SheaMoisture was founded in Harlem in 1991 by Richelieu Dennis his mother Mary. The brand was inspired by Dennis' Sierra Leonean grandmother, Sofi Tucker, who sold shea butter at a village market in Bonthe, Sierra Leone in 1912. In 2017, SheaMoisture along with its parent company, Sundial Brands, were partly acquired by cosmetic giant, Unilever.  Under the terms and conditions, Dennis and his mother, held on to 51% of the company.