I received these products for my review. All opinions are my own.

At Alaffia, when we speak of beauty, we are referring to holistic beauty, which looks beyond aesthetics. We believe our bodies, emotions, and environment are interconnected, and when they are in balance, holistic beauty is achieved. This leads to the peaceful coexistence of all life.

Our products are born from this ideal and influenced by the science of Ethnobotany, which is the study of relationships between people and plants. We evaluate how each ingredient interacts with the product, the person using it, and the environment it comes from.

Alafﬁa’s success is not simply measured by proﬁt. Our success is measured by empowerment. Empowerment Projects are Alaffia’s mission in action, funded by the sales of Alafﬁa products. Alaffia invests in our communities because it is our moral responsibility and to ensure African resources empower African communities. The goal is to alleviate poverty and encourage gender equality. Our Empowerment Projects include several Education-Based Projects, Maternal Health, FGM Eradication, Eyeglasses and Reforestation. All of Alafﬁa’s projects empower Togolese communities to provide their skills and knowledge to the rest of the world and rise out of poverty.

Each year in West Africa, 160,000 women die due to complications with pregnancy and childbirth. Over her lifetime, an African woman has a 1 in 32 chance of dying in pregnancy or childbirth, compared to 1 in 2,400 in Europe (UNICEF, 2012). There are several reasons for the high maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, including extreme poverty and inadequate infrastructure.

While the problem seems insurmountable, it is possible to save lives with basic health care and gender equality. In 2006, we started our Maternal Health Project following the World Health Organization’s recommendations for reducing maternal death rates. Our Maternal Health Project has two parts; The ﬁrst is a direct approach to the immediate problem. Each year, we fund full pre- and post-delivery care, including special and urgent needs, to women in rural Togo. Alaffia product sales have paid for the births of 3,558 babies in rural Togolese communities through the Togo Health Clinic system.

The Alafﬁa Women’s Clinic Project is the second part of our women’s health efforts. In 2007, we began to partner with local Togolese health clinics to provide information and training on all women’s health issues, including nutrition, preventing female genital mutilation, and much more. We believe saving mothers is a necessary step in reducing poverty. When a mother dies, her surviving children’s nutrition & health suffer, and they are more likely to drop out of school, reducing their ability to rise out of poverty.

To me, there is absolutely nothing better than a company that has quality, valuable products that also uses their profits to give back. I need stuff. And I like to help others. When I can combine this effort, I’m a very happy consumer.

Alaffia was a SUPER fabulous find for me! I cannot recommend them enough! They have a great variety of products, mostly things like beauty products, body lotion, bubble bath, and handcrafted accessories. And they are all fair trade!

I love each of these products! They smell FANTASTIC (I wish you could have some computer smell-o-screen!), but I also love that the baby balm is unscented, because that just makes sense. It’s very thick but smooth, and from how great it felt on my hands I can tell it would be a great product to use for baby’s sensitive skin. And since it’s filled with all the good stuff and no gunk, you can feel better about putting it on your baby. They have a great line of baby products including bubble bath, lotion, shampoo and body wash, and more. All safe and perfect for your little one!

PLUS- when you purchase these awesome products, you’re helping Alaffia fund some amazing Empowerment Projects over in Africa. They are involved in maternal care, education, eyewear, reforestation, and more. When you sit back and think that so many people go without proper eyecare (I cannot imagine, I am blind without glasses or contacts!) or maternal care? Blows my mind. I’m so grateful for companies like Alaffia that help to make it easier to make a difference. These products make a great gift idea for anyone on your list as well!

Things that are Brag Worthy:

Huge selection of fabulous, natural beauty products and accessories
Influenced by the science of Ethnobotany, which is the study of relationships between people and plants
They believe strongly that African resources should empower African communities
Empowerment Projects, all funded by Alaffia’s profits, include several Education-Based Projects, Maternal Health, FGM Eradication, Eyeglasses and Reforestation.
Handcrafted
Fair trade
Wonderful baby products