Marula Oil
There's something special in our make-up. It's moisturising Namibian Community Trade marula oil. And with every piece of marula oil enriched make-up you choose, you're helping women in Namibia improve their lives, and the lives of their children.
All the marvellously moisturising Community Trade marula oil in our make-up comes from Eudafano Women's Cooperative, in Oshakati, northern Namibia. Every one of its 4,800 members earns the same fair, above average price for their fabulous, above average marula oil.
Women in Namibia have made marula oil for generations. Mothers and grandmothers taught their daughters and granddaughters the secret of one of Africa's greatest skin care oils, how to make it, use it, and treasure it. And now, producing marula oil is giving the women of the co-operative financial independence and the means to help support their families from being able to provide their children with school books to buying the basics like soap, new clothes and medicine.
Making the oil
Only perfectly ripe fruit is gathered. The women then sit together, singing and chatting as they squeeze the fruit with a goat's horn for its juice, which they turn into wine.
The ladies then dry the marula nuts in the strong Namibian sun for a couple of weeks, to remove the last of the fruit, before breaking the nuts over an upturned axe head. Every nut is checked for freshness and the precious kernel is then hooked out with a sharp metal point called an oluvela.
The kernels are then taken to the factory to be pressed into our fabulous, ultra fine, moisturising Community Trade marula oil. Hand checked again for quality, the kernels are slow pressed by hand three times. This is the optimum way of releasing the oil, whilst keeping the delicate, protecting antioxidants, essential fatty acids and vitamin E in perfect condition.
Community Trade changes lives, and helps build self-esteem.
Every single one of our Lip Colours, all just about all of our eye colours and foundations contain Community Trade marula oil. Your support through the make-up you choose, is helping give the fabulous women at Eudafano a fair, above average income, financial independence, and the chance to improve their, and their children's lives. So pat yourself on the back the next time you apply a slick of glossy lip colour, at the difference you're helping make.