Sabrina Dhowre Elba, cofounder of S’Able Labs, traveled to West Africa to see the work that the humanitarian organization World Vision is doing in the Tamale region of Ghana. The country is a critical supplier of natural cosmetic ingredients to the global beauty industry and the world’s second leading producer of cocoa, being only behind its neighbor Côte D’Ivoire.

According to World Vision, an estimated 2.1 million children work on cocoa farms in Côte D’Ivoire and Ghana alone, and more than half of all cocoa farmers in some areas of Ghana are engaged in child labor. The organization, operating in Ghana since 1979, works to support women, eliminate child labor and promote ethical sourcing.

“It was heartbreaking to learn that many children were working long hours instead of going to school, simply because families had no other option, as they were forced by a system of unfair wages as well as climate change affecting economic opportunities,” Elba told WWD.

The entrepreneur visited several cooperative groups and spoke directly with the women who farm ingredients and produce shea butter in the country.

“With the support of structured cooperatives, these women now earn a stable income that allows them to send their children to school, cover basic needs, and contribute meaningfully to their communities. It was powerful to witness the shift and reaffirmed to me that when brands engage responsibly at the source, we’re not just buying ingredients, but investing in futures and supporting ecosystems of empowerment,” she said.

Elba’s S’Able Labs leans into the power of African botanicals with ingredients like qasil, black seed, okra and baobab oil. The entrepreneur sees the ethical sourcing of those ingredients as a necessity. She works closely with cooperatives and smallholder farmers who prioritize fair labor and biodiversity, but says there needs to be more awareness of and action toward the transparency of the supply chain in the cosmetic industry.

“When it comes to the production of these ingredients there are so many middle parties involved — from the rural person farming the ingredient to the people in the lab handling formulation — that by the time it’s purchased by the cosmetic company, it’s hard to know where these ingredients originated from and if child labor has been involved in their procurement. Unless the company buys the ingredients directly from the original supplier and pays them a fair price, the transparency is not there,” Elba said.

To fight against the lack of transparency in the cosmetics supply chain, Elba gets involved at the ground level, partnering with smallholder farmers and cooperatives, meeting person to person. “We’re able to ensure fair practices, eliminate exploitation, and give farmers the agency to make decisions that benefit their communities,” she said. “For me, this is more than just clean beauty; it’s about equity and ensuring that the people behind the products — especially women and children — are protected, valued and empowered.”

Sabrina Dhowre Elba cofounded S’Able Labs with her husband, Idris Elba, in 2022. The genderless skin care line is formulated with natural ingredients sourced from African countries.