Yves Rocher launches high-impact skincare and wellness initiative for women in cocoa communities
Yves Rocher Ghana has partnered with the Sustain-A-Bean Foundation to deliver a major women’s wellbeing and empowerment initiative aimed at expanding skincare literacy and botanical knowledge among rural women in cocoa-growing communities in the Eastern Region.
The engagement, held in Nankese, forms part of Yves Rocher’s Act Beautiful corporate responsibility mandate and seeks to improve women’s confidence, health awareness and economic prospects through nature-based education.
The programme combined the beauty brand’s technical expertise with the Foundation’s community networks to create what both organisations described as a practical and transformative learning experience for rural participants. It focused on broadening access to personalised skincare support while deepening understanding of locally available botanicals such as cocoa and shea, which play a central role in global clean beauty markets.
Participants received professional skin diagnostics assessing hydration levels, sensitivity and environmental stress factors. The service, which is typically available only in urban retail centres, was extended to women who had never previously accessed such assessments. Each woman also received Yves Rocher products selected according to her diagnostic profile to reinforce practical learning and support healthier routines.
Training sessions covered cleansing, hydration, sun protection, barrier care, hygiene and long-term maintenance, with an emphasis on simple practices that rural women can sustain independently. The workshop further exposed participants to early-stage micro-enterprise opportunities linked to botanical resources, encouraging them to explore how local plants can support small, women-led ventures.
A representative of Yves Rocher Ghana said the company’s localised approach was driven by a belief that knowledge can help unlock agency for women in emerging communities. “Act Beautiful is anchored in dignity and access,” the representative said. “Our partnership with Sustain-A-Bean places this commitment in communities, where knowledge becomes confidence and confidence becomes possibility.”
Leadership from Sustain-A-Bean emphasised that the model was built on shared responsibility and long-term growth. “Our model is built on shared action,” the organisation noted. “When women gain health literacy, botanical understanding, and the self-belief to create value, entire communities accelerate.”
Both organisations reiterated that women in these communities are not passive beneficiaries but central partners in shaping their own development.
The initiative also aligns with Ghana’s efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals, with direct contributions to SDG 3 on health, SDG 5 on gender equality, SDG 8 on decent work, and SDG 12 on responsible consumption and production. Yves Rocher Ghana and Sustain-A-Bean say the collaboration positions the country as a growing reference point for regenerative and community-led corporate social responsibility.
Yves Rocher, founded in France 60 years ago, is recognised as a pioneer in botanical beauty and has built its global identity on democratising nature-powered skincare. Sustain-A-Bean operates a regenerative development model that supports cocoa-origin communities through interventions in education, healthcare, gender empowerment, entrepreneurship and ecological restoration.