“Shea butter” is known as a valuable skin conditioning ingredient. Shea butter is the natural complex fat extracted from the nuts of the Shea tree (Butyrospermum parkii). The Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) tree has various other names such as Karite, vitellaria paradoxa, and Galam Butter tree which grow in the savannah of Western Africa. The Shea tree does not flower before it is 20 years old and can live up to 200 years. It is considered sacred because of the bounty of goodness it can do for your skin, hair, beauty and health. Discover the secret of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti’s legendary beauty and find out what makes shea butter so powerful to repair, renew and protect the skin against aging.
The fruit of Butyrospermum parkii is gathered, cold pressed and refined to form a soft paste, known as Shea Butter. Shea Butter is a plant-based emollient that mimics the lipid content of the skin. It works wonders on dry and dehydrated skin and deep wrinkles, promoting a soft, smooth, healthy appearance.
The Benefits of Shea Butter
– As an emollient and moisturizer, shea butter helps repair the skin and is an effective remedy for dark spots, wrinkles, stretch marks and sunburn. Its healing properties help treat minor burns, small wounds and insect bites.
– Shea butter contains arachidic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid of which stearic and oleic acids are the highest. Oleic oil has moisturizing properties and is used as an ingredient in many skin care products (especially in butter cream products).
– Shea butter is an anti-aging ingredient. It solution for fighting wrinkles because of the rich of vitamins A and E it contains.
– Shea butter can soothe your scalp if it’s dry or irritated from chemical processing. It improves and treats various skin inflammations such as acne, eczema, keratosis pilaris and psoriasis. In addition, it doesn’t clog pores.
– Shea butter is also known to help hair growth and as a remedy for dandruff. One of shea butters uses includes preventing hair from breaking and thinning. It also helps protect the scalp from sores and rashes.
– Shea Butter penetrates deep into skin to help restore elasticity. It absorbs quickly without leaving greasy residue like petroleum, beeswax or mineral oil based products.
– In Africa, one of shea butter uses is as cooking oil. Besides the fatty acids, shea butter contains phytosterols which has cholesterol-lowering properties. It can be used as a substitute for cocoa butter.