Labour of Love - How women love the toil of producing shea butter natu

The story of shea is one of love itself - love that has survived several generations and will continue to endure for several more. In the month of love, the love story brewed in the savannahs of northern Ghana is worth highlighting.

For generations, the women of the savannah have churned shea butter with their hands to sustain their families. In the process, they have formed an almost spiritual bond with the shea crop.

In spite of the difficult production process of shea butter making, these women have developed love for the process. Year in and year out, thousands of the women band together to undertake this long and strenuous manufacturing process but there is no doubt that they sincerely love what they do.

Under the usually unforgiving sun, women pick up fresh shea nuts. It is under this same sun that the nuts are dried and women reconvene in groups to remove the shells by cracking them with stones.

The peeled nuts are dried once more,washed and crushed, still by hand before being roasted to release a lovely buttery scent. It is then ground by hand to produce a thick pleasant sludge.

In the most difficult part of the process yet, the women, synchronised in song and motion, churn the sludge by hand for hours as water is added intermittently. The outcome of this process is butter oil which is then boiled to produce a liquid which is left to thicken into shea butter as we know it.

Through this arduous process, the women engender the spirit of true love for what they do and how it enables millions to love themselves.

The final product exemplifies love and dedication, conceived through a loving process while its usage justifies love for one’s own self. As has been argued earlier, love begins with self love and self love begins with loving your body. Hence, using premier, naturally produced shea products is loving yourself and puts you in a position to extend love to others.

Every skin deserves to bloom and glow, regardless of its tone. With natural shea butter, it remains the best moisturiser for the body, mind and soul. It locks in the moisture in the skin and keeps it hydrated for long periods. This is especially important at this time of the year in most places around the world where the weather affects skin conditions. Skin cracks and other blemishes are adequately taken care of, leaving them smooth and nourished. Your lips also enjoy extra moisture and nutrients to remain supple.

Loving shea butter is loving yourself. Let's continue to ‘shea’ love in this month of love.

In the spirit of love, we at Hamamat will want to entreat you to an opportunity to love yourselves a bit more. All through this month, we are giving you special offers on our range of projects. Log on and spoil yourselves.