Kecara: The benefits of natural shea butter

Using natural ingredients and supporting fair trade drive the mission of Kecara Boutique, created roughly a year ago by sisters Kelly, Carine and Raïssa Bado. The Fosse aux Lions competition finalists hope to make a difference in the everyday lives of Manitobans with their natural beauty product line.

Kelly, Carine and Raïssa Bado

Kelly Bado was overjoyed when she found out that her business was a La Fosse aux Lions finalist. “I’m so happy! But the other finalists are also very good, so I’m going to try to keep my feet on the ground. Being in the finals is already an achievement. It’s a chance to raise Kecara’s profile, and it’s also a great opportunity to educate people about fair trade.” (WATCH VIDEO)

Fair trade and social justice are two values that are very important to Kelly Bado. The Côte d’Ivoire native is committed to helping African co-operatives through Kecara Boutique, by importing natural products such as shea butter.

Fair trade and soclal justice are two values that are dear to Kelly Bado. Originally from Ivory Coast, helping African cooperatives is a priority for her. For this reason, Kecara works with certifed Canadian businesses that work closely with co-ops in Africa so that she can use natural products that are certified, such as shea butter.

“Even though I used shea butter back home, I didn’t realize the value of its benefits until I came to Canada. However, I noted that most shea products sold here came from the United States. And their quality was not as good because the shea is often mixed with other products.”

That is why Kecara Boutique is based on a natural concept, staying away from chemical products as much as possible. “It’s very important to know what we’re putting on our skin. The more natural the ingredients, the better the results. Our products are also suitable for babies’ and children’s skin.

Kecara Boutique currently offers mainly homemade body products. The Bado sisters would like to use the Fosse aux Lions prize money to develop a complete range of skin products. “One of our goals is to expand our product offer, starting with a lotion for different types of dry skin,” says Kelly Bado. “We could then add products such as soaps, shower gels and exfoliants to the product line, among other things.”

Kelly Bado wants to take things even further. She hopes one day to rent a larger space where she and her sisters can create more products. Her dream is to have a booth in a shopping mall and even place her products in hotels. “We also make a lip balm from cocoa butter. Its chocolatey taste makes it unique, and the perfect hotel gift!

She adds: “It would also be wonderful if I could one day go to Africa to deal directly with the co-operatives behind these local products and provide on-site support. That is also my dream.”

KECARA – VIDEO

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