YaaYaa Natural was born in Brooklyn to a second-generation Ghanaian American family. Nicole and Alex Ampadu worked as licensed clinical laboratory technologists in the New York healthcare system. After being frustrated by the current skincare market and lack of environmentally conscious options, they decided to create their own natural product line.

“We felt we could put our biology degrees to better use,” Nicole says.

After carefully researching natural products, preservatives, temperatures, sustainable materials and the biological effect on skin cells, Nicole and Alex created their first Whipped Shea Body Frosting. They also decided on a company mission: to empower African communities by directly sourcing materials from Africa and donating funds to reputable organizations.

“By directly sourcing our shea butter from Tamale, Ghana, we can provide a better wage and economy to the women working in the shea industry,” Alex says. “We also plan to achieve this by donating 10 percent of our profits to local and global trustworthy charities.”

YaaYaa Natural is now based in New Jersey and makes a line of shea frosting products for the hair, face and body.