Out of Africa

Out of Africa is not just a multi-Academy Award winning film, it's also the name of a shea butter based product line created by Victor Lulla. The products feature high percentages of unrefined, pure shea butter and no chemical, additives, sulfates and parabens.

One of the products I tried was the Tea Tree Shea Butter hand wash. Between putting in and taking out my contact lenses, testing my blood sugar, etc., I wash my hands a lot. The Out of Africa hand wash cleans without drying out my hands--and the tea tree oil acts as a natural anti-bacterial. You can also get the hand wash infused with Lemon or Lavendar essential oils--but for hand washing germophobes everywhere, the tea tree is a great alternative to those chemical filled anti-bacterial soaps.

I also got to test drive the Shea Butter Body Oil in Lavender. In addition to pure, unrefined shea butter, the body oil contains avocado and olive oil. It's a great moisturizer when applied to damp skin after a shower. It left my skin moisturized but not at all greasy! I also like rubbing a bit into my palms and using it to smooth down flyaway hair. The lavender is a nice calming and soothing scent--but the oils also come in grapefruit, verbena and as well as an unscented version.

The Out of Africa product line also features body butters, bar soaps and body washes. And 3% of all sales are contributed to School for Children Unite--a groundbreaking project helping to provide education to children in West Africa. In addition, the products are handmade bu women's co-operatives in Benin--which creates jobs and economic stability in one of the poorest nations in Africa.

So you've got a good cause that's also good for your skin. Out of Africa--coming soon to bathroom near you!