Most Often Asked Questions (that we can repeat!)

Most often asked e-mail, and phone-in questions:

Do you grow Shea butter?
"Can you mail me free samples?"
How long have you used Shea butter?
"Which Shea butter should I use? I'm pregnant and don't want stretch marks."
"I've heard that Shea butter can be used on hair. Can I use it on mine?
Which butter is raw, and which is refined on your site?
Does your Grade A, raw Shea butter contain nut shells, or require filtering?
What makes your Grade A Shea butter different from everyone else's on the market?
Is African Shea butter and black soap for African-Americans only?
"I received my order, now...can I eat it, or use the butter as I would jelly, or jam, on bread, bagels...?"
Does traditional black soap turn your skin black in color (permanently) or contain dyes?
Will black soap successfully turn my skin much lighter? (We're talking in a "M Jackson" kind of way - no harm intended)!
What can I wash with African Black Soap?
Can you guarantee that your perfume oils will work in my CP or HP soaps?
Can you mail a catalog to my address of your perfume body oils?
Do you add cutting agents to your perfume oils?
Can you build my website?
What do you look like? Are you going to put a picture on your website?

Do you grow Shea butter?

Shea butter only comes from Karite trees in Africa. Any pure Shea butter purchased in the US, France, or elsewhere, has been imported.
(Honestly: I wish I could be so lucky!)

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"Can you mail me free samples?"

Free samples are included with all orders, and we are always generous when & where we can afford it to be a possibility.
But, because we receive request (sometime asking for over 1,000 free jars, and additional perfume oils and black soap) we do not mail free samples.

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How long have you used Shea butter?

About 10 years. Initially purchased from a major bath and beauty chain, and a very progressive private skin care company. After researching what I was truly using, I ventured into using "real Shea butter" and have used it for over four years.

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"Which Shea butter should I use? I'm pregnant and don't want stretch marks."

I am not a medical doctor, but I would use Shea with absolutely no additives. What you choose to put on your body, and in your body, also affects your unborn child as long as you are pregnant. This also applies after your baby is born, if you decide to breastfeed.

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"I've heard that Shea butter can be used on hair. Can I use it on mine?

Our Shea products are designed to be multi-purpose, and are safe and effective for "head-to-toe" external applications. I answer hair questions about 5 times a week, and finally decided to add my personal experience: Me? I'm African-American, with permed hair and I am very low maintenance when it comes to "hair stuff." I formerly used Mitzani, Affirm, Nexxus...yet, I have successfully only used Shea butter for hair maintenance, once a week, for the past two years. I do have customers with permed and natural hair styles, who swear that Shea makes their hair grow, I can only say that I like it because it's easier than deep conditioning, it keeps my hair healthy, and that simply means less maintenance for me!

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Which butter is raw, and which is refined on your site?

All Shea butter listed on our website is raw, unless it is specifically stated otherwise. We currently have one page with refined Shea.

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Does your Grade A, raw Shea butter contain nut shells, or require filtering?

No. It's ready to use as is.

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What makes your Grade A Shea butter different from everyone else's on the market?

Brief summary: our micron method of cleaning is extremely thorough for removing bacteria, mold, and debris; we compare several batches of "Grade A" before selecting what to sell; our butter is Grade A, based on American Lab standards (Internationa lab standards are slightly different); we purchase from African women's cooperatives, we have standards (both personal and professional) that we adhere by; we don't add additives, unless they are clearly stated as containing them under each product description; the only raw Shea that we offer for retail is Grade A; we try harder because we like our repeat customers to remain as such; we don't sell what we would not personally use ourselves; and finally, we've also been victims in the Shea butter industry in the past, and know what it's like to believe that you're buying a quality product, only to receive it, and be thoroughly disappointed.

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Is African Shea butter and black soap for African-Americans only?

No. The only qualification needed to use our products is: skin! All nationalities, races, skin tones, all colors of any rainbow will benefit from the use of Shea butter, and organic African black soap. If you've got skin, you're in!

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"I received my order, now...can I eat it, or use the butter as I would jelly, or jam, on bread, bagels...?"

Please don't.
We are not selling any products meant to be used internally. Regardless of how much you like it when it's received, and regardless of what you have heard about what is done with African products: we are repeating - please don't eat our Shea butter, or anything else that we sell.
We will not be held responsible for misuse of anything sold on our site.

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Does traditional black soap turn your skin black in color (permanently) or contain dyes?

No dyes, no change in skin color. Please let me stress this again, a thousand times NO. This is wonderful, organic, hand made, luxury milled, natural soap. Not related at all to the "gag" black soaps sold in other stores. No changes in color, and no further comment.

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Will black soap successfully turn my skin much lighter? (We're talking in a "M Jackson" kind of way - no harm intended)!

I'll just say: the color of your complexion will stay the same; yet, it will become more enriched, and healthier in appearance. Some customers do achieve fading of dark spots on the skin, and a more even toned complexion, when black soap is followed up with premium Shea butter. (*I truly wish I was "making up" this question, but I'm not. It's asked more often than any other on this board).

*Four years later, this is still a regular question, so I guess I'll have to get a little political after all!
In my honest, humble opinion: any and all shades of black, brown, and in-between...are beautiful when nourished and healthy.
There is absolutely, positively, nothing wrong with wanting to even your skin tone, and "get rid" of uneven dark spots and scars (been there myself) but, my dear brothers and sisters: please learn to love yourself, and each other; accept and embrace all the beautiful shades of color that you have been given, and if you can't...there is not a product on the market that will solve the long term problem of self-hatred, low self-esteem, or ethnic hatred within races based on a plantation mentality.
I simply suggest that you learn and truly know your history. Know where and why the concepts about skin color originated, what was the original purpose behind it all, and why they still persist today.
Regardless of the media's standard portrayal of "beauty," please know that you are truly gorgeous - just as your are.

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What can I wash with African Black Soap?

Hair, skin...these are complete, "head to toe", natural, organic soap products. TO USE: please remember that our black soaps contain wonderful organic ingredients that are burnt before the soap is completed. Because of this, they may occasionally contain ingredients that might be too irritating to apply directly to very sensitive skin. Always, wet your hands, bathing cloth, sponge...and rub your soap directly on it until you gather the amount of suds (only takes a very small amount) to your liking. Then apply to your skin, hair, face...for superior cleansing and moisturizing.

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Can you guarantee that your perfume oils will work in my CP or HP soaps?

No, our oils are cosmetic grade, skin safe, made specifically for the skin, contain no DPG or chemicals that commonly cause CP and HP soaps to "seize", and are sold to lots of business owners for use in handcrafted organic soaps, candles, body butter blends, incense, perfumed lotions, creams, body jellies, etc. But, we can not guarantee that any particular perfume won't interact with your individual recipe. We suggest purchasing a small quantity to use in your recipe before investing in a larger size if you are concerned about your soap seizing.

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Can you mail a catalog to my address of your perfume body oils?

No mail order catalog - we prefer to maintain our web based store, which also keeps our prices down.

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Do you add cutting agents to your perfume oils?

No - no alcohol, no cutting agents, no glycol (DPG), no games, no gimmicks. What you will receive from us are high quality, cosmetic grade, uncut perfume oils, made and produced specifically to be worn on the skin. They all smell wonderful, are very true to their inspirations, and last longer than alcohol based perfumes.

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Can you build my website?

Nope. Still have a headache from learning to do mine, from scratch, the hard way (had to learn html, Java coding, somewhat) and it's still not completed as far as I'm concerned! I haven't even gone back to edit it - can't find the time.

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What do you look like? Are you going to put a picture on your website?

I'll have to definitely think about this one!

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