This story did not begin in London.

For fourteen years, Katie Buerki built, formulated and ran Natural Treats Industries in Ghana — a botanical beauty business rooted in the same West African ingredients, the same belief in their power, and the same conviction that the women who produce them deserve far more than they receive. Those years were not a rehearsal. They were the foundation.

Mambora is the next chapter. Brought to London, sharpened by modern formulation science, and built with the ambition that was always there — to take what West Africa has always known and give it the global stage it deserves.

The Name

Mambora comes from Dagbani, spoken in northern Ghana. It means “desired” — something longed for, worthy of being wanted. We chose it because we believe that every woman, and every formula we make, should be truly worthy of that word.

The trading name, Circle of Pearls, speaks to what this business is truly about. Every person in this story — the women in northern Ghana whose hands produce the shea, the founder who carries it across continents, and you who chooses to buy it — is a pearl. Each one overcoming something. Each one contributing something beautiful. Forming a circle that makes each person in it stronger.

Sankofa — Looking Back to Move Forward

There is a Ghanaian concept called Sankofa. In Twi: Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi — it is not wrong to go back and pick up what you may have left behind. At Mambora, we believe the most powerful skincare knowledge was never lost. It was simply waiting to be rediscovered.

Shea has been trusted on newborn skin from the very first day across West Africa for generations. Lemongrass has been used for centuries for its cleansing and uplifting properties. Ginger has been revered for purification and healing across cultures for thousands of years. These are not trends. They are ancestral knowledge — proven by time, not by marketing.

At Mambora, we do not ask you to abandon these practices. We advance them — layering them with modern formulation science so that what your grandmother knew, and what the latest research confirms, work together in every jar.

Our Formulation Philosophy

We formulate with intention. We use natural origin and thoughtfully selected ingredients chosen for performance. We are not a brand that makes blanket claims about being “100% natural” — because honest formulation sometimes requires more nuance than that. What we will always promise is that every ingredient earns its place, nothing is added without purpose, and we will never compromise on what matters.

Food and skincare have always shared a language. The oils, the butters, the plants that nourish from the inside have always nourished from the outside too. Intense nourishment. Layered botanicals for skin elasticity. The understanding that true wellness is built on ancient rhythms, not invented ones.

The Circle of Pearls

Mambora is a social enterprise built on the belief that commerce can be an act of care — in every direction. We source our shea butter for the Magnesium Butter range and Raw Shea Butter directly from a cooperative of 103 women in northern Ghana. Fair earnings. Traceable supply. The finest, most potent unrefined shea on earth.

When you buy from Mambora, you receive a product that is a gift — from ancestral botanical knowledge, from the hands of these women, travelling across continents to find you. And your purchase, in turn, is a gift to them. That exchange — quiet, mutual, powerful — is the circle. It is why the company is called Circle of Pearls.

We are working toward expanding this circle further — including partnerships with communities here in the UK. That work is underway. Watch this space.