Nubian Heritage

Nyema Tubman and Richelieu Dennis got their start as street vendors in Harlem. Fresh out of college and without jobs, they set out to bring the healing traditions of African Black Soap and Shea Butter to the community they loved. Short on experience, but full of passion and determination, they used their knowledge of culturally authentic healing traditions to create natural skin and body treatments back in 1991, and every day since.

Passionate about sharing our products and the cultures they came from, we’ve been guided by our community’s demand for wellness products that spoke to their unique needs. Drawing on the rich healing philosophies of the communities around the globe, we mastered ingredients, such as black seed oil, mango butter, coconut, lemongrass, tamanu oil and chai.

Guided by the legacy of ancient Nubia, the world's first melting pot, we remix global healing traditions into modern wellness solutions. Ancient Nubia was once a center of cultural trade — a place where goods, ideas, and customs from across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean came together, influenced each other, and then spread across the ancient world. That’s the inspiration behind Nubian Heritage. We bring together traditional healing practices, cultural wisdom and indigenous ingredients, remix them and create modern natural solutions for skin and hair. This is our mission: to make cultural exchange the model for transforming the global community.

Our journey has been a long one, and it’s far from over. What began in Harlem continues globally as we empower individuals with healing traditions, rituals, and philosophies from around the world. We’re constantly developing new products and remedies, and discovering and sharing new paths to wellness. We are dedicated to alleviating poverty in the communities that comprise our supply chain. Shea Butter is central to all our products, so that’s where we started.

When we invest in women’s Shea Butter cooperatives in Ghana, we don’t just buy their products — we help them develop self-sustaining businesses. An ethical wage premium is paid to these enterprising women, and we aid in monitoring practices to ensure that the efficiency, health, profitability and quality of life is elevated for members of the coop. The women we work with in Ghana become our partners, not just our suppliers, and with their rise in income, they experience greater health, access to education and the benefits of financial freedom. With the help of Community Commerce, they change their own lives for the better.