All About Shea Butter

Shea Butter

Quick Facts:

•The best Shea Butter according to the American Shea Butter Institute is prepared using cold press methods without added chemicals or preservatives. 

•The ASBI classifies Shea products as A,B,C or F. Class A is premium Shea butter while class F is poor quality Shea moisturizer. 

•Shea trees can live for 300 years, but they produce nuts only 1x a year. 

•Traditionally, the harvesting os Shea butter was reserved for women: today there are many commercial sources that support female owned co-ops

•Shea butter is edible and has long been used for cooking in parts of Africa.

It’s said that Cleopatra used to smooth onto her body to counteract Egypt’s scorching climate. Centuries later people are still turning to the versatile butter for all manner of concerns and applications including scrapes, burns and treating parched hair. Shea butter is particularly high in oleic acid, an essential fatty acid that gives the butter its thick texture. It also contains vitamins A and E which help to keep the skin plump and hydrated. 

Shea Butter and Acne…

Many people think that this wonderful butter is good for oily skin or acne, and initially that is true. I have seen Shea Butter calm inflammation, reduce redness, soothe and heal irritated/inflamed skin types, but it is not a remedy for slowing down oil production. If left on the surface of the skin too long it will begin to clog pores and form blackheads. So if your skin is oily do not leave this lovely butter on your face for too long. Make sure to wash it off at night before bed.

Shea Butter and Hair…

One of my absolute favorite ingredients to put in my hair is Shea Butter. Most, if not all of my leave-in conditioners use this as a base. My hair is super curly and this butter helps to lay down the hair strand helping to prevent split ends. It also has natural UV protection so the hair shaft doesn’t get dehydrated and fry under the sun. When massaged into the hair, Shea butter helps relieve many scalp problems such as dandruff and cradle cap in infants.

JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER

DIY Butters…

Making your own Shea Butter blends at home is super easy! All you need is:

1/2 Cup Raw Shea Butter, Coconut Oil, Olive Oil and Raw Cocoa Butter & 1 TSP Your Favorite essential oil blend.

• Add all 4 ingredients to a double boiler to melt, whisk together until everything is melted into liquid.
• Remove whisk and chill in refrigerator until solid
• Add 1 TSP of your favorite essential oil and whip with electric hand mixer until creamy
• Fill jars with butter blends before it begins to harden
• Enjoy!