We’re starting the year with a collab you can’t miss! Together with our friends at Baraka Shea Butter, we’ve brought you the best natural products from Ghana. They’re made by hand using techniques passed down through generations.
Learn more about Baraka and the new products below! And don't forget to share what you create with #BBxBaraka.
Shop Bramble Berry x Baraka here
Baraka Shea Butter
The idea for Baraka Shea Butter started in the early 2000s. Cofounder Gifty was born and raised in Northern Ghana, and was looking for a way to support the community from her new home in Canada. That's when she decided to sell the shea butter they'd been making by hand for generations.
Gifty, along with her husband and cofounder Wayne, started selling it online in 2018. They've now sold Baraka shea to more than 60 countries and have expanded their line to include cocoa butter, coconut oil, and more.
Their mission is simple - they want to make a difference in people's lives. And that includes everyone from the women making it to the crafters using it in their recipes.
"Gifty's and my belief is that business can and should be a force for good, integrating social value, business value, and environmental stewardship," Wayne said. "This was reinforced by Gifty’s personal and family connections to the women and communities where Baraka Shea Butter was made."
New Bramble Berry x Baraka products
African Black Soap Crumbles - a Bramble Berry exclusive
These are going to be your new must-have! They're made with skin-loving ingredients like raw shea butter and coconut oil, and they're used like rebatch soap. Because the crumbles unrefined and handmade, they have a subtle smoky scent and a dark color.
To make them into bars, add them to a double boiler or a slow cooker. Heat until soft, adding 1 tablespoon of distilled water at a time as necessary. Feel free to add your favorite scents and exfoliants. Then, press the mixture firmly into a mold. You can also use the crumbles on their own or add them to other recipes like scrubs.
Raw Shea Quick Mix and African Black Soap Quick Mix - Bramble Berry exclusives
If you're ready to try making soap from scratch, pick up these Quick Mixes. They make the process easy - just melt the oils, measure into a container, and start blending.
The Raw Shea Quick Mix is palm free and feels extra luxurious because of the high butter content. That also means it moves a little more quickly than our other recipes, so it's best for simple designs. The African Black Soap Quick Mix is made with the crumbles, along with olive oil, shea butter, and castor oil. Keep in mind there will be speckles in your finished bars.
Virgin coconut oil
This is a staple in any maker's collection. Like our other coconut oils, it adds cleansing and lathering properties to cold process soap. This one is unrefined though, so it has a subtle coconut scent and there will be some batch variation.
Like the other products, it's harvested by hand and unrefined so you can expect some batch variation.
Unrefined palm kernel oil
This product is perfect for cold process soap. It helps create firm bars and adds great lather when paired with coconut oil. Compared to our regular palm oil, it has a softer texture.
This oil is traditionally grown and harvested from smallholder farms in Ghana, and the supplier is part of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
Baobab powder
Use this powder to add something special to DIY masks, scrubs, and soap. It's rich in vitamin C and helps hydrate the skin.
Raw shea butter
This luxurious butter feels amazing in DIY soap, lotion, balm, and more. It has a thick, creamy texture and unbeatable moisturizing properties.
Learn all about how it's made in this raw shea butter article. We now have more sizes available too!
Natural Shea Balm Kit
You're going to love this all-natural balm for dry skin. It's a luxurious mix of raw shea butter, argan oil, and chamomile extract. The kit comes with all the ingredients you need and makes 3 jars.
African Black Soap Cold Process Soap Kit
This soap is a breeze to make thanks to the African Black Soap Quick Mix! The oils come premixed in a microwavable bag, so you can focus on the simple black and tan design. This kit comes with everything you need to get started, including a reusable silicone mold.
