages. Furthermore, through this partnership, the Tungteiya social fund, The Northern Ghana Community Action Fund, invests in crucial projects such as healthcare, water, and education.

While a popular ingredient for soothing dry skin, it is a lesser known fact that shea butter works its wonders on hair as well. Not just for its cleansing, nourishing, and replenishing properties, but shea butter is also known to prevent hair breakage. For dry and damage-prone hair, The Body Shop’s Shea Butter Richly Replenishing haircare range is just what the hair doctor ordered.

Start your haircare routine with the Shea Butter Richly Replenishing Shampoo, enriched with moisturizing ingredients to gently cleanse, lock in moisture, and improve hair manageability. When followed with the Shea Butter Richly Replenishing Conditioner, your hair is instantly replenished, untangled, and conditioned. For that extra deep treatment leave on the Shea Butter Richly Replenishing Hair Mask for either just five minutes or even overnight, and wake up to hair that is magically manageable, soft and healthy. The indulgently rich texture of The Body Shop’s shea butter products makes the process of haircare an enjoyable one, topped with the warm, nutty scent that follows.

Shop the Body Shop’s Shea Butter range and more from The Body Shop flagship store on Bagatale Road, Odel in Alexandra Place, the Kandy City Centre, and the newly opened store at the Colombo City Centre.