Shea Butter 101: What is it and Why You Should Use it?

Shea butter is a superior moisturizer that has shown exceptional healing properties, too. Egyptian queen Cleopatra and Nefertiti knew about this beauty elixir thousands of years ago. [ Source ]

 

Shea butter is currently one of the trendy ingredients in beauty products. It comes from Africa, mainly the middle and western parts of Africa. If you are looking for a natural product that helps rebuild and rejuvenate collagen in your skin, heal dry skin in few days along with many other health benefits, you have come to the right place, so keep on reading!

How to Choose the Best Shea Butter?

You can recognize raw (undefined) shea butter by its smell and color. In its raw form, it is yellowish or ivory, while pure white color means that it is highly refined. Unrefined shea butter has a nutty smell and this smell diminishes within minutes, some may not like its smell. Still shea butter with no smell is probably old.

Why is it Important to Buy Unrefined Shea Butter?

Unrefined means shea butter is extracted and produced the same way it is done in Africa for centuries; cold pressed. This preserves the healing properties of shea butter. Processing shea butter causes losing its significant properties in addition to altering the color and smell. One unrefined organic shea butter that I love and recommend is the Key West Health & Beauty shea butter.

Why is Shea Butter Good for Your Skin?

Shea butter contains fatty acids that are very good for your skin; those fatty acids penetrate easily and quickly into the skin. Moreover, as shea butter melts from the heat of your body, your skin absorbs it quickly without clogging the pores. It is also rich in vitamin A which improves a number of skin conditions, including blemishes, wrinkles, eczema, and dermatitis. It also contains vitamin E, a good moisturizer that retains skin moisture and elasticity. In addition, it has anti-aging benefits similar to that of green tea. It has a slight SPF protection of up to SPF 10 and it absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue.

Other Benefits of shea butter to your skin include the following skin conditions: [source]

• Skin rash- including diaper rash
• Skin peeling, after tanning and sunburn
• Itching skin due to dryness
• Shaving cream to reduce razor irritation
• Small skin wounds
• Skin cracks
• Softens tough skin on feet (especially heels)
• Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy
• Minor burns
• Eczema
• Sun and wind protection
• Even skin tone
• Preventing bumps after shaving
• Reducing acne
• Helps restore elasticity to skin
• Insect bites

Why is Shea Butter Good for Your Hair?

In Africa, women have been using shea butter for treating dry frizzy hair for centuries. Since the scalp absorbs it quickly, it is a good treatment for dry scalp. In addition, it restores luster to hair to achieve the healthy shiny looking without the side-effects of using harsh chemicals.

Unrefined shea butter is usually creamy but tends to be solid in cold weather. Therefore, it is not easy to apply it to your hair in its unrefined form. However, there is an easy way to turn it into creamy consistency by a simple process called whipping shea butter. In this process, you will be able to add oils that will add more benefits to your shea butter. I wrote a post on how to whip your shea butter, and will share some DIY’s using unrefined shea butter that you do not want to miss in the near future!

In winter, cold air tends to dry your skin by stripping off its natural oils. Make sure you protect your skin using a natural moisturizer. Always be smart, and make yourself a favor by picking natural organic beauty products. Remember that shea butter is a great choice, from head to toe!

 

Copyright / first image: djembe / 123RF Stock Photo

Copyright/ second image: luisapuccini / 123RF Stock Photo