We are all familiar with shea butter and skin oils – but besides their moisturising effects, what do we really know about these products? And is there a more effective way in which we could be using them?
Enter Dalian Adofo, a former school teacher turned hair and beauty business owner, who is set on educating his customers about how factors like source, quality and age of the products can affect their efficacy. His brand, Ghana’s Fresh, works with small-to-medium sized producers and businesses to source products like natural soaps, butters, oils and more, allowing customers to obtain high quality products while fairly compensating manufacturers.
Here, he talks us through why it’s so important to use fresh products; the best oils for specific skincare concerns; and red flags that you should look out for when browsing essential oils.
What inspired you to launch Ghana’s Fresh?
It was a healing experience with my eldest son’s eczema that led to the creation of Ghana’s Fresh, as I was inspired to share our healing story with the world. We know it’s a very common condition reportedly with people of darker hued skin who live in the West due to the weather and climate.
My son had been suffering with eczema the first three years of his life and all the prescriptions from the GP were not helping. They kept increasing the dosage of steroids, until the nurse herself counselled us it was not advisable for his wellbeing.
I then sought the assistance of my uncle, a horticulturist in Ghana, who promptly sent us shea butter freshly made. It was only three weeks old by the time we received it. It cleared up the infection within a month! We were amazed at the results and he explained to us about the importance of the freshness of it for its healing value. We became acutely aware of the difference in feel and effect that his batch of shea had in comparison to the stock we had regularly bought and used from shops in London – they were realms apart!
I promptly made the decision to meet the producers to gain direct access to their products, not just for family use, but also to spread the healing experience these centuries-old production practices offered. I realised that to have such rare access to fresh products was a niche business opportunity as it was beneficial to both ends of the supply chain; consumers received the most potent of products and it also afforded the preservation of such indigenous cultural knowledge systems and practices.
I became particularly motivated with setting up Ghana’s Fresh when I discovered during the market research phase for the business that there already existed empirical research findings that proved shea butter retained its therapeutic value within 18 – 24 months of its production date. Data from studies carried out by American Shea Butter Institute confirmed what my uncle also knew, not just from his western education, but from local knowledge and use.
It really reinforced for me that such a healthy business service was essential to public health, and so Ghana’s Fresh was born.
How does working with small-to-medium-sized producers ensure better quality and nutritional value in your products?
We have always favoured working with small-to-medium-sized producers because of the attention to detail such organisations can afford to put into their production processes. It translates into higher quality products than what is found from large scale industrial producers.
For Ghana’s Fresh it ensures greater accountability and transparency as we get a deeper insight into how the producers operate and manufacture their goods.
It is also a very sustainable model which guarantees a decent living wage for the producers as they get to set their own prices separate from the pressures of international markets. In this way, they are less likely to cut corners or take shortcuts in the production process as they feel their labour is being respected, and they consequently put in more effort to ensure a premium product is produced, resulting in more business. In this way, a win-win relationship is created for both producers and customers.
Our direct relationships also affords us oversight of the production process, something not usually possible with large-scale producers, so we can visit premises to inspect standards and request evidence of production dates where required for us to guarantee the freshness and purity of the products received.
How does the use of natural and traditional production methods affect the final product?
Using natural and traditional production methods is vital for the retention of as much of the original constituents of the plant as possible. This means the final product will have high therapeutic value and strong intended effects.
It takes longer and involves more physical exertion to create final products, but not much is lost from processing the original plant so it retains at least 95% of its potency. Using natural methods allows for more of the plant’s active bioactive compounds to be kept in their primordial state where they are most powerful.
When shopping for essential oils, what low-quality ingredients or other red flags should consumers watch out for in mass-produced options?
The term ‘essential’ denotes that it should be fully pure, so it shouldn’t have any other ingredients than the stated raw resource – that’s the first thing to look out for. It has legal consequences to state something is an essential oil or product, yet have it mixed with others, so it is always a good idea to check the ingredients list first.
Some brands try to get around this by including two essential oils together with one being a carrier oil, on the argument each technically constitute ‘an essential oil’, but this is not an honest approach and is disingenuous to the customer.
Another thing consumers can look out for to reassure themselves of the quality of the products being purchased is if the ingredients list is full of chemical (not natural) acids and ethanolic compounds, as this is an indication that the oil may be a synthesis of various chemical compounds that try to emulate the natural activity of the plant, but always have unintended side-effects. This is not necessarily illegal as scientifically it can be argued the active compounds in the product will theoretically work in the same way the plant’s bioactive compounds will, even though no guarantee of that can be given by any producer. This has become rampant with the recent hype around Batana oil, where demand has led to many fake variations appearing on the market.
Another way producers try to influence consumers’ understanding is using the word ‘natural’ on the product labels to denote it’s chemical-free or one ‘essentially made from plants’. This is a false equivalence that can be applied to any product containing a minimal amount of the essential oil, even a chemical substitute of it or just a specific compound extract from its many active compounds.
An essential product should only contain one thing – the thing itself and nothing else.
For those who prefer to dilute essential oils, what are the best carrier oils or other substances to mix them with for optimal results?
Carrier oils can be used to facilitate the functions of main oils as a means of extending use or diminishing potency so it is less impactful when it makes direct contact with skin. Some carrier oils can also only be used for fragrant purposes solely, not necessarily to complement the functions of the main oil, one such is lavender oil.
The best carrier oils for topical use need to be light, easily absorbed and should not have a greasy after-feel and blend in harmoniously with the main oil. Almond, coconut and shea are good examples of oils that complement the main without being too overpowering.
For medicinal use, oils like ginger can enhance effects of the main as can others like peppermint and clove, but it is mindful to be aware of their possible irritancy levels when in such a raw state.
Moringa oil has been praised as an excellent carrier oil due being a light, non-greasy oil with a high content of natural fatty acids that makes it an ideal moisturiser and oleic acid which has medicinal uses.
What are some of the key superficial and medicinal benefits of essential oils for hair and skin?
Essential oils carry great potential not only for the skin and hair, but general wellbeing too.
They can be used for cosmetic enhancements such as balancing out dark pigments or dry patches on the skin (which can be unsightly and make people feel a sense of social shame), to grow and strengthen hair to enhance one’s sense of beauty, or use its aromatic properties to combat body odour.
In its therapeutic and medicinal use, they can have preventative, curative and restorative functions for a range of ailments, so awareness of their potencies is key for creative use of them to address disease. For example, treating eczema infected skin would start with moringa oil to remove the infection and nourish skin back to health, then an oil like hibiscus can be used to balance the dark spots left on the infected areas whilst regular and daily use of a moisturiser like baobab will prevent further dryness that can lead to future infections.
Baobab oil has high levels of linoleic acid which has been noted to reverse scaly, dry skin due to increased moisturise retention in the epidermis as well as promoting rapid repair of skin from injuries and sunburn.
Oils like coconut oil and olive oil have received a bad rep for drying out hair. How can we decipher which oils are good for different hair types?
To be honest, that will always require some level of personal education. The onus is on the consumer to understand and know what it is they are willing to use on their own bodies. It is also one of the reasons why at Ghana’s Fresh we have always been so keen on promoting our concept of ‘the informed consumer’ – that is a person who keeps themselves informed as much as possible, about the constituents and compositions of what they consume and their resulting effects on their bodies.
It is also evident that the reasons some oils are more popular than others are due to commercial pressures, not their inherent value – as shown by the popularity of some oils at the expense of others with more powerful effects. For example, for hair health, other oils have been historically documented to be more effective use for hair and scalp health, such as hibiscus and neem oil, where their use goes as far back as 3,000 years B.C in systems such as Ayurveda and Unani.
So, the reasons why some seem to become more popular than others is due to the ability to mass produce the oils in quantities and cost-effectively than for their known benefits.
Another example is moringa oil, which has been noted to be used for historical use by the Ancient Egyptians, Greek and Romans for dermatological and perfumery purposes, probably as much, if not more, than olive oil.
Scientists have noted both oils to be of similar qualities, with moringa having more noted medicinal benefits, yet olive oil remains more popular as it is highly produced mainly in Europe, whereas oils like moringa, that has mainly African and/or Caribbean production bases, do not always have the same levels of production capacity nor have the resources to promote it to the same degree. As such, their usefulness largely remains unknown to the general public.
So, it is largely a matter of market influence shaping our interests and awareness, which can only be countered by personal and direct investigation, as with the widened awareness one can also make better and more informed decisions.
There’s a lot of buzz about using oils for dental health. Is it true that some essential oils can improve oral hygiene, and if so, how should they be used safely?
Yes, it is very true some oils have this potential. Most of us may know this as we are familiar with the smell of clove extracts from our visits to the dentist, as it is a mainstay in dentistry work. It has many dental benefits but should be used minimally – when one experiences toothaches, for example, as it helps numb the pain but can be irritable for some skin types, so a copious amount on a finger to rub near cavity when inflamed is safe and sensible.
An oil that is extraordinary for dental health in general, not just when dealing with teeth cavities, is neem oil. Neem is such a multipurpose and potent oil, it has been the subject of governmental research for a range of uses – from dermatology, agribusiness and aquafarming, to birth control research and more.
It is known to treat over 14 fungal infections, including those that affect the mouth, such as candida and psoriasis. It is also essential as a preventative agent; meaning regular use will keep your mouth in the best of health free from infections and evidenced to treat dental infections such as peritonitis and gingivitis.
It is very potent and can cause diarrhoea, feelings of nausea and vomiting if ingested in high doses as it has a ‘detoxing’ effect on the body. Simple daily applications to the mouth by rubbing with a finger along the gums is enough for neem to provide adequate protection.
It has known natural contraceptive properties, so is not advisable for use by pregnant mothers or adults expecting to conceive, as it can render one temporarily infertile during regular use.
What is the most popular essential oil that your customers buy, and why do you think it’s so popular?
Our most popular oil remains moringa oil, mainly due to the popularity of the plant and its known medicinal benefits. The seed oil is not only suitable for cosmetic enhancements but also healing purposes as it is antimicrobial and antibacterial, effective for conditions like eczema.
Many ingest moringa seeds or leaves for their recorded health benefits for conditions such as diabetes type-2 and cholesterol management amongst others, so it seems most likely to be the power of association and familiarity being the reason for its popularity.
As its other medicinal uses are widely known through ingestion of its seeds and leaves, customers are keen to try the effects of its seed oil as well, especially for topical uses as it is easier to apply than say, a poultice of its leaves.
It has potent anti-inflammatory activity and is used for pain relief from inflammation of the joints and bones and these known and evidenced uses and functions also contribute to what makes it so popular.
Are there specific oils you recommend for common concerns like dryness or inflammation?
Yes absolutely, for skin that is infection-free yet prone to dryness and inflammation, not all oils have the potency to address both conditions as they’re not necessarily the same. Even though one can cause the other; for example, excessive dryness can lead to inflammation and even infections and some oils may be used for one function and not so much for the other.
Oils that are known to be useful for both include baobab oil, which has in recent years been gaining prominence in the cosmetics industry due to the high content of linoleic acid, and has shown competency in trials with many known commercial products to be an excellent moisturiser and effective at combating inflammations, including those from exercise strain or sport injuries.
The other would be shea oil, which is made from the butter, and is also effective at moisturising and inflammation. In addition, lavender oil.
Other oils suited to inflammation include ginger, nutmeg and frankincense oils. For dryness, coconut, almond or argan oils are also effective.
What’s next for Ghana’s Fresh? Are there any new partnerships in the pipeline that you’re excited about?
The next phase is really about spreading the knowledge of plant potential to promote more informed consumption and use. It is widely recognised that plants present a non-harmful alternative to chemically synthesised products and medications and is now an active area of investigation for improving population health.
Ghana’s Fresh is particularly excited about expanding into education, with the curation and delivery of in-person and online lectures to further educate the public about the various ways and uses of plants for their wellbeing, including those we stock and others.
We will also be looking at expanding our range of healthy eating options, such as the inclusion of more superfoods and grains to promote alternate healthier dietary options, and that will require new partnerships with farmers and other small-scale producers on the ground in Ghana.
Shop Ghana’s Fresh here.
