Akamuti Organic Forest Beeswax & Honey

Fairly traded with forest beekeepers living in the vast stretches of virgin forest throughout Zambia. Fair trade provides these people with a sustainable income enabling them to buy their everyday necessities including soap & blankets. Beekeeping is one of the few sources of income in this area.

Akamuti Wildcrafted Shea Butter

Fairly traded with women's co-operatives in Togo. Naturally a very dry country, Karite trees can be found growing in even the driest parts. This is a valuable source of income to these people & the fair price ensures that they can provide better amenities for their communities. This includes building clean water supplies and funding renewable energy projects. This shea butter has the US Fairtrade Federation Mark.

Akamuti Extra Virgin Cocoa Butter

The organic cocoa butter is fairly traded with producers in Togo, where organic cocoa beans are harvested from shade grown cocoa trees in the mountainous Kpalimé region in southern Togo. Cocoa beans are purchased from small farmers in remote villages, who still control most of the cocoa butter production.

Akamuti Authentic African Black Soap

This beautiful, authentic African Black Soap is traditionally handcrafted & fairly traded with Women's co operatives in Togo, West Africa. It is made with 48% pure, organically grown shea butter & wildcrafted, virgin palm kernel oil. The lye that is used in the saponification process, is made from the ash of dried banana leaves & the bark from the local Agow tree (harvested sustainable).

Akamuti Virgin Red Palm Oil

This unique & beautiful African oil is made from palms using traditional, fair trade and organic methods. No commercial plantation-grown palm fruits are used in the oil production. This exclusive oil comes in its natural state; it has not been refined in any way and contains all its natural vitamins and antioxidants.

Akamuti Cold-pressed Tropical Oils

Community traded with the women's associations & co-operatives who live in very dry rural parts of Africa. Often there is no other source of income for these villagers, so the money they earn provides them with basic needs including food & clothing. The tropical oils we buy are Kalahari Watermelon, Baobab, Marula & Papaya, which are traditionally harvested & cold pressed.

What is Shea Butter?

Shea Butter comes from the nuts of the Karite tree. Karite trees grow in very dry conditions & can live for over 200 years. They cannot be cultivated & only grow in the wild. They are an important resource for African communities.

About the producers

Over 94% of the producers are women who have extensive knowledge in the indigenous production of shea butter.
Groups of Togolese women stir shea oil as it crystallizes. This is a delicate and critical process, and the wrong rate and method of stirring can create air pockets in the butter. Most unrefined shea butter producers will eliminate this step, since the butter will crystallize without it and it can take up to six hours to get the desired consistency. However, this is one of the most important parts in the shea butter process, since it is what makes the butter so exceptionally creamy.

Regardless of their indigenous knowledge, these women are excluded from Togo's formal employment sector because they do not have formal educations. The shea butter provides a valuable source of income to these people & the fair price ensures that they can provide better amenities for their communities. This includes building clean water supplies and funding renewable energy projects. At the same time, you are receiving a beautiful and healthy shea butter at a competitive price. This shea butter has the US Fairtrade Federation Mark.
Why African Shea Butter?

The pure Fairtrade shea butter is free from bleaching agents, preservatives & additives - it undergoes no chemical processing at all. Instead it is harvested & crafted using methods practised in Togo for thousands of years. This ensures that it retains all its natural goodness. Shea butter is a totally pure & natural skin food in its own right. An excellent moisturizer for hard, dry or damaged skin, it keeps your skin healthy & smooth. It is rich in vitamin A & E, and is excellent for blemishes, wrinkles and dermatitis, itching, sunburns, small skin wounds, insect bites, frost bite, the list goes on! African people know that shea butter is excellent for the skin, & use it to protect their skin from the elements, including sun damage. Shea Butter is known to have its own natural sun blocking powers.

Akamuti Frequently Asked Questions

Do your products contain preservatives?
No! Our full ingredient list can be viewed on the website. We do not use any preservatives whatsoever in our products. We select ingredients for our recipes with a naturally long shelf life such as cold pressed oils, waxes & butters.

How long do your products last without preservatives?
Our products have a shelf life of 12-18 months. We make everything in small batches to ensure that you receive them at their freshest & at the beginning of their shelf lives. Our product recipes are water free formulations which ensures that they stay fresh for longer. Using a high standard of hygiene when using your product, (such as clean fingers!) will minimise bacteria contamination.

Do your products need to be stored in the fridge?
No. The general rule is to store your products in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight to keep them at their best. Some products such as coconut oil become liquid in hot summer weather so you may wish to keep them in a cool room.

Are you certified organic with the Soil Association?
At the moment we do not have any products certified by the SA. (Yet!) However, the organic ingredients we use in our products have been individually certified by the SA. Products labelled as "Organic" such as our "Organic Facial Mist" do not themselves carry the SA symbol but the individual ingredients come from an accredited source.

Are all your ingredients organic?
No, not all of them. Our ingredients are only organic where stated. We use organic ingredients whenever possible & our use of organic ingredients increases on a monthly basis.

What is the difference between a balm & a moisturiser?
Our moisturisers are much lighter in texture & ideal for everyday moisturising. Our balms are much thicker & richer in texture which makes them more suitable for localised application, for skin nourishment & protection. This does not mean you can't use them for everyday moisturising! they are just denser & more intensive.

How can I tell if my shea butter is fresh?
Fresh shea butter has a distinctive earthy, nutty aroma which indicates it is fresh & bursting with vitamins & tree goodness! White, hard shea butter is usually bleached & processed & devoid of goodness.

How long will my shea butter last?
Naturally a long-life product, shea butter has a shelf life of 18 months. This is when its vitamin content is at its highest. After 18 months, your can still use your shea butter but its properties will diminish & may become stale.

Are your face creams greasy?
Our face creams are richer than conventional products due to the high content of nutritional oils in our recipes. They need to be applied sparingly as a little goes a long way! Your skin will benefit greatly as the oils provide essential nutrition & replenishing properties to the skin. Mass-produced creams have a high water content which is responsible for the quick "soak-in" feel. Unfortunately water does not moisturise & the quick soak in feel just means that the cream has evaporated. This is why so many conventional moisturisers are ineffective! Another downside is that water drys out your skin. The most effective skin moisturisers are nutrient rich oils & butters.

Why is my cream/balm/shea butter a different colour to the last time I ordered?
As we use natural & often unrefined ingredients, the colour of the ingredients will vary from time to time. For example, our organic beeswax can vary in colour from golden orange to toffee brown - depending on what the bees have been foraging on. As a result you may see some variation in colour. There is no inferiority in the quality of the product just further evidence of a totally natural product.

All Akamuti products are suitable for Vegetarians and many are suitable for Vegans.