Fair-Trade & Cooperative-Sourced Shea Butters

Nearly all shea is made by women in the Sahel, but only some brands can show where the money goes. This list includes both audited certifications (Alaffia's Fair for Life) and verified direct-cooperative sourcing (SheaMoisture's Community Commerce, Baraka's Ghanaian partners, Mary Tylor's sourcing claim). Certification and claim are labeled as exactly that — the product pages spell out which is which.

#1 · Fair trade

Mary Tylor Naturals

Organic Shea Butter, Raw Unrefined Ivory

$1.00/oz · $15.99 for 1 lb (16 oz)

  • Fair trade sourced (uncertified claim)
  • Unrefined from Ghana.
  • The widest size range in the directory — 8 oz jars up to 55 lb bulk pails, all USDA certified organic.

USDA Organic Non-GMO Fair trade sourced (uncertified claim)

Nobody pays to be listed or ranked Rankings computed from verified data How we make money

2.SheaMoisture — 100% Raw Shea Butter, Ultra-Healing Hydration

Fair trade sourced (Community Commerce)

Unrefined · Ghana · Ethically sourced from women's cooperatives in Northern Ghana; the biggest drugstore-brand raw shea.

Fair trade sourced (Community Commerce) Cruelty-free

3.Alaffia — Pure Unrefined Shea Butter, Unscented, 11 oz

Fair for Life fair trade certified

Unrefined · Togo · Handcrafted at Alaffia's own women's cooperative in Togo; lavender, coconut, and passion fruit variants also sold.

Fair for Life fair trade certified Cruelty-free

Rankings are computed from verified listing data as of July 2026 and refreshed as prices change. Methodology and roadmap: about this site.

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