Protecting our skin during episodes of extreme hot or cold weather should be a top priority, because – don’t forget – our skin is the largest organ of the body. It helps our body to detoxify, store Vitamin D to protect the immune system, and protect us from the sun. All of these functions contribute to our overall health.

Despite the very high importance of our beautiful birthday suits, many popular skin care ingredients hinder skin’s ability to function:

Mineral Oil, Paraffin, and Petroleum-based products are not absorbed and lay on top of the skin, clogging pores, and creating a build-up of toxins. They also slow cellular development, which may lead to early signs of aging.

Parabens have hormone-disrupting qualities -mimicking estrogen – and interfere with the body’s endocrine system.

Hexane, commonly used as a chemical solvent for oil extraction, is listed in Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) as Harmful and Dangerous to the Environment! Yikes, so why would we want that used to “purify” shea butter?

While all of these ingredients sound scary, rest assured that there is a product out there that can help protect your summer freckles and keep your skin breathing easy this summer. You guessed it! Pure, natural, unrefined shea butter, made using traditional African production techniques (and NO hexane!) is the perfect complement to your summer skin care regiment.

Natural Shea Butter is a superior skin moisturizer that can improve skin elasticity through deep dermal penetration. It contains an astonishing number of nutrients that skin will love, including high levels of fatty acids, Vitamin A, E, and F:

• Vitamin A is known to help improve acne, reduce wrinkles, treat eczema and psoriasis, and heal minor cuts and bruises.
• Vitamin E has antioxidants which protect the skin from ultra violet light, pollution, and free radicals. Vitamin E also has anti-aging properties, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
• Vitamin F is an omega fatty acidsthat helps the skin with wrinkle prevention, eczema and psoriasis, reducing acne, and fighting free radicals that attack the skin.

But buyer beware! Not all shea butter is the same… be sure to look for pure, unrefined shea butter, and ask if it’s fairly sourced from communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Try Shea Yeleen International’s fair trade and ethically-sourced Body Balms, packed with 100% unrefined shea butter produced by women-owned cooperatives in Ghana, and your summer skin will be glowing!

Photo credit: Michal Marcol

“What can you do in ten days? Change the world!” …these were the words I added to my email signature. I created this little saying to spread the word about my mission trip and fundraise. I was embarking on a journey to Johannesburg, South Africa to volunteer at an orphanage for abandoned babies, give to the needy, and pray for others. I was determined to make a difference and change the world. Little did I know, that I’d be the one to change the most.

Baby Haven is an orphanage in Johannesburg that cares for abandoned and orphaned infants, providing a home, a loving environment, and material and emotional necessities. Many of these children cope with HIV, physical disabilities, and emotional trauma. From March 29 – April 6, I had the opportunity to hold these babies, change their diapers, feed them, and nurture them. I fell in love sooner than I thought was possible. The four little babies that I cared for became a part of me. I will always think about and want the best for them.

Another part of my mission included canvassing the streets of downtown Johannesburg, talking to and praying for people. This was the part that I was most anxious about – how would people respond to a stranger approaching them? Yet, most people were open, friendly, and actually wanted to talk about employment issues, family problems, physical ailments, spiritual questions, or just share friendly conversation. The more I pushed past my fear, the more I was able to connect with people and direct them to potential resources in the area. I found that downtown Johannesburg, isn’t all that different from downtown Washington DC or Los Angeles. So what’s stopping me from providing the same assistance to people at home?

Although I had the opportunity to visit a wild game reserve, the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’s house, and eat awesome food – the part of this trip that had the biggest impact was visiting clinics, hospitals, slums, and settlements to provide needy families, patients, and children with emotional, spiritual, and physical support. This experience touched me in ways that I could not have imagined. I’m no stranger to rough neighborhoods or to seeing illness or poverty, but seeing it internationally brought forth a whole new perspective that made me reflect on my own life. I laughed, cried, and connected with the people that I met. More than one person asked “when will you come back?” …to which I replied “soon”. And I meant it.

My trip to Johannesburg was not my first mission trip, nor my first time traveling abroad. However, it was my first international trip dedicated solely to helping others. In doing so, I gained so much more in return, learned immensely about myself, and came home with a new outlook, for the better. If a little black girl from Inglewood, California can travel to Africa and give 10 days to change lives, as well as her own… anything is possible. Even if I don’t go back to South Africa, I still have Southeast DC, South Central Los Angeles, and many other areas close to home, where I can make a difference. It is my hope that you will do the same.

Do you have a story to share about your experiences working or volunteering to help others? We’d love to hear from you!

Tune in THIS Sunday from 6:00pm – 8:00pm eastern time to hear some great information about my recent trip to Ghana, the nourishing and moisturizing benefits of Shea Yeleen’s products, as well as details on the work that is being done to promote economic empowerment for women shea producers in West Africa.

You won’t want to miss it! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/nappturalite

Winter time is here and the harsh winds are in full affect. Not only does this weather affect the dryness of the skin on our limbs, but it also affects our lips. Nothing quite compares to the discomfort of having to constantly lick your lips or reapply gloss and/or chapstick. Why not use something that’s long lasting?

Try one of Shea Yeleen’s highly moisturizing shea butter lip balms. One great lip balm that Shea Yeleen sells is infused with coconut and essential oils to provide great soothing qualities. Fruity and fun, our coconut peach lip balm will be sure to make your lips silky soft.

Check out www.sheayeleen.com to soften your pucker TODAY!

All you have to do to participate in the contest is name TWO of the women shea producers that Shea Yeleen partners with in Ghana. (Here’s a helpful hint: check previous Folklife blog posts for more details). The first person to answer the question correctly will win a free Shea Yeleen product. It’s that simple!

Feel free to check out the website at www.sheayeleen.com to see some of the great products that you’ll have a chance to win. Thanks so much for your support!

Sudan, Pieri, Jonglei State — Women carrying water from a hand pump in the village to their homes in South Sudan. Photographer © Sven Torfinn

My current site visit to Ghana reminds me of global disparities often forgotten at home in the US. I have witnessed that every person and every place may be quite different culturally, economically, and socially, but one thing we all universally need is water. Our bodies are made up of about 80% water, and we can survive 10 days without food, but only about 3-5 days without water.

In the US, I take water for granted. Every day I wake up, head to the bathroom, and simply turn on the faucets to shower and brush my teeth. It’s so simple – just turn a knob and water comes gushing out – I never think twice.

When I travel and work in communities like those in rural Ghana, I have to think about water. It’s not always as simple as turning a knob. I was only in Ghana for a few days before I started to see little girls and boys going to wells to draw water and transporting it home on their heads to provide for drinking, cooking, and cleaning. On average the weight of the water is about 40 lbs, and each person in the developing world uses about 10 liters of water a day in comparison to 400 liters for an American.

I am amazed that in the 21st century approximately 1 billion people do not have access to clean water – 37% of those people live in Sub Saharan Africa. ( WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation. “Progress on Sanitation and Drinking Water 2010.” Available at www.wssinfo.org ).

Lack of infrastructure, development, and national sanitation projects are a major part of the issue. African governments do not invest in water and sewage systems, relying mostly on nonprofit and development organizations to provide these services. An issue this large won’t be solved unless we all do our part to ensure that basic necessities are afforded to all human beings.

Visit a site like charitywater.org to make a difference TODAY.

Yesterday I met with a shea butter cluster initiative that is made up of about 500 women from various groups outside of Tamale, Ghana. About 40 leaders from the 14 groups attended the meeting. We discussed market challenges, and I facilitated a cost and pricing exercise to help the groups understand if they are selling at a profit based on their costs. I was surprised to learn that the groups have a difficult time with keeping their costs consistent because of constant price fluctuations for their raw materials. We decided to develop a plan to develop a cost sharing strategy to assist the groups in keeping costs low so that they can reap more profits for their shea butter.

Today I will be traveling with the American Embassy to Bolgatanga to facilitate a workshop on women’s entrepreneurship. I am excited to meet with women entrepreneurs who are taking the leap of faith to start business as a means to generate income and improve their communities. Small businesses are the cornerstone of any robust economy and I am happy to see that more women in Ghana are deciding to run their own businesses.

I never knew what eczema was until I started Shea Yeleen. Customers would tell me that the natural unrefined shea body balm was the only thing that helped their dry itchy skin. I started to do some research to learn more about this skin condition.

Eczema is an uncomfortable skin condition that causes extreme inflammation and irritation. It consists of itchy rashes that can easily be triggered by almost anything that touches the skin (i.e. various fabrics, ointments, perfume, etc.) and stress. Since eczema dehydrates the skin, the best thing to help heal eczema is a great moisturizer.

Shea butter works so well for combatting eczema because of it’s high oil content and levels of fatty acids that deeply penetrate the skin and cause skin cell regeneration. Its the best choice for healthy skin because it is natural without additives, preservatives, and chemicals.

Please keep in mind, that I am definitely not a physician, nor do I play one one tv. Check with your doctor regarding eczema or any skin condition you have to be certain there are no allergies to mindful of, or a special prescription that is needed. If your physician approves, please feel free to give shea butter a try.

Check out our natural unrefined shea butter body balms at www.sheayeleen.com. I’d love to hear how it helps your skin!