You all know I love using coconut oil and olive oil on skin and hair, but another fantastic natural moisturizer is pure shea butter. The name itself sounds luxurious, doesn’t it?
Regardless of whether you have dry skin like me, you’ll appreciate the benefits of shea butter. It can also help balance oily and combination skin. My teenagers love it for that reason.
This rich butter is thick and solid at room temperature with a creamy texture, making it perfect as a natural eye cream, lip balm, or body butter.
Shea butter provides more than just moisture and hydration. It carries essential health advantages like anti-inflammatory benefits and transports anti-aging fatty acids right into the skin.
Many people suggest using it for sunburns or dark spots. It’s especially suitable for sensitive skin. There are numerous benefits and ways to use shea butter!
So what exactly is it?
What Exactly Is Shea Butter?
Shea butter comes from the seeds and kernels of the shea (Karite) tree, native to West and Sub-Saharan Africa. This butter has been used for centuries internally and externally across the continent to calm the skin.
This ancient African remedy is off-white and solid at room temperature, but it doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy.
A superfood for the skin, it has been utilized in Africa and other regions to enhance skin and hair health. It also has long-standing medicinal applications, like wound healing and treating conditions such as leprosy.
While cocoa butter is firm and coconut oil is liquid at body temperature, shea butter is somewhere in the middle, as it starts to melt upon contact. This quality makes it easier to handle, cut, and measure than other moisturizers.
I appreciate how quickly it absorbs without staining clothes.
Shea butter from the shea tree has a robust, nutty, and earthy honey scent, likely due to cinnamic acid. Don’t worry; you won’t end up smelling like shea nuts all day after using it.
Health Benefits of Shea Butter
So what are the advantages of using raw shea butter?
Shea butter offers more than just being a pleasant lotion for dry skin. It’s rich in nutrients and may assist with certain skin conditions when part of a healthy lifestyle.
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Moisturizes – Packed with natural vitamins and fatty acids, shea butter is deeply nourishing and moisturizing. It treats dry skin and helps maintain natural oils.
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Reduces Inflammation – Cinnamic acid and other natural elements give shea butter anti-inflammatory properties. Lupeol cinnamate, a specific compound, reduces skin inflammation and might even help prevent skin mutations. Its anti-inflammatory nature is beneficial for acne.
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Smoothes Skin – Shea supports natural collagen production and rejuvenates the skin to prevent drying out. With prolonged use, many report softer, strengthened skin and diminished wrinkles.
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Penetrates Skin – Studies show shea butter penetrates the skin effectively and is 60% fat, making it a great emollient like almond and jojoba oil, which boost the skin barrier.
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Provides Essential Fatty Acids – Its unique fatty acid profile includes oleic, stearic, linoleic, palmitic, arachidic, and linolenic acids, which collectively boost cellular energy and regeneration.
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Offers UV Protection – Shea butter may provide mild UV defense, around SPF 6.
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Supplies Vitamins A and E – High in these antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, shea butter can also assist with dermatitis and psoriasis.
- Eases Joint Pain – A 2016 study showed it relieved osteoarthritis symptoms in rats and safeguarded cartilage.
Good news: it’s great for kids and babies too! A pediatric study in 2015 found an eczema cream with shea butter as effective as standard ceramide products, with a high compliance rate, indicating kids didn’t mind using it.
While I’ve only applied it externally, consult a doctor or dermatologist if you or your family have any underlying skin conditions or if you have nut allergies. Heating doesn’t remove the allergic risk.
Effective Uses for Shea Butter
To your surprise, some people cook with or consume shea butter! (I haven’t tried this, so do share in the comments if you have.) It even appears in some chocolate recipes. There’s debate about its healthiness as food; some studies suggest it might interfere with other protein digestion, so I use it externally only.
There are many external uses. You can apply shea alone or blend it with other natural care products and ingredients.
I use it daily in one way or another, from homemade lotion bars and magnesium body butter to lip balms and healing salves.
Not just for skin, it’s beneficial for hair too!
Shea Butter for Hair
Unless you have thick curls, using pure shea butter might weigh down your hair, but it’s great combined in natural hair products. It’s usually listed further down the ingredient list as "Butyrospermum Parkii" or simply shea.
For years, I sought natural shampoos and conditioners without harsh or toxic components. Unable to find one, I created my skincare and haircare line, Wellnesse.
As a primary ingredient in Wellnesse Curly Conditioner, shea butter helps seal cuticles for healthy curls and may reduce breakage given its fatty acid content and mild UV protection.
Struggling with dandruff? Shea may help your scalp.
Shea Butter for Skin
I adore using shea on my skin both solo and with other ingredients. Though thick, it melts right in.
How does shea butter benefit skin? Some of my preferred uses include:
- As a natural moisturizer for both face and body
- Before sun or beach time to replenish skin moisture
- After sunburns to hydrate
- Preventing stretch marks
- As a natural cuticle and nail cream
- Softening the delicate eye area
- To protect sore noses during colds
- Fading scars naturally (I applied it on my c-section scar!)
- For light sun protection by itself
- Soothing cracked hands and feet
- As a gentle baby care solution
- By itself as a lip balm
- As a makeup base to enhance staying power
- To improve skin elasticity
- Lightening dark spots and reducing acne scars
- For preventing bug bites
Besides personal use, shea works excellently in DIY skincare recipes.
DIY Skincare Recipes
I frequently blend shea with essential oils in homemade recipes for dryness and anti-aging.
Emulsifying it with other oils utilizing my lotion recipe technique maximizes its health benefits.
Choosing the Right Shea Butter
There’s a considerable quality variation depending on sources. A 2010 study showed Eastern African shea nuts have higher fatty and oleic acid content than their Western counterparts, which contain more stearic acid.
If past trials of shea butter disappointed you, explore a different brand or check expiry. It can go rancid after 2-3 years, especially exposed to heat or sunlight.
The American Shea Butter Institute cautions that inferior brands have less cinnamic acid. Grade A, with the highest content, is the top quality classification.
I only use raw, unrefined Grade A shea butter. Many refined ones are odorless and bleached white, stripping beneficial properties like antioxidants and vitamins. I avoid using bleached products on my skin when possible.
Once your container is empty, consider switching to Grade A for maximum antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Here’s what to look for:
- Raw/unrefined
- Unbleached
- Organic
- Grade A
Selecting shea butter with these attributes helps you evade toxic extraction chemicals.
(Thrive Market members can find a fair trade option.)
Proceed with Caution
Unrefined shea butter isn’t filtered and may contain trace particles. Straining prevents irritation—tiny particles might be coarse even if unnoticed.
I often gently heat shea until it just melts (around 110°F), then strain through cheesecloth to eliminate particles. Post-straining, I measure it into silicone molds for easy use in beauty recipes.
Storing and Using Shea Butter Tips
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Store away from light or heat. Sources suggest a 12-24 month lifespan, but I never have it last that long thanks to its versatility.
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If crumbly, shea may be chilly. Warm between hands for easy absorption.
- DIY TIP: If too thick, hard, or crumbly, hold or lightly warm it before using. Don’t let it near boiling lest it loses beneficial properties.
The extensive benefits of shea butter make it an excellent addition to your natural skincare arsenal. How will you and your family utilize it? Leave it prominently on your bathroom counter and watch it disappear!
This content underwent medical review by Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As ever, this is not personal medical advice, so consult your doctor.
Have you used shea butter? What was your experience?
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