Heritage, Freedom and Self-Care: Why Wellness is More Than Skin Deep

Here is a question for you. What do freedom and wellness have in common?

Quiz time:

What do wellness and freedom have in common?

No, this isn’t the set-up to a bad dad joke. Stay with me.

First, it might sound like two completely different things. Freedom is political, cultural, and historical. Wellness is personal, calming, and even indulgent. But look closely and you will see the link. Both are about living fully, both are about balance, and both are about refusing to shrink yourself.

And if you ask me, that is what Nigeria’s Independence Day and Black History Month are about.

Nigeria’s Independence: Lessons in Resilience

On 1 October 1960, Nigeria became independent. Independence Day is not just about flags and national pride. It is about resilience. It is about generations who decided to carry themselves with dignity and courage in the face of colonialism.

To me, wellness works the same way. It is not a one-off act. It is not one day in October. It is daily practice. Just like independence needs each generation to protect it, wellness needs each of us to keep applying it, re-applying it, and renewing it.

And here is where culture speaks. In Northern Nigeria, our wellness rituals were never just about smelling good or looking presentable. They were about health, strength, community. Teas to refresh and cool the body, oils and butters to nourish, protect and to heal and ground. These are not trends. These are practices passed down for centuries.

Black History Month: Stories That Nourish

Every October in the UK, Black History Month comes around. Some might think it is just about remembering the past, but it is much more than that. It is about telling stories that have been pushed aside. It is about celebrating what is deeply rooted, not what is packaged for convenience.

That is how I see Sahilia’s work too. The wellness industry often presents itself as new, shiny, and Western. But the truth is, our communities have been practising natural wellness forever. Teas, butters, herbs, massage, scent all of these were the original rituals of balance and self-care. 

Black History Month reminds us that our heritage is not behind us, it is alive and nourishing us right now.

The Sahel, Rituals and Natural Care

The Sahel is more than a strip of land on the map. It is a way of life shaped by extremes desert heat, rainy seasons, migration,  community survival, and what people created out of that environment was a culture of wellness.

Natural ingredients like shea butter that protects against dry winds. Herbal teas brewed not only for flavour but for strength. Massage oils that soothe tired bodies after long journeys. Perfume oils that anoint and uplift. Every product was part of a larger ritual. Wellness was not luxury. It was heritage.

This is what Sahilia stands for. We are not here to sell you one category, one bottle, or one passing trend. We are here to remind you that wellness is layered. It begins inside with what you drink and eat. It continues on your skin with natural oils, creams, and butters. It lingers in the air with rituals of scent.

Freedom, Wellness and Daily Rituals

So what do freedom and wellness really share?

They are both daily practices.

They are both natural and rooted.

They are both powerful when layered, food, movement, scent, rest, community.

They are both things you carry within you, not just something that can be bought.

A Playful Thought

If Nigeria’s independence were a ritual, it would be a cup of hibiscus tea strong, refreshing, slightly tart, but impossible to ignore.

If Black History Month were a skincare ingredient, it would be shea butter, nourishing, protective, deeply healing.

And if Sahilia were to answer the question of freedom, we would say: it smells like sandalwood, feels like shea butter, and tastes like hibiscus tea. In other words, it touches every part of you.

Why This Matters ❤️

Sahilia is not just about perfumes. It is about wellness in its true sense. Wellness that comes from heritage. Wellness that goes beyond the surface. We believe that self-care is not indulgence. It is a form of resistance. It is a way of saying: I will not be diminished. I will nourish myself, body and soul. I will carry my heritage into my everyday life.

That is what independence and Black History Month remind me. Do not wait for special occasions. Make it part of your daily ritual.

So the next time someone asks you why you are so invested in wellness, you can smile and say: Because wellness is freedom, it is heritage and resilience.

And if you want to explore that for yourself, join the Sahilia Tribe. Sip the teas, massage in the oils, and carry your story into your daily rituals.

🌿 Explore our offering and create the heritage-inspired self-care that you deserve.