“The heritage of the past is the seed that brings forth the harvest of the future” (Wendell Phillips).
At Naturally Tribal, we view ancestral beauty as a representation of heritage, wisdom, knowledge, secrets, routines, and rituals that have been tried and tested over centuries. They have endured the test of time and been passed down the generational ladder by our ancestors.
Our founder, Shalom, recalls stories of her grandfather - a local ‘medicine man,’ who was looked to for healing with his famous herbs and concoctions all derived from plants. She witnessed amazing ancestral beauty practices where the ancient still rules the modern and this left a strong impression that is ingrained in our brand.
Celebrated Rituals
Practices that originate from various tribes in Africa have contributed to what we know today as SPA treatments – where the experiential aspect is equally important as the treatment itself. An example being the process of readying a bride with roots from the northern part of Nigeria. Regardless of where brides live today, they still cherish these amazing preparatory body rituals and tap into their chosen traditional beautician as part of the preparation for their upcoming wedding. This is called THE AMARYA!
Some preparations happen up to three months in advance, where the bride’s body is pampered for the entire three-month period. Her body is completely exfoliated, waxed, scrubbed, masked, and smoked - a completely luxurious experience. This is a spiritual process that prepares her mind and body; a process that makes a woman feel empowered, confident in her own skin, strong and in love with who she is, inside and out. This is the uniqueness of ancestral beauty compared to our modern-day alternatives, where immediate results are sought as the primary goal.
The uniqueness of ancestral beauty lies in the fact that it transcends the mass global brands of today, as it not only honours tradition and culture, but is the backbone upon which our world of beauty has been shaped. Today, we are in danger of losing ancestral knowledge, not only because we are in a hurry and dedicate less time to it, but also due to the increase in consumerism and mass production.
Regardless of which continent you reside in, ancestral beauty rituals have earned their place as a rite of passage, as the ultimate influencer which should be respected, acknowledged, given credit, celebrated and paid its due homage – and that is what we are striving for at Naturally Tribal!
Celebrated Ingredients
We pay homage to our dual heritage and include some renowned ingredients, famous in African cultures, in our products. Ingredients such as Shea Butter, Baobab, Manketti, Marula, Neem and Argan, are deemed to be jewels in the crown of the African super ingredients and possessors of results-driven superpowers.
The ‘upside-down’ baobab tree is a strange looking tree with branches that appear like roots. This tree absorbs and stores water during the rainy season and produces it’s amazing nutrient-packed fruit during the dry season, coining it the reputation as the ‘Tree of Life’. Its well-earned status means that you may find its powder mixed in yogurt or cereal, sprinkled over salads, used in baking, or just simply mixed into a glass of water. Packed with vitamins and essential minerals, it is a famed ingredient used in skincare to achieve healthy skin. A celebration of famed ingredients cannot be had without Baobab!
A native of Morocco and derived from the kernels of the Argan tree, Argan oil is another African ingredient that is not only celebrated but has also been called ‘liquid gold’. Known for its healing and youth restoring properties, this versatile plant oil has been used to produce some of the most amazing skincare and haircare products in the modern world today. Argan certainly deserves it’s place on our wall of fame!
Lastly, we have the triple action super ingredient that is Shea butter – a humectant, occlusive and emollient all in one! An ingredient that provides over sixteen million rural African women with a source of income must be celebrated, not least because of its pole position in the world of beauty, but because Shea butter is also used in the production of chocolate. So, chances are that if you have not used this incredible ingredient on your skin, you have probably experienced Shea butter through taste.
We are in AWE of these incredible ingredients that we believe truly have superpowers! By using some of these impressive ingredients in our formulations, they drive the efficacy of our products – giving you the AMAZING results that you continue to share with us!
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