Shea butter is a fat extracted from the nuts of the shea tree, native to East and West tropical Africa. It has been used in skin care for centuries and is valued for its moisturizing, soothing, and conditioning properties.
What is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is a seed fat that comes from the shea tree. The shea butter comes from two oily kernels within the shea tree seed. After the kernel is removed from the seed, it is ground into a powder and boiled in water. The butter then rises to the top of the water and becomes solid.
There are two types of shea trees - one from East Africa and another from West Africa. While they both produce shea butter, they differ slightly.
Shea butter is solid at room temperature and has an off-white or ivory color. It is technically a tree nut product, but unlike most tree nut products, it’s very low in the proteins that can trigger allergies.
Benefits of Shea Butter
Shea butter has many benefits for skin! It’s natural, anti-inflammatory, full of antioxidants, and so very moisturizing. Its high concentration of vitamins and fatty acids - combined with its easy-to-spread consistency when warmed - makes it great for smoothing, soothing, and conditioning skin.
Read also: Ingredients in B Pure African Black Soap Scalp Tonic
Here are some of the most significant benefits of shea butter:
1. Moisturizes Skin
Shea butter is an emollient that softens and hydrates skin. It contains several types of fatty acids - including lineoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids - that improve the skin's natural barrier. When you apply shea topically, these oils are rapidly absorbed into your skin.
Thick and rich, Kuza® 100% Pure African Shea butter is enriched with essential Vitamins to hydrate and rejuvenate all types of skin. Spreads smoothly and easily all over your body leaving your skin, hair and nails smooth and moisturized.
2. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Shea butter contains anti-inflammatory compounds that soothe and nourish upset skin. The plant esters of shea butter have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties. Research from the Journal of Oleo Science notes shea butter's anti-inflammatory compounds, which make it a perfect fit to soothe and nourish upset skin.
This may help minimize irritation caused by environmental factors, such as dry weather, and inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema.
Read also: Pure, Natural Skin Care
3. Antioxidant Properties
Shea butter has significant levels of vitamins A and E, which means it promotes strong antioxidant activity. According to the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, shea butter also contains quite a few antioxidants, including vitamins A and E, along with many of the same ones found in green tea - a known antioxidant powerhouse.
Antioxidants are important because they protect skin cells from free radicals, which can lead to premature aging and dull-looking skin. By boosting collagen production and promoting new cell generation, shea butter may help reduce sun damage.
4. Helps Fight Breakouts
Shea butter benefits those with acne, too! But what is shea butter good for when your skin already seems oily?
When it's dry, acne-prone skin tends to overproduce sebum, which can clog pores; shea butter stops this cycle in its tracks by preventing skin from drying out in the first place.
There is, however, limited evidence that shea tree bark is antibacterial, according to the Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, which could translate to acne-fighting properties in shea butter.
Read also: Pure Water Machine Nigeria
5. Could Heal Cuts and Scrapes
This ingredient is also often found in scar-healing products, because its rich fatty-acid levels help to soften scar tissue and may speed up the scar-healing process. Research from the journal Wounds suggests it may be particularly effective in helping prevent keloid scars - the kind of scar that's raised, red and rubbery - from forming.
6. Potential Sun Protection
If you’ve heard shea butter has SPF (sun protection factor), that’s correct! It’s just one more of the added benefits of this amazing natural oil. Shea butter has a sun protection factor (SPF) of about three or four. It’s too small to prevent sun damage or sunburn on its own. But using shea butter on your skin does give you minimal sun protection, so layer it over your favorite sunscreen on days you’ll be spending outside, but don’t skip the actual sunscreen.
DIY SunScreen | How To Make Sunscreen at Home | Skin Care Tips for Beautiful Glowing Skins
7. Improves Eczema
Eczema is a common skin condition that causes itchy, red rashes. It also makes you prone to skin infections. One study found that shea butter was better at reducing eczema symptoms than petroleum products, which doctors often recommend. This may be because shea butter contains linoleic acid, a fatty acid that’s in skin.
8. Hair Care
Shea butter is moisturizing and improves manageability of textured hair. Great to use with water for a curl refresher for textured “natural hair.” It helps to smooth frizz, condition dry strands, and add shine while also nourishing the scalp to combat dryness and itchiness.
After shampooing and towel drying the hair, apply a small amount evenly to damp hair, focusing on dry or damaged areas and ends. Comb through to ensure even distribution. Do not rinse. Style as usual.
How to Use Shea Butter
There are two ways to use shea butter: raw straight from the plant or in a skincare product. You probably don’t have a shea tree in your backyard. But the idea is that raw shea butter can be applied directly to your skin. If you have the chance to purchase raw shea butter, make sure it’s pure and unrefined.
Here are some specific ways to use shea butter:
- On skin: You can apply shea butter directly to your skin. Raw, unrefined shea butter is easy to spread. Use your fingers to scoop a teaspoon or so of shea butter from the jar, and rub it onto your skin until it’s completely absorbed.
- On hair: If your hair is naturally curly or porous, consider using shea butter as a conditioner. Make sure your hair has absorbed most of the shea butter before rinsing and styling as usual. You can also use a small amount of shea butter as a leave-in conditioner.
Potential Side Effects
Shea butter is safe for most skin types. It has a low comedogenic rating, meaning it is not likely to clog pores for most people, but some people do say it makes them break out if they are prone to acne. Doing a patch test is the best way to see if it will work for your skin.
Although shea butter is considered safe, many products containing it contain other ingredients, so always check the label.
Choosing the Right Shea Butter
If you want to get the most out of your shea butter, purchase it in its raw and unrefined form. The more that shea butter is processed, the more its amazing, all-natural properties are diluted.
For this reason, shea butter is rated starting with (raw) grade A, which is the purest form of shea butter you can buy.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Raw, unrefined shea butter |
| B | Refined shea butter |
| C | Extracted with solvents |
| D | Contains contaminants |
| E | Contains many contaminants |
