charmedpr

When I’m not shuttling my kids to school, gymnastics, karate, play practice, basketball, piano, play dates, tutoring, or trying to relearn fifth grade math and keep them from going hungry, I work. You know, cause I have so much free time. I run Charmed PR, a small boutique agency that promotes a handful of fashion and beauty companies to the media.

One of my beauty client’s, Shea Yeleen, was recently featured in a handful of “Gifts That Give Back” stories including Mashable and MSN’s Glo so I thought I’d share and expand a bit on their incredible product line. Shea Yeleen natural skin care products, which include body butters, soaps, body balms and lip balms, use pure, unrefined shea butter sourced fairly and ethically from women-owned cooperatives in sub-Saharan Africa. The social enterprise was founded by Rahama Wright, a first generation Ghanian-American, during her service in the Peace Corps. What Wright has created is nothing short of a miracle: She organized and trained women in the villages of Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali to produce high quality natural shea butter which is used as the main component in Shea Yeleen’s decadent body care line made available for sale to the western world. These sales go back to the village women in the shea butter cooperatives and provide them with fair wages, so they can pay for health care, send their children to school, and improve their communities.

Today, Shea Yeleen’s products are available online as well as in select Whole Foods Stores. If you’re struggling with what to buy those friends and relatives who have everything this holiday season, treat them with some gorgeous gifts from Shea Yeleen. Your gift will be twofold.

Lavender Honeysuckle Body Balm

This dense body balm enriched with 95% unrefined shea butter, lavender and honeysuckle essential oils, moisturizes and protects the skin from daily elements leaving your skin healthy, smooth, and beautiful with a hint of fragrance. Excellent for your dry skin, especially elbows, knees, feet and hands; $19.

Unscented Body Balm

This 100% unrefined, natural shea body balm moisturizes and protects the skin from daily elements leaving your skin healthy, smooth, and beautiful! Excellent for your dry, irritated, and sensitive skin; $19.

Lavender Honeysuckle Body Butter

Packed with 20% natural, unrefined shea butter, this ultra-hydrating formula is rich in vitamins and will instantly smooth your skin, leaving it glowing and delicately-fragranced with lavender and honeysuckle essential oils; $19.

Unscented Body Butter

Packed with 20% natural, unrefined shea butter, this ultra-hydrating formula is rich in vitamins and will instantly smooth your skin, leaving it glowing; $19.

Lemongrass Peppermint Shea Butter Soap

This exotic citrus scented shea butter soap will awaken your senses and invigorate your skin, leaving it softly frangranced with lemongrass and peppermint; $5.50. Ingredients: Saponified Organic Base Oils of Safflower, Sunflower, Palm, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Water, Rosemary Extract, Organic Annatto Seed Powder, Organic Rosemary Leaf Powder, Lemongrass Essential Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil.

Lavender Ylang Ylang Shea Butter Soap

This wonderful floral, fruity, woodsy blend of lavender and ylang-ylang will gently cleanse the skin, leaving you feeling relaxed and refreshed; $5.50 Ingredients: Saponified Organic Base Oils of Safflower, Sunflower, Palm, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Water, Rosemary Extract, Organic Annatto Seed Powder, Organic Rosemary Leaf Powder, Lavender Essential Oil, Ylang Ylang Essential Oil.

Black Shea Butter Soap

For centuries, men and women in Africa have used black soap to cleanse and nourish their skin. Black soap is an all natural, no lye soap used to soothe skin conditions like acne and eczema; $5.50. Ingredients: Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Cocoa Pod.

Jasmine Sandalwood Rose Shea Butter Soap

Fragranced with the essential oils of romantic roses, sweet jasmine and earthy sandalwood, this moisturizing soap will transform your bath or shower into a soothing experience; $5.50. Ingredients: Saponified Organic Base Oils of Palm, Coconut, Olive and Palm Kernel, Raw Shea Butter, Water, Organic Calendula Extract, Organic Rosemary Extract, Essential Oil Blend of Jasmine, Rose, and Sandalwood.

Unscented Shea Butter Soap

This fragrance-free shea butter soap will gently cleanse and soothe skin, leaving it fresh and moisturized; $5.50. Ingredients: Saponified Organic Base Oils of Safflower, Sunflower, Palm, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Water, Rosemary Extract, Organic Annatto Seed Powder, Organic Rosemary Leaf Powder.

Apple, Coconut Peach, and Honey Shea Butter Lip Balms