What Is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is a fat produced from the seeds and kernels of the shea (Karite) tree. The shea tree is native to West Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. Its butter has been used internally and externally for centuries across the continent to soothe the skin.
This ancient African remedy is off-white and solid at room temperature, but it doesn’t leave your skin too greasy.
This skin superfood has been used in Africa and many other places for years to improve skin and hair. It also has a long history of medicinal use, such as in wound care and even treating leprosy.
While cocoa butter is hard at body temperature and coconut oil is liquid, shea butter is in between them as it starts to melt at body temperature when you touch it. This unique quality makes it easier to handle, cut, and measure than other moisturizers. it quickly absorbs, so it doesn’t stain clothes.Shea tree butter has a strong, nutty, kind of earthy honey smell, likely from the cinnamic acid when you open the lid.
Shea Butter Benefits for Health
Shea butter is more than just a nice lotion or butter for dry skin. It is nutrient-rich and may help with some skin conditions when part of a healthy lifestyle.
- Moisturizes – The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in shea butter makes it incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for the skin. It remedies dry skin and helps protect the skin’s natural oils.
- Reduces Inflammation – Due to its cinnamic acid and other natural properties, shea butter is anti-inflammatory. One compound, in particular, lupeol cinnamate, reduces skin inflammation and even potentially helps prevent skin mutations. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it beneficial for acne.
- Smoothes Skin – Shea aids in natural collagen production and nourishes the skin to prevent drying. With long-term use, many people report skin softening and strengthening as well as wrinkle reduction.
- Penetrates Skin – Many studies show that it is especially good at penetrating the skin and contains 60% fat, making it highly emollient (similar to how almond and jojoba oil polish the skin.) It’s high in essential fatty acids, which help build the skin barrier.
- Provides Essential Fatty Acids – What makes shea butter unique is the fatty acid profile. In addition to cinnamic acid, shea contains oleic, stearic, linoleic, palmitic, arachidic, and linolenic acid. Together, these make it the perfect boost for cellular energy and regeneration.
- Gives UV Protection – It may offer mild UV protection, up to SPF ~6.
- Supplies Vitamins A and E – High in these nutrients, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on the skin may also help with dermatitis and psoriasis.
- Reduces Joint Pain – A 2016 study found that it relieves the symptoms of osteoarthritis in rats and protects cartilage from destruction and degeneration.
More good news: it’s great to use on kids and babies too! A 2015 peadiatric study demonstrated an eczema cream with shea butter to perform just as well as the standard ceramide products. In addition, it had a high compliance rate which means that the kids didn’t mind using it.
Ask a doctor or dermatologist before using, especially if you or your family have any underlying skin conditions.Additionally, those with nut allergies should avoid or check with an allergist. Heating it does not remove the allergic risk.
What Are Some Good Uses for Shea Butter?
some nationalities cook with/eat shea butter! There are differing opinions on whether or not it’s healthy to eat. Since some studies suggest that ingesting shea butter may interfere with the digestion of other proteins, I use it externally only.
There are so many other uses for it externally. You can use shea alone or easily combined with other natural care products and ingredients.
Shea butter is one of the most versatile natural beauty ingredients, and it’s daily in some form. It has many hydrating benefits, and not just for the skin! You’ll also find shea butter in many hair products.
Shea Butter for Hair
Unless you have thick beautiful curls, pure shea butter by itself will weigh down your hair, but it’s lovely mixed into natural hair care. You won’t see it as the first ingredient—it’s usually further down. Sometimes, ingredients list it as “Butyrospermum Parkii” with shea in parentheses.
Shea butter works well on both the hair and scalp. That’s why we use it as one of the main ingredients in my Wellness Curly Conditioner. It helps seal cuticles for healthy and bouncy curls. It may help prevent breakage due to its high fatty acid content and mild UV protection.
If you struggle with dandruff, shea may help your scalp.
Shea Butter for Skin
- By itself for face and body as a natural moisturizer
- Before sun or beach exposure to replenish skin
- After sunburns to hydrate the skin
- To ward off stretch marks
- As a natural nail and cuticle cream
- To plump up the delicate tissue and fine lines around the eyes
- On sore and raw noses during a cold or flu
- On scars to naturally help collagen production (I used it on my c-section scar!)
- By itself for low-grade sun protection
- To soothe dry and cracked feet and hands
- As a natural baby-care product
- By itself on the lips
- On the eyelids before applying makeup to make it last longer
- To improve skin elasticity (some even say it helps with cellulite)
- To lighten skin and reduce dark spots
- As a method to reduce acne blemishes and acne scars
- To prevent insect bites
What Kind Is Better?
There is a vast variation in the quality of shea butter, depending on the manufacturer and source. A 2010 study found that Eastern African shea tree nuts had significantly higher fat and oleic acid contents than Western countries. On the other hand, Western African shea butter is higher in stearic acid.
If you’ve tried shea butter before and haven’t liked it, try a different brand or check the expiration date. Shea butter may go rancid after 2-3 years, especially if it’s been exposed to heat or sunlight.
The American Shea Butter Institute warns that one of the main healing components in shea butter, cinnamic acid, is less present in inferior brands. They have issued classifications of different quality grades, and the best with the highest cinnamic acid content is Grade A.
If you have a container of it laying around, I’d still finish that up and then be sure to buy some Grade A when you run out. To get the most antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory power, here is what to buy.
The Best Shea Butter to Buy
When it comes to choosing a better raw shea butter, just look for one that is:
- raw/unrefined
- unbleached
- organic
- Grade A
Choosing a shea butter with these claims will help you avoid solvents and other toxic chemicals sometimes used during the extraction process.
Caution: Before Using
If you get unrefined shea butter, that means it has not been filtered and may contain trace particles of the shea nut, hull, or kernels. To prevent irritated skin, you’ll want to strain it. The tiny pieces can be rough, even if you don’t feel them.
Sources:
- Oh, M. J., et al. (2017). Novel phytoceramides containing fatty acids of diverse chain lengths are better than a single C18-ceramide N-stearoyl phytosphingosine to improve the physiological properties of human stratum corneum. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 10, 363–371.
- Maranz, S., Wiesman, Z., & Garti, N. (2003). Phenolic constituents of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) kernels. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 51(21), 6268–6273.
- Ugwu-Dike, P., & Nambudiri, V. E. (2021). A review of ethnomedicinal uses of shea butter for dermatoses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dermatologic therapy, e14786. Advance online publication.