Product lead
Ghana Shea Butter. Grade A, unrefined, wild-harvested.
Hand-harvested from wild Vitellaria paradoxa trees across Northern Ghana. Traditionally processed by women's cooperatives, with nuts collected, sun-dried, roasted, ground and kneaded to extract the butter. No chemicals. No solvents. No bleaching. No refining.
Rich, nutty aroma. Creamy ivory to light yellow colour.
Sourced direct from Ghanaian producers. Dispatched within 1 working day from our UK hub in Chelmsford, Essex.
Key properties
OriginWild-harvested, Northern Ghana, West Africa
TypeUnrefined, Grade A
ProcessingTraditionally hand-processed. Nuts collected, sun-dried, roasted, ground, kneaded. No chemicals or solvents.
ColourIvory to light yellow (natural variation between batches)
AromaNaturally nutty, earthy (characteristic of unrefined shea)
Melting pointApproximately 35 to 37Β°C (softens at body temperature)
Key fatty acidsOleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid
Shelf life18 to 24 months stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight
GradeCosmetic-grade
CertificationLab-verified with COA on request. Traceable to harvesting communities in Northern Ghana.
Batch COAs available on request Β· team@cocoafoundry.co.uk
Our guarantee. Check your order when it arrives. If anything is damaged, short or wrong, email your order number to team@cocoafoundry.co.uk within 48 hours with a photograph where you can. You get a full refund including the original delivery charge, or a replacement if you prefer, and we cover the return carriage. We will put it right without argument. Set out in our refund policy.
How to use
Skincare
Apply direct as a rich moisturiser. Standard in formulations for dry skin, rough skin, elbows, knees, heels. Melts at body temperature for easy application.
Hair care
Deep conditioner, hot oil treatment, styling butter for natural and textured hair. Reduces breakage, adds moisture.
Soap making
Adds hardness, creaminess, and conditioning to handmade soaps. Typically 5 to 15% of total oils.
Cosmetic formulation
Base ingredient for body butters, lip balms, creams, lotions, balms, salves. Holds form at room temperature without synthetic hardeners.
Candle making
Blended with other waxes for natural, skin-safe candles.
The Ghana standard
Ghana is one of the world's leading producers of premium shea butter. Production is centred in the northern regions where shea trees grow wild across the savannah. Nuts are hand-collected, sun-dried, and traditionally roasted by women's cooperatives, a practice that has sustained communities for centuries.
Ghanaian shea is specified by cosmetics and skincare formulators worldwide for its high concentration of oleic acid, stearic acid, and other fatty acids. The unrefined form retains the full natural composition. Refined shea butter has been chemically processed to remove scent, colour, and much of the natural composition.
Nothing is added. Nothing is stripped out.
Why we exist
CocoaFoundry did not start with a business plan. Our family had been importing Ghanaian food products into the UK for years through the parent company, learning what actually goes wrong in a cross-continental supply chain and what it costs when it does. A customer asked us to find shea butter. The supplier who found it suggested we trial cocoa butter alongside it. One shipment, and the demand behind it did not stop.
Then an early batch of cocoa butter did not meet the standard our customers needed. We pulled every unit, took the loss, and went back to the beginning. That decision is the reason we buy the way we do now. It earned us a direct purchasing relationship with our partner facility in Tema, one of Ghana's leading cocoa processors, with no broker, no trader and no third-party warehouse between their line and our hub in Chelmsford.
That is the whole proposition. You are buying from the people who hold the relationship, not from a link in a chain, so the beans, the facility and the specification stay the same order after order. Family-run, and when something goes wrong we fix it and absorb the cost rather than pass it down the line. More on how we got here.
The detail
What Is Shea Butter?
Natural fat extracted from the nuts of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), which grows wild across the savannah regions of West Africa. Nuts are collected, cracked, roasted, and ground before the fat is extracted through traditional kneading and boiling.
Unrefined shea butter retains its natural composition, its fatty acid profile, and its characteristic nutty aroma. Refined shea is industrially processed, with scent, colour and most of the natural composition stripped. Grade A is the highest unrefined quality available.
Quality & Sourcing
Wild-harvested and traditionally processed in Ghana with no chemicals or additives at any stage. Lab-verified with Certificates of Analysis available on request, covering moisture content, free fatty acid levels, peroxide value, and microbiological testing. Traceable to specific harvesting communities in Northern Ghana.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is shea butter used for?
Skincare. Body butters, creams, lotions, lip balms, hair treatments. Versatile base ingredient for cosmetics manufacturers and handmade skincare producers.
Is your shea butter refined or unrefined?
Unrefined. Retains natural colour, nutty scent, and full composition. Refined shea has been processed to remove scent and colour, which also alters much of the natural profile.
Can shea butter be used on the face?
Comedogenic rating around 2, so it may not suit all skin types, particularly acne-prone skin. Most skin types tolerate it well. Patch test before first use on sensitive areas.
Is your shea butter food grade?
Our shea butter is intended for cosmetic use. For food-grade requirements, contact team@cocoafoundry.co.uk.
How should I store shea butter?
Cool, dry, away from direct sunlight. 18 to 24 months shelf life. May develop grainy texture over time. That is natural and is resolved by gently melting and re-cooling.
What is the difference between Grade A and refined shea butter?
Grade A (unrefined) is traditionally processed without chemicals, so natural colour, aroma and composition are retained. Refined shea has been bleached and deodorised industrially, producing a white, odourless product with much of the natural composition removed. For formulations that rely on shea's natural properties, Grade A is the standard choice.
Sourcing & Ordering
Pack Sizes
100g250g500g1kg2kg5kg10kg15kg20kg
Available through our online shop up to 20kg.
Trade & Bulk (25kg+): email wholesale@cocoafoundry.co.uk or visit the Wholesale page for trade pricing, quoted within 1 working day.
All orders dispatched within 1 working day from Chelmsford, Essex, tracked, with UK delivery typically 2 to 3 working days. Free delivery on orders over Β£50 to most UK mainland postcodes.
Certificates of Analysis: batch-specific COAs available on request. Email team@cocoafoundry.co.uk.