This month, we are excited to be partnering with Naturally Tribal Skincare. Founded by Shalom LLoyd in 2014, Naturally Tribal’s range of ethical skincare is made using natural ingredients sourced from Africa. We caught up with Shalom to hear more about the story behind her inspirational business.
Throughout August all of our TOTM subscribers will be receiving an exclusive discount code for Naturally Tribal and a chance to win some of their best selling products by entering our subscriber-only giveaway.
Tell us about yourself
Naturally Tribal Skincare is a proudly British company, using only Mother Nature’s gifts to create natural skincare products for the whole family without the use of synthetic chemicals. We import personally selected natural ingredients from Africa for research, testing, formulation and manufacture in the UK. Our end products are beautifully packaged for our #Tribers all over the world and allows them to empower African women in the process.
Our company respects nature’s ability to support clean beauty and wellbeing, enabling a healthy body and a happy mind. Our brand ethos is built on valuing healthy, ethical and sustainable living, simplicity and transparency whilst maintaining luxury.
Our mission is to transform natural ingredients into amazing products by ethically sourcing organic unique ingredients and turning them into innovative and enriching premium skincare products for skin conditions. Achieving this whilst at the same time changing lives and protecting the natural environment from which these unique ingredients originate.
Tell us about Naturally Tribal and what inspired you to start your business
Naturally Tribal Skincare was born from personal experience. In 2014, Shalom Lloyd was blessed with the birth of her twins. Her boy, Joshua had miserable eczema – scratch ‘till you bleed’ irritation and she couldn’t bear the idea of smothering his sensitive new skin with chemical emollients and steroids. As a qualified pharmacist, Shalom understood the enormous value of medical treatments; however, our skin is a huge exchange organ which absorbs a lot of what we put on it. So, when you think about it, what we put on ourselves, and our family’s skin, should be just as important as what we eat. She looked to her African heritage for inspiration, recalling recipes containing all-natural ingredients, which has been used in Africa for generations. Shalom started to experiment in her kitchen, using high-quality Shea Butter as the main base, stumbled across the right formulation and within three days of application, Joshua’s skin cleared!
Skin diseases remain a major cause of disability worldwide and according to Allergy UK, as many as 15 million people are living with an infuriating skin condition in the UK alone. 1 in every 5 children in the UK is affected by eczema at some stage. With great results and multiple testimonials from our customers that have managed their eczema, psoriasis and dry skin with our products, has allowed them to avoid or reduce the use of medical treatment, such as steroids, which are chemical-based. Naturally Tribal is a truly unique skincare company, making a positive difference and impact on people’s lives.
Your products get some of their ingredients from Essan – can you tell us about Essan and the people you work with there?
Sourcing the right high quality and premium natural ingredients is the key to our product efficacy and the search for quality ingredients led us to the Kingdom of Essan, Niger State, Nigeria from where our high grade and high-quality ingredients are sourced. Today, our business goes beyond the Naturally Tribal range of skincare products and now gives us the chance to make a real difference, improving the lives of women in Africa who make the high-quality Shea used in our products!
Expertise and heritage are integral to the Naturally Tribal brand, so our collaboration with Essan goes way beyond being ‘just another skincare company’. Our products pay homage to a rich African cultural identity and provide an opportunity for everyone to recognise the significance of the people in Africa involved in our premium ingredients sourcing. We continue to delve deeper for more ancestral, effective, natural skincare recipes and remedies from across the African continent!
We are working with the community in Essan on infrastructure and employment – this underpins our mission and vision. We aim to provide sustainable, fair and enjoyable sources of income for local producers of our ingredients, their families, villages, communities and local areas, thereby empowering the women who are the main workforce. #TradeNotAid.
We are in the process of building our creche so that the women can bring their children and bring their children to work with confidence.
Shea Butter is a key ingredient in your products. What made you choose Shea Butter and how is it sourced?
Shea butter comes from the nuts of karité trees that grow in areas from the West to the East of Africa. To us, it is a major SUPERFOOD that has been around for generations. So, not only is it tried, tested and trusted, it is one of the very few ingredients that is three in one (it is a Humectant, Emollient and Occlusive), which means that attracts moisture into the skins cellular level and seals the moisture in, leaving skin soft and smooth.
It is called Women’s Gold because of its rich colour and its impact on lives. The Shea industry has women at its core with over 16 million rural African women collecting and processing Shea kernels as their main source of income.
We chose this super ingredient because it is amazing for skin conditions, it is non-toxic, it is edible and used for cooking (that’s why we call our moisturisers Body Foods). It’s anti- Inflammatory, anti-oxidant, mild SPF properties make it the perfect base for our products.
People across the globe have in one way or another used or eaten Shea Butter – over 80% of all shea produced are used by the confectionery industry (in chocolates) and it is, of course, a popular ingredient used for cosmetic purposes.
Oh and it is said that Shea Butter was used by Cleopatra, Queen of Sheba, Nefertiti – ancient queens so perfect for the modern-day queen!
In what ways do you feel Naturally Tribal and TOTM align?
Naturally Tribal is a unique skincare brand built on efficacy, sustainability, ethical sourcing, giving back value and love for our planet.
We are empowering the women who produce our ingredients in Africa as well as the people who use our products. Our products contain no nasties and are non-toxic and free from chemicals. Furthermore, we are proud to be Vegan and Cruelty-Free, use planet hugging glass jars and recycled plastic lids to try and do more to help our planet.
All of the above aligns perfectly with TOTM. In our opinion TOTM is a brand that are having honest conversations around period care, changing the industry by removing plastic from sanitary products. We see alignment in our customer base, TOTM women are ethically conscious, environmentally conscious and believe in no nasties.
Both companies inspire our customers to love themselves naturally! Why on earth would we not work together?
