Shea Butter Benefits and Uses for Hair, Skin & More

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You all know I’m a fan of utilizing coconut oil and olive oil on pores and skin and hair, however one other all-star pure moisturizer across the house is pure shea butter. (Something concerning the identify simply even sounds luxurious, doesn’t it?)

Whether or not you may have dry pores and skin like me, you’ll love shea butter’s advantages. It can deliver oily and mixture pores and skin varieties again into stability too. (My teenagers find it irresistible for that reason.)

This luxurious butter could be very thick and strong at room temperature however has a buttery, wealthy consistency that makes it ideally suited to make use of as a pure eye cream, lip balm, or physique butter.

Thanks to different distinctive properties, shea butter does greater than moisturize and hydrate. It delivers very important well being advantages like being anti-inflammatory and transporting anti-aging fatty acids proper into the pores and skin.

Many advocate it for sunburns or darkish spots. It’s particularly nice for delicate pores and skin. There are so many shea butter advantages and makes use of!

So what precisely is it?

What Is Shea Butter?

Shea butter is a fats 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 hundreds of years throughout the continent to assuage the pores and skin.

This historic African treatment is off-white and strong at room temperature, nevertheless it doesn’t go away your pores and skin too greasy.

This pores and skin superfood has been utilized in Africa and plenty of different locations for years to enhance pores and skin and hair. It additionally has an extended historical past of medicinal use, similar to in wound care and even treating leprosy.

While cocoa butter is tough at physique temperature and coconut oil is liquid, shea butter is in between them because it begins to soften at physique temperature once you contact it. This distinctive high quality makes it simpler to deal with, minimize, and measure than different moisturizers.

I like the way it shortly absorbs, so it doesn’t stain garments.

Shea tree butter has a robust, nutty, type of earthy honey scent, possible from the cinnamic acid once you open the lid. (Don’t fear, you received’t really feel such as you scent like shea nuts for the remainder of the day after utilizing it.)

Shea Butter Benefits for Health

So what are the advantages of uncooked shea butter?

Shea butter is greater than only a good lotion or butter for dry pores and skin. It is nutrient-rich and will assist with some pores and skin situations when a part of a wholesome life-style.

• Moisturizes – The focus of pure nutritional vitamins and fatty acids in shea butter makes it extremely nourishing and moisturizing for the pores and skin. It treatments dry pores and skin and helps shield the pores and skin’s pure oils.
• Reduces Inflammation – Due to its cinnamic acid and different pure properties, shea butter is anti-inflammatory. One compound, specifically, lupeol cinnamate, reduces pores and skin irritation and even probably helps forestall pores and skin mutations. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it useful for zits.
• Smoothes Skin – Shea aids in pure collagen manufacturing and nourishes the pores and skin to stop drying. With long-term use, many individuals report pores and skin softening and strengthening in addition to wrinkle discount.
• Penetrates Skin – Many research present that it’s particularly good at penetrating the pores and skin and comprises 60% fats, making it extremely emollient (just like how almond and jojoba oil polish the pores and skin.) It’s excessive in important fatty acids, which assist construct the pores and skin barrier.
• Provides Essential Fatty Acids – What makes shea butter distinctive is the fatty acid profile. In addition to cinnamic acid, shea comprises oleic, stearic, linoleic, palmitic, arachidic, and linolenic acid. Together, these make it the proper enhance for mobile vitality and regeneration.
• Gives UV Protection – It might provide gentle UV safety, as much as SPF ~6.
• Supplies Vitamins A and E – High in these vitamins, the antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties on the pores and skin may additionally assist with dermatitis and psoriasis.
• Reduces Joint Pain – A 2016 examine discovered that it relieves the signs of osteoarthritis in rats and protects cartilage from destruction and degeneration.

More excellent news: it’s nice to make use of on youngsters and infants too! A 2015 pediatric examine demonstrated an eczema cream with shea butter to carry out simply in addition to the usual ceramide merchandise. In addition, it had a excessive compliance charge which signifies that the youngsters didn’t thoughts utilizing it.

I’ve solely ever used it externally. Ask a health care provider or dermatologist earlier than utilizing, particularly when you or your loved ones have any underlying pores and skin situations.

Additionally, these with nut allergy symptoms ought to keep away from or test with an allergist. Heating it doesn’t take away the allergic threat.

What Are Some Good Uses for Shea Butter?

Here’s one you could not anticipate: some nationalities cook dinner with/eat shea butter! (I’ve not tried it, however if in case you have, let me know within the feedback!) I’ve even seen it in some chocolate recipes.

There are differing opinions on whether or not or not it’s wholesome to eat. Since some research counsel that ingesting shea butter might intervene with the digestion of different proteins, I exploit it externally solely.

There are so many different makes use of for it externally. You can use shea alone or simply mixed with different pure care merchandise and components.

Shea butter is without doubt one of the most versatile pure magnificence components, and I exploit it each day in some type. For years, I’ve used it in all the things from my selfmade lotion bars and authentic magnesium physique butter to selfmade lip balms and therapeutic salves.

It has many hydrating advantages, and never only for the pores and skin! You’ll additionally discover shea butter in lots of hair merchandise.

Shea Butter for Hair

Unless you may have thick stunning curls, pure shea butter by itself will crush your hair, nevertheless it’s pretty combined into pure hair care. You received’t see it as the primary ingredient—it’s often additional down. Sometimes, components listing it as “Butyrospermum Parkii” with shea in parentheses.

For years, I looked for a pure shampoo and conditioner that really labored with out having harsh or poisonous components. When I couldn’t discover it, I made my very own pores and skin and hair care line, Wellnesse.

Shea butter works properly on each the hair and scalp. That’s why we use it as one of many primary components in my Wellnesse Curly Conditioner.

It helps seal cuticles for wholesome and bouncy curls. It might assist forestall breakage because of its excessive fatty acid content material and gentle UV safety.

If you battle with dandruff, shea might assist your scalp.

Shea Butter for Skin

I additionally love to make use of shea on my pores and skin, each by itself and mixed with different components. It’s really easy so as to add to my skincare routine. Even although it feels thick, it melts proper into my pores and skin once I rub it.

So what does shea butter do for pores and skin? Some of my favourite skincare makes use of are:

• By itself for face and physique as a pure moisturizer
• Before solar or seaside publicity to replenish pores and skin
• After sunburns to hydrate the pores and skin
• To chase away stretch marks
• As a pure nail and cuticle cream
• To plump up the fragile tissue and advantageous traces across the eyes
• On sore and uncooked noses throughout a chilly or flu
• On scars to naturally assist collagen manufacturing (I used it on my c-section scar!)
• By itself for low-grade solar safety
• To soothe dry and cracked ft and palms
• As a pure baby-care product
• By itself on the lips
• On the eyelids earlier than making use of make-up to make it last more
• To enhance pores and skin elasticity (some even say it helps with cellulite)
• To lighten pores and skin and scale back darkish spots
• As a technique to scale back zits blemishes and zits scars
• To forestall insect bites

In addition to utilizing it by itself, it really works properly in lots of DIY private care recipes.

DIY Recipes

In my selfmade merchandise, I like to combine shea with important oils. I exploit it to assist with dryness and anti-aging in all of those DIY recipes:

You can even emulsify it with different oils utilizing the method in my lotion recipe to get essentially the most well being advantages out of it.

What Kind Is Better?

There is an enormous variation within the high quality of shea butter, relying on the producer and supply. A 2010 examine discovered that Eastern African shea tree nuts had considerably greater fats and oleic acid contents than Western international locations. On the opposite hand, Western African shea butter is greater in stearic acid.

If you’ve tried shea butter earlier than and haven’t preferred it, strive a unique model or test the expiration date. Shea butter might go rancid after 2-3 years, particularly if it’s been uncovered to warmth or daylight.

The American Shea Butter Institute warns that one of many primary therapeutic parts in shea butter, cinnamic acid, is much less current in inferior manufacturers. They have issued classifications of various high quality grades, and the perfect with the very best cinnamic acid content material is Grade A.

I solely use uncooked, unrefined, Grade A shea butter. Many refined ones are odor-free and bleached to be white. The refining course of removes a few of the useful properties like antioxidants and nutritional vitamins. I additionally don’t need to put bleach on my pores and skin if I might help it.

If you may have a container of it laying round, I’d nonetheless end that up after which make sure to purchase some Grade A once you run out.

To get essentially the most antioxidant properties and anti inflammatory energy, here’s what to purchase.

The Best Shea Butter to Buy

I order this uncooked shea butter and have had nice outcomes, however you may as well discover good shea butter manufacturers at many native well being meals shops. When it comes to picking a greater uncooked shea butter, simply search for one that’s:

• uncooked/unrefined
• unbleached
• natural
• Grade A

Choosing a shea butter with these claims will enable you keep away from solvents and different poisonous chemical substances generally used in the course of the extraction course of.

(If you may have a Thrive Market membership, their model can also be truthful commerce.)

Caution: Before Using

If you get unrefined shea butter, meaning it has not been filtered and will include hint particles of the shea nut, hull, or kernels. To forestall irritated pores and skin, you’ll need to pressure it. The tiny items could be tough, even when you don’t really feel them.

I typically gently warmth mine till it simply melts (round 110?) after which pour by way of a cheesecloth or strainer to take away any particles. Once strained, I dump it into these (or any) silicone molds in pre-measured quantities (tablespoons, ¼ cup, and so on.) to be prepared for pure magnificence recipes.

Tips for Using and Storing Shea Butter

• Store it out of direct mild or warmth. Several sources counsel it could go rancid or expire inside 12-24 months, however I by no means have a jar of it that lengthy because it has so many makes use of.
• If your shea butter will get crumbly, it could be a bit of chilly. Holding it between your palms to heat it can assist it soak in properly.
• TIP to be used in DIY: If the shea butter is just too thick, arduous, or crumbly for what you’re attempting to do, maintain it in your palms for a second to heat it. If wanted, soften it over low warmth (about 110 levels) after which use. Do not let it get near boiling, or you could lose a few of the most useful therapeutic properties.

The advantages of shea butter are huge! It’s a superb a part of your pure skincare routine arsenal. How will you and your loved ones use it? Leave it out in your lavatory counter and watch it disappear!

This article was medically reviewed by Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As at all times, this isn’t private medical recommendation, and we advocate that you just discuss together with your physician.

Have you ever used shea butter? How did it give you the results you want? 

Sources:

1. Oh, M. J., et al. (2017). Novel phytoceramides containing fatty acids of numerous chain lengths are higher than a single C18-ceramide N-stearoyl phytosphingosine to enhance the physiological properties of human stratum corneum. Clinical, beauty and investigational dermatology, 10, 363–371.
2. Maranz, S., Wiesman, Z., & Garti, N. (2003). Phenolic constituents of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) kernels. Journal of agricultural and meals chemistry, 51(21), 6268–6273.
3. Ugwu-Dike, P., & Nambudiri, V. E. (2021). A overview of ethnomedicinal makes use of of shea butter for dermatoses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dermatologic remedy, e14786. Advance on-line publication.
4. Kao JH, Lin SH, Lai CF, Lin YC, Kong ZL, Wong CS. Shea Nut Oil Triterpene Concentrate Attenuates Knee Osteoarthritis Development in Rats: Evidence from Knee Joint Histology. PLoS One. 2016;11(9):e0162022. Published 2016 Sep 1.
5. Hon, Okay. L., et al. (2015). Patient acceptability, efficacy, and pores and skin biophysiology of a cream and cleanser containing lipid advanced with shea butter extract versus a ceramide product for eczema. Hong Kong medical journal = Xianggang yi xue za zhi, 21(5), 417–425.
6. Honfo, F. G., et al. (2014). Nutritional composition of shea merchandise and chemical properties of shea butter: a overview. Critical evaluations in meals science and vitamin, 54(5), 673–686.
7. Sarruf, F. D., et al. (2020). Butyrospermum parkii butter elevated the photostability and in vivo SPF of a molded sunscreen system. Journal of beauty dermatology, 19(12), 3296–3301.
8. Davrieux, F., et al. (2010). Near infrared spectroscopy for high-throughput characterization of Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) nut fats profiles. Journal of agricultural and meals chemistry, 58(13), 7811–7819.
9. Di Vincenzo, et al. (2005). Regional variation in shea butter lipid and triterpene composition in 4 African international locations. Journal of agricultural and meals chemistry, 53(19), 7473–7479.