Fascinating Facts About Shea Butter

By Felicia W. Reser

Shea butter is not a dairy product but instead, is the oil removed from the kernels of the nut of the Karite tree that grows only in the wilds of the African savannah. This butter is in high demand in the cosmetics industry for use in skin and hair products for its moisturizing and healing properties and is also sometimes used in the confectionery industry as a replacement for cocoa butter. The people of Africa call the Karite tree, "the tree of life" due its vast usefulness in providing a continuous source of income to all those who make a living off its products. Shea butter is a fair trade item that is sustainably farmed by lots of female cooperative farmers in West Africa who label it "women's gold".

When the shea nuts mature, they fall from the trees and are gathered and handled in a labor intensive process that consists of cracking, crushing, roasting, separating, collecting and shaping the product into balls. The pure, unrefined butter has been used for thousands of years by the people of Africa in a countless number of ways such as hydrating the skin and scalp in the dry climate, as an antiseptic for healing minor cuts, burns and scrapes including the umbilical stump of a newborn, minimizing scars and stretch marks and in cooking stews.

The butter is made of two different fractions, one that is moisturizing and the other which is healing. The larger portion, around 90% consists of a saponifiable fat which means it can be completely converted into soap. It makes up about 90% of the substance and is an exceptional moisturizer that is absorbed quickly, provides superior hydration and penetrates deeply. The remaining 10% makes up the healing fraction and is full of non-saponifiable fat containing antioxidants, nutrients and vitamins A and E. They offer protection against inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and also operate as a natural sunscreen.

This unique substance is now prized all over the world as a natural healing moisturizer and emollient. It is widely used in skin and hair care products to heal dry skin, eczema, and dermatitis, soothe diaper rash, minimize and prevent stretch marks and wrinkles, improve skin tone and elasticity and as a base for medicinal ointments for arthritis and muscle fatigue.

Many formulations of shea butter are available in the market and are made with unrefined, refined or highly refined product. To obtain all great benefits from it, it is best to procure organic, unrefined or the mildly refined product so that retains all its nutrients.

About the Author:

All comes from natural and organic products at Shea body butter and Shea Butter. Felicia W. Reser is an expert of beauty products and health care check out her stories and advice.