Shea Butter in Skincare

Natural ingredients are taking the skincare world by storm. Shea butter is, without a doubt, one of the most popular ones. You can use it to take care of your face, hair and body. Wanna know how? Keep on reading.

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What is shea butter?

Shea butter, known also as karité, is obtained from the fruit of the shea tree, which grows in West and Central Africa. It is a solid, light yellow substance that melts in contact with the heat of the skin. Shea butter is a rich source of fatty acids (especially oleic, linolenic, stearic and palmitic), vitamin A, vitamin E, polyphenols and phytosterols. That makes it a must-have ingredient of many moisturizers, body butters, balms and lip products. It can also be applied to the skin in its pure form.

We can come across two types of shea butter in skincare products:

• unrefined — it has a light yellow shade and a specific smell. It has not been purified and has been obtained in a minimally invasive way. Because of that it doesn’t lose the valuable nutrients that are present in its natural form.
• refined — unlike the unrefined version, this type of shea butter is submitted to purifying in high temperature and the use of different chemical solvents. In that process, it acquires a very light color and becomes almost odorless. It is cleaned out of pollution and dust, but at the same time loses some of its beneficial ingredients. Products with refined shea butter have a longer shelf life.

Beneficial qualities of shea butter

• it nourishes and moisturizes, creating a soft barrier that seals in moisture (that’s especially helpful in dry climates),
• it helps to regenerate damaged and dry skin, reduce redness and swelling,
• it boosts elasticity of the skin, softens and smoothes it,
• it can shield against harmful environmental factors, such as wind, hot and cold temperatures, dryness and UV radiation,
• it helps to delay skin aging processes,
• it brings relief to the skin that experienced sunburn, irritation, insect bites and conditions such as eczema,
• it can help to prevent stretch marks and fight cellulite,
• it supports proper functioning of the natural skin barrier,
• it possesses antibacterial properties.

How can you use shea butter?

• as a daily moisturizer — it contains many nourishing ingredients helping to retain the moisture in the skin,
• as a body balm — it will bring relief to the dry and irritated skin,
• as a hand moisturizer — it regenerates and softens the skin and can be a great products to use especially in colder, dry climates,
• as a massaging oil — it should be slightly warmed before application,
• as a nail balm — it nourishes the nail and gives it a healthy shine,
• you can add it to your bath to make your skin even smoother and softer,
• as a lip balm — it will be extremely helpful for dry and chapped lips,
• as a soothing agent — for people suffering from allergies, irritation and different medical skin condition,
• as a balm for baby care — it’s a natural ingredient that should be perfect to protect and moisturize the delicate skin of the child (it can also be used as a remedy of the diaper rash),
• as a moisturizer for the mature skin — it contains many ingredients helpful in anti-aging processes, it nourishes and regenerates the skin, improves its elasticity and firmness, and boosts collagen production,
• as a hair conditioner — especially helpful in nourishing dry hair ends,
• as a body balm for pregnant women — it’s perfect to protect the skin against stretch marks and cellulite,
• as a winter multi-purpose moisturizer — it provides protection against winds and cold temperatures,
• as a soothing cream after long exposition to sun — it helps the skin to recover from sunburns.

Shea butter is a very low-risk skincare ingredient. There are not many reported side effects of using it and the allergic reactions to that substance are rather rare. However, you have to use it carefully if your skin is prone to acne. Because of its oily nature, shea butter might lead to clogging pores and causing breakouts.

To learn more about natural ingredients in skincare, check out my article.