Alaffia: Empowering Communities Through Beauty

In a conversation with iBestTravel, founder and CEO Olowo-n’djo Tchala discussed how his experiences and desire to create a positive change in his home community shaped the creation of his beauty brand Alaffia.

“I think what Alaffia is doing in America is really, fundamentally sharing the beauty of our culture.”

Born in the West African nation of Togo, Olowo-n’djo Tchala founded fair-trade beauty brand Alaffia in the early 2000s alongside his partner, Prairie Rose Hyde, after moving to the United States. Inspired by his upbringing in the small village of Kaboli in Northern Togo and by the hardworking and generous community of women he grew up around (most of all, his mother), they created this brand to bridge the gap between West Africa and the United States.

Tradition Meets Modernity

Ingredients indigenous to West Africa like shea butter and African black soap have been used for centuries, and the women in Tchala’s home village already had the traditional knowledge and skills to utilize these resources. Moreover, since Americans wanted natural, fair-trade beauty products that worked, Tchala opted to create a new model that satisfied the needs of Americans while reinvesting and empowering people in Togo through initiatives for positive change. “Let’s use the skill and the knowledge that we have to create something, generate economic activity…[and put that] into long-term empowerment projects that uplift our communities, particularly our women.”

Core Values of Alaffia

Beauty, equality, and empowerment in Togo, West Africa are the principles at Alaffia’s core. The brand operates on fair-trade concepts, offering equal employment opportunities, maintaining healthy and safe working conditions, and engaging in sustainable practices. Alaffia’s Maternal Care Empowerment Project and Reforestation Empowerment Project reinvest earnings back into West African communities to tackle pressing issues. Consequently, Alaffia has funded over 5,500 births and planted over 90,000 trees. The brand empowers Americans as consumers, allowing them to choose a fair-trade brand that supports its workers instead of exploiting them.

Travel not only “contributes to the way I see the world, but it’s a way for me to share our culture.”

Through the Lens of Travel

Tchala frequently travels for work, which has profoundly influenced his worldview: “Travel always helps me to have tolerance, to see diversity, to see beauty in humanity, and to see how beautiful this land of America is, how beautiful American people are…”

One of the downsides of travel for Tchala is missing his kids. Thus, he started sending them postcards whenever he’s away—a simple yet heartfelt way to maintain their connection despite the distance.

Alaffia’s Natural Products

Drawing from African traditions and utilizing ingredients like African black soap and unrefined shea butter, Alaffia’s products are natural and safe, addressing a range of hair, face, and body concerns. The Authentic African Black Soap and the pure unrefined shea butter are among the brand’s best sellers. Additionally, there are kid-friendly products such as bubble bath and shampoo and body wash. The Beautiful Curls collection features an array of haircare products like leave-in conditioner, hydrating oil, curl defining gel, and more, making them a comprehensive solution from head to toe.

Where to Find Alaffia

You can find Alaffia at major retailers like Target and Whole Foods, or explore products online at alaffia.com.