Shea Better
Sustainability program
Better products. Better world
In 2019 we debuted our SHEA BETTER Sustainability Program that focused on improving the lives of women Shea harvesters in
Burkina Faso by building fuel-efficent stoves and providing health and safety training on their usage. This initiative impacted more than 1,200 women
across 25 different villages.
It inspired us to do more.
For 2020 we're excited to evolve our
program with efforts focused across 8 different villages outside the Mole National
Park in Northern Ghana. The program will focus on 4 pillars:
better storage, better transport,
better fuel-efficiency and better processing.
Keep reading for more details and stay tuned throughout the Spring, we'll be fully up and
running by next June before the next Shea harvest!
our journey continues...
In 2020, we are focusing our efforts across 8 different villages located outside of the Mole National Park in Northern Ghana.
better storage
Micro-warehouse construction
These warehouses will allow the women cooperatives to store more Shea kernels during the harvest, therefore increasing their output and income. The dedicated space can also provide women with income diversification as the women’s groups can choose to rent out the warehouse to store other crops in the off-season.
better transport
Community Motorbikes
Each warehouse will also receive a tricycle with a storage bed that will enable the harvesters to more easily transport kernels and increase their earning potential.
better fuel-efficiency
Improved, fuel-efficient stoves
We’ll be continuing our program of providing fuel-efficient stoves as we’ve seen the positive impact they have on the women – less burns and smoke inhalation – and their communities – less wood burned and water used.
better processing
Modern organic Shea processing center
We’re co-financing and constructing a modern organic shea processing center with improved equipment which will help to reduce water and fuel consumption by up to 75%, as well as reduce solid waste by using shea waste as fuel. It will also improve productivity and working conditions by reducing smoke inhalation.
shea better. better products. better world
the stove project
eos' inaugural Shea sustainability program debuted in 2018 and centered on building fuel-efficient stoves for women Shea harvesters across villages in Burkina Faso. Women participating in the program received health and safety training and learned how to build the fuel-efficient stoves using readily-available local materials.
why fuel efficient stoves?
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The new and improved stoves are significantly safer for the harvesters—they inhale less smoke and get fewer burns while boiling the Shea kernels.
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Thanks to reduced water and wood (by one third!) use, these stoves are more cost- and time-effective for harvesters and have a lower carbon footprint for the planet.
global shea alliance
The GSA is a non-profit industry association with 500 members from 35 countries—including women's groups, brands, retailers, suppliers, and NGOs. Through the public-private partnership, the GSA promotes industry sustainability, quality practices and standards, and demand for Shea in food and cosmetics.
sustainability working group
eos is a member of the GSA's Sustainability Working Group, a subset of GSA members. The multi-stake-holder group collaborates on the implementation of the GSA's sustainability workstreams like improving the empowerment of women collectors and protection of ecosystems.
shea benefits
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24-Hours of nourishing and protective
moisture -
Expertly crafted fragrances for an unforgettable fragrance experience
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Hand-crafted, sustainable, natural shea
shea oil + shea butter
Our SHEA BETTER Hand Cream harnesses the full power of Shea to deliver next-level, 24-hour moisture.
Silky, nourishing Shea Oil provides instant hydration
and comfort, while rich Shea Butter creates a weather-resistant, water-resistant protective barrier that keeps hands smooth, soft and comfortable all day long.
shea 101
origin of shea
Shea trees, which are indigenous to Africa, produce fruit that is collected and made – primarily by women – into Shea butter.
The Shea industry exports have nearly doubled in the last 10 years and now provides income for 16 million women in 21 countries in west and central Africa, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mali, and Togo.
shea butter: how it’s made
Harvesters collect the Shea fruit that fall from the tree to the ground during the summer and then begin the process of making Shea butter. First, they boil and dry the fruit to extract the oil-rich kernels within.
After the harvester removes the kernels, they ground, roast, mill and knead them to ensure the Shea oil separates from the rest of the mixture. It is then extracted and heated to product Shea Butter.
beauty benefits
The beauty benefits of Shea are many. It’s super moisturizing and is a natural source of fatty acids (like oleic acid, stearic acid, and linoleic acid) and skin-softening allantoin, which improve skin condition immediately, help to retain moisture over time, and protect against environmental factors like wind and cold. It’s also quick-absorbing and deeply penetrating. Its composition of natural fats allows Shea butter to absorb quickly into deeper layers of skin to nourish, moisturize, and treat dryness, without leaving skin feeling greasy or weighed down.
women in shea
Women are the predominant harvesters of Shea.
Through their income, women collectors are able to provide basic necessity like food, clothing and housing for their household and also invest in their children’s education and future. Business and quality trainings builds the capacity of women collectors to manage their operations, improve the quality of their products, maximize the profitability of Shea sales as well as earn additional income from alternative activities.
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shea
sheaYes! Shea is in every eos product. From our very first lip balm, Shea has been our all-star ingredient and is a sustainable, renewable natural resource. Our super soft Shea is what makes your lips and skin feel super soft.
