Meet SHE-Y, A Luxe Italian Skincare Brand With Ghanaian Roots

With just three products under its wing — and only having recently launched here in the states — the skincare brand SHE-Y's global reach could make companies three times its size jealous. "SHE-Y is an Italian luxury brand infused with elements of my Ghanaian roots, blended with other foreign influences that have resulted in a truly unique product," says founder Menaye Donkor via email. "I was extremely lucky to have grown up in three different worlds. Being raised in Ghana exposed me to an abundance of natural resources, many of which are great for our skin. As a Canadian born, I embraced diversity and the beauty of cosmopolitan living, while residing in Italy gave me a knack for refinement."

One ingredient in particular shines through: shea butter. It plays a starring role in SHE-Y's Body Cream ($90) and Body Scrub ($68), with shea oil acting as the base for the brand's Body Oil ($55, available for pre-order). "As a proud Ghanaian woman, I wanted to share beauty secrets I grew up knowing with the rest of the world," Donkor continues. This includes the importance of shea butter, "which was used for almost anything you can think of in my home," she explains.

Incorporating the butter means forging a relationship with the industry in Ghana, as well. "The shea industry in Ghana is dominated by women who make minimal wages and are sometimes found in poor working conditions. We as a brand (SHE-Y) sympathize with these women and are keen on treating them fairly by purchasing our high-grade shea butter and oil at decent prices to enable them to live better lives and improve their working conditions," explains Donkor.

Both the Body Cream and Body Scrub are set to arrive on the United States website soon; the Body Oil is open for pre-orders, with an Aug. 7 estimated delivery for customers according to Donkor. "Launching in the United States has been exciting," she adds. "It was very important to us that everyone could hear the storytelling of our products upon launching."

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