ETHICALLY SOURCED
Shea Butter
From Ghana, With Care: The Story Behind the Shea Butter in Our Body Balm.
At ilā, we have always believed that the beauty of an ingredient begins long before it reaches the skin.
It begins with the earth it comes from. With the people who grow, gather and prepare it. With traditions passed from one generation to the next. And with the choices we make about how those people, places and traditions are valued.
From Northern Ghana, with care.
At the heart of our Body Balm for Feeding Skin and Senses is Shea Butter sourced directly from JilimaCoop, a women’s cooperative in Northern Ghana — an ingredient chosen not only for the beautiful nourishment it brings to the skin, but for the story and community behind it.
Beautiful for your skin. Meaningful beyond it.
Shea has a deeply rooted place in the lives and livelihoods of communities across Northern Ghana, where the harvesting and processing of shea has traditionally been women’s work. At JilimaCoop, skilled women use knowledge passed down through generations to traditionally process and hand-churn pure, unrefined Shea Butter.
It is a process that takes time, experience and care — qualities that can never be separated from the ingredient itself. By sourcing directly from the cooperative, we are able to know where our Shea Butter comes from and to support a model built around fair pricing, ethical working practices and greater economic opportunity for the women who produce it.
For the women of JilimaCoop, coming together as a cooperative creates a stronger collective voice and the ability to command a fair price for their work. The cooperative also has a wider ambition: to support female empowerment, income diversification and a better standard of living within the community.
For us, this relationship represents what thoughtful sourcing should be.
Not simply finding an exceptional ingredient, but understanding the hands behind it and ensuring that its journey to us is one of respect.
The heart of our Body Balm
Shea Butter is the main ingredient in our Body Balm for Feeding Skin and Senses, giving the balm its wonderfully rich, comforting and deeply nourishing character.
Its naturally emollient qualities make it particularly beautiful for skin that feels dry, depleted or in need of extra care. It envelops the body in moisture, helping skin feel softer, more supple and protected. Alongside Shea Butter, our balm brings together a deeply nurturing blend including Argan Oil, Rosehip Seed Oil and Organic Beeswax, with the exquisite aromas of Damascena Rose Otto and Rose Geranium.
Beauty that reaches beyond the skin.
When we talk about creating with intention, ingredient provenance is an essential part of that conversation. We want to know not only what goes into our formulations, but where it comes from, how it has been made and whose hands have helped create it.
Our Shea Butter carries with it the skill and heritage of the women of JilimaCoop in Northern Ghana. By choosing to source it directly and responsibly, we can celebrate an extraordinary natural ingredient while supporting the women and communities who have understood its value for generations. So when you smooth our Body Balm onto your skin, there is a story held within it. A story of Ghana. Of women and generations of knowledge. Of nourishment, connection and care. Beautiful for your skin. Meaningful beyond it.