Inside the Brand: Shea Radiance

Shea Radiance is a Maryland-based eco-luxury brand that creates sustainable beauty products with Shea butter as their key active ingredient. From home-based business to beauty brand, Shea Radiance has grown by leaps and bounds since its start in 2005, but they are most proud of the opportunities they have had to impact women around the world with their business model. We asked Funlayo Alabi, the company’s President and Creative Director, to take us inside the brand and share details on their best selling product to date, as well as which ones will help consumers to repair their skin after a harsh winter. Read on for more.

How would you describe Shea Radiance’s products to someone who is hearing about your company for the first time?

Think lush, luxurious highly effective natural products that are changing the world.

Shea Radiance uses raw unrefined Shea butter for its skin and hair products. Why is raw Shea butter superior to other types and what are the benefits for African-American skin?
Unrefined Shea butter is Shea that retains all its bio-active properties. When Shea butter is kept in its unrefined state, it contains naturally occurring chemicals that not only provide great moisturizing properties, but also help in cell renewal that accelerates healing and rejuvenation of skin cells.

What has been your best selling product to date?
Our Shea and Baobab Antioxidant Cream

What is the most exciting thing that has happened for the Shea Radiance brand so far?

We are excited that every year that we are in business, we are having greater opportunities to impact the lives of women--especially women in the developing world. It's a passion and it brings us a lot of satisfaction to see women lifted out of poverty and able to provide for their families.

How does Shea Radiance give back--both in its local community and abroad?

Our local community wants products that deliver results, and that are made with wholesome ingredients that are sourced in ethical and sustainable ways. Shea Radiance formulates products that meet this need and in the process we are able to economically support the women in Africa by purchasing our key ingredient, Shea butter, from them at a good price. It's a win-win for every woman.

Which Shea Radiance product(s) would you recommend consumers use to repair their skin after such a harsh winter?
Definitely the line of Spa products which include the Shea & Baobab Antioxidant Cream, Whipped Shea Butter with Kalahari Melon Seed Oil (which COCOTIQUE Subscribers have received in their March boxes!), the Creamy Sugar Scrub and, of course, the Tree of Life Oil . All 4 products work together to give skin a smooth, healthy glow.

Learn more about Shea Radiance at their website, and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.