How can you support a company that’s passionate about its mission to empower African communities? It’s actually easier than you think. If you purchase any of the clean, plant-based & fair trade beauty products from Alaffia, you are helping this brand continue its commitment to empowering West African communities through The Alaffia Foundation. Get to know more about this brand, its mission and how its Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Leave-In in the Spring Limited Edition Box can hydrate and define your curls.
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How did Alaffia get its start?
Alaffia was born out of a yearning to do good in the world which came from Olowo-n’djo Tchala’s firsthand experience growing up in Togo, West Africa. As a child, he grew up in an 8x10 foot room shared with his mother and seven siblings. After dropping out of school in sixth grade to help support his family through farming and collecting shea nuts, he witnessed the unfair systems that the women around him faced when trading valuable indigenous resources. Together with his partner in both life and business, Prairie Rose Hyde, he founded Alaffia in 2003. He met Rose in his home village of Kaboli, Togo in 1996 where she was invited to serve as an environmental volunteer in the Peace Corp. From the beginning, the two shared a desire to positively impact humankind. They returned to the U.S. determined to make a difference in West Africa. In 2004, armed with his understanding of the value of indigenous West African resources and an understanding of sustainable business ideologies, he launched Alaffia's first women-led collective. Today, we have more than 160 personal care products across multiple categories that are made with ingredients from our cooperatives, including unrefined shea butter, African black soap and virgin coconut oil.
What inspired the name Alaffia and what does it mean?
“Alaffia” is common greeting or valediction originating from Togo, Benin & Nigeria, where Olowo-n’djo grew up. It means a state of peace, health and well-being. Naming the organization Alaffia was a way for us to honor where he came from and emphasize that all we do is to empower the women and families in Togo.
What are the key ingredients in the Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Leave-In?
Our Curl Enhancing Leave-In is made with handcrafted fair trade unrefined shea butter from our cooperatives in West Africa, as well as botanical extracts of chamomile and yarrow.
What are the benefits of these key ingredients?
Unrefined shea butter is naturally nourishing, so it provides the hair with the hydration that curls need for frizz-free definition. Additionally, the natural minerals and vitamins in our formula helps to smooth the cuticle, remove tangles and improve shine.
What can women expect after using the Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Leave-In?
It is our best-selling Beautiful Curls product for a reason! Our Leave-In hydrates, softens, and improves elasticity while soothing and fortifying scalp and hair. The rich formula is great for moisturizing and nurturing looser curl patterns for healthy, shiny and manageable curls.
What other products from Alaffia can you suggest to use with Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Leave-In?
The Curl Enhancing Leave-In Conditioner pairs well with the two additional items in the curl enhancing line: our sulfate-free Curl Enhancing Shampoo and Curl Defining Gel. We also have a range of stylers that can be used with this collection, including our Curl Reviving Tonic to refresh curls when they need a pick-me-up, as well as our Curl Hydrating Oil to smooth and moisturize.
Is Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Leave-In for all hair types?
Our Curl Enhancing Leave-In is specifically formulated for wavy to curly hair. For tighter curl patterns, we recommend our Curl Activating line, which has deeper moisturizing benefits for kinky, coily hair.
Is this also good for the scalp?
Yes! Our leave-in helps in fortifying the scalp.
How do you measure Alaffia’s success?
Our success is measured by our social impact. When you choose Alaffia, you join us in empowering women and families in Togo, West Africa. Our empowerment projects are our mission in action, funded by the sale of our products, which provide direct and immediate support in the areas of maternal health, education, reforestation and eyeglass distribution
What’s next for Alaffia?
In 2021, we are bringing our social impact model stateside to help support communities, especially in maternal healthcare. In the U.S., the maternal death rate for black women is more than double that of white women. For Hispanic women, it is more than 3X. Alaffia will contribute up to 5% of proceeds from the Beautiful Curls collection to support maternal care programs to help women get the care they need when preparing for motherhood and after her baby is born.
We are also rolling out some exciting new features for Beautiful Curls. We launched a new site, BeautifulCurls.com, which will provide education on our different collections to help consumers find their perfect regimen. Plus, we just launched our new Instagram handle @AlaffiaBeautifulCurls. There, followers can learn tips and tricks on how to use our products to achieve different looks from our master stylist and brand ambassador, Allyn Antoine, and stay up to date on everything we are working on!
Customers who get the Spring Limited Edition Box will receive a full-size Beautiful Curls Curl Enhancing Leave-In. What is the one thing you want to leave with them?
Alaffia is much more than just beauty and self-care products. We are a social enterprise on a mission to invest in a more equitable future. Together, we’re cultivating beauty, equality, and empowerment in Togo, West Africa.
To keep up with Alaffia you can follow them on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.