About Us – The Story Behind Aurora Vita Co.

 

At Aurora Vita Co., we believe skincare should be pure, ethical, and deeply nourishing—not just for your skin but also for the people and communities who create it. We are a husband-and-wife team, Nicholas and Victoria, who turned a life-changing experience into a mission: to bring the world the purest unrefined shea butter and body care products while directly supporting the women who make them.

This is our story, but more importantly, it’s their story—one of strength, tradition, and the fight for fair trade in an industry long dominated by exploitation.

A Journey That Changed Everything

Our story didn’t start in a boardroom—it started in West Africa, on what we thought would be an unforgettable vacation. We had always been passionate about clean, natural skincare, but nothing could have prepared us for what we were about to learn.

While exploring local markets and villages, we discovered something remarkable: women working in the hot sun, day in and day out, handcrafting one of nature’s most powerful skincare ingredients—pure, unrefined shea butter.

For centuries, shea butter has been known as “women’s gold”, not just for its rich, nourishing properties, but because it has historically provided economic opportunities for African women, especially in Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Nigeria. Passed down through generations, the traditional shea butter-making process remains largely unchanged, relying on age-old techniques:

1. Harvesting the Shea Nuts – Women collect ripe shea nuts from trees that grow wild in the African savannah.

2. Sun-Drying & Roasting – The nuts are naturally dried under the sun before being roasted to unlock their natural oils.

3. Grinding & Kneading – The roasted nuts are stone-ground into a thick, creamy paste, then kneaded by hand for hours.

4. Boiling & Cooling – The paste is slowly boiled and filtered, then left to cool, forming a rich, unrefined butter packed with vitamins A, E, and essential fatty acids.

The result? A powerful, skin-healing butter that has been used for generations to protect against harsh climates, heal wounds, soothe inflammation, and deeply nourish skin and hair.

But there was a heartbreaking reality behind the beauty of this process—one that we could not ignore.

Breaking the Cycle of Exploitation

Despite the sheer artistry and labor behind traditional shea butter production, the women making it were being severely underpaid. Middlemen controlled the market, buying shea butter from these hardworking women for a fraction of its worth and reselling it for enormous profits in Western skincare markets.

We saw firsthand how this system kept these women trapped in a cycle of economic struggle—unable to reinvest in their communities, their families, or their future. Meanwhile, global beauty brands capitalized on their work without fairly compensating or crediting the people behind it.

That was the moment we knew: We couldn’t walk away.

Instead of just being tourists, we decided to become partners—to build a brand that not only showcases the true quality of their handcrafted shea butter but also ensures that every woman involved in the process is paid fairly and supported long-term.

And so, Aurora Vita Co. was born.

Beyond Skincare – A Commitment to Empowerment

At Aurora Vita Co., we are not just selling skincare—we are rebuilding the way shea butter is sourced, traded, and valued.

Our Commitments:

✔ Direct Trade Partnerships – We work one-on-one with women-run cooperatives, eliminating middlemen so that they receive 100% fair wages for their labor.

✔ Pure, Unrefined Shea Butter – Unlike mass-market shea butter, ours is never processed, bleached, or chemically altered—preserving its full skin-healing nutrients.

✔ Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing – We ensure sustainable harvesting practices that protect shea trees and maintain the environmental balance of the regions we source from.

✔ Handcrafted in Small Batches – Every jar of our body butter is crafted with care, preserving the artisanal tradition of shea butter production.

But we didn’t stop there. We knew that fair wages alone wouldn’t break the cycle of poverty—so we built something bigger.

The Aurora Vita Foundation – Giving Back Beyond Fair Trade

To create lasting change, we established the Aurora Vita Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the very women who make our products possible.

Through this foundation, we go beyond just buying shea butter ethically—we invest in education, financial resources, and sustainable business growth for women in these communities.

Through the Aurora Vita Foundation, We’ll Provide:

✅ Financial Aid & Micro-Loans – Helping women invest in tools, equipment, and business growth.

✅ Educational Programs – Teaching entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and sustainable farming practices.

✅ Workshops & Training – Providing hands-on training in skincare formulation and cooperative management.

✅ Resources for Community Development – Supporting local healthcare, schooling, and environmental conservation efforts.

Every purchase you make helps fund these programs, ensuring that these communities thrive beyond just fair wages.

This isn’t just about making a profit—it’s about rebuilding an industry that has neglected and abused power for far too long.

Why We Do This

At Aurora Vita Co., we don’t just sell skincare—we honor a legacy.

We honor the women who have spent generations perfecting their craft.

We honor the tradition of unrefined, handcrafted shea butter—untouched by synthetic chemicals.

We honor a new standard of ethical, conscious skincare, where business isn’t built on exploitation but on empowerment.

And now, you are part of that story.

Every time you choose Aurora Vita Co., you are choosing:

✔ High-quality, artisanal skincare that actually works

✔ A brand that values sustainability, transparency, and ethical sourcing

✔ A movement that supports real women, real families, and real change

This is skincare with integrity, with tradition, and with impact.

Your skin deserves the best.

And so do the women who make it.

Thank you for being part of our journey.