Shea Butter: Modern Day Magic
Even the most casual health and beauty consumer has, no doubt, seen shea butter listed as an active ingredient on such products as high-end moisturizers, soaps and hair conditioners. What isn’t commonly known, however, is that shea butter originated and has been used in Africa for thousands of years, and that the shea butter we see in products today is one of two types. Read on for your quick guide to the types of shea butter—and why it is still considered “magical.”
Shea Butter Origins
According to theorganicsheabutter.com, shea butter is derived from the nut of the karite tree, which grows up to 60 feet and can only be found in Sub-Saharan Africa (from Guinea to Sudan); Africans know the karite as the “tree of life”—not surprising considering the healing properties they discovered in the shea butter, or the vegetable fat extracted from the fruit nut after a long process of crushing and boiling.
Shea Butter Uses
The conditions that Africans turned to shea butter to heal are just as applicable today: blemishes, burns, dry skin, wrinkles, rashes, stretch marks, chapped lips and scars, along with psoriasis and eczema. With its high content of vegetable fats, as well as Vitamins A, E and F, shea butter is a natural, rich moisturizer and emollient, and is also ideal for repairing chronic split ends and imbuing dry, brittle hair with new life. Though it offers a low level of UV protection (6 SPF, max), it should not be used as a primary sun protector.
Unrefined Shea Butter
Unrefined shea butter is a creamy yellow in color, and is most highly recommended by organic vendors. Because this shea butter has not been exposed to chemicals, pesticides or preservatives, it is in its most effective form. According to the American Shea Institute, clinical studies have shown that unrefined shea butter can transform problematic skin to suppler, smoother, healthier skin within four to six weeks. So why doesn’t everybody use unrefined shea butter? It has a strong nutty odor that many find unpleasant, though the odor is noted to disappear within minutes of the shea butter’s absorption into your skin or hair.
Refined Shea Butter
More common than unrefined shea butter, refined shea butter is pure white and odorless, and has been treated with bleach, hexane and preservatives. Though this is the type of shea butter most often found in commercial health and beauty products, it retains only a small percentage of its natural healing properties, so cosmetics companies often add essential oils to enhance the butter’s scent and efficacy. Refined shea butter, however, still retains its superior moisturizing capabilities.
Other Uses
The American Shea Butter Institute also recommends using shea butter before and after strenuous exercise and for insect bites, muscle fatigue and tension, and as shaving cream. In addition, shea butter is still used a cooking oil in West Africa.
