What is Shea Butter?

Shea Butter is extracted from the nuts of the Karite Tree found in Central Africa. The climate in that region offers sufficient rain and a long hot, dry season for ripening and drying. In this region the product is for the most part harvested and processed by women, hence its name “Womens Gold.”

Pure, natural Shea Butter is essentially a vitamin A cream however it also an powerful skin moisturizer and offers powerful skin healing properties. Shea Butter is so effective that many cosmetic companies are integrating into their cosmetic and beauty products. What separates Shea Butter from other natural oils is the way it can help heal dry, cracked or burned skin and it has UV absorbing qualities which makes it attractive as a skin sun protectant.

Shea butter is used increasingly as an ingredient in natural soap and natural lotion. It’s popularity as a skin care and beauty product is growing.

Shea butter is milled from the nuts of the Karite Tree. Shea trees grow as wild plants and are not cultivated on farms. Women and children in African villages are the predominant harvesters. The tree will bear fruit at between 8 and 15 years and continue producing for decades. The shea nut kernels contain nearly half oil and this is a rich natural oil with strong anti-oxidant properties.

Similar to Olive Oil, Shea Butter has a high melting point and it is actually used in cooking. To begin processing of the nut into butter, its green pulp exterior is removed which may take ten days. Then the nuts are parboiled or sun dried. Further drying is necessary to make the nut ready for processing. For instance, they will be roasted on a metal sheet over a fire. The nuts are then pounded with a mortar to produce a coarse paste. Further grinding produces a smooth paste. Water is added to the pulp mix and gradually a white butter floats to the top. Overnight, the solution solidifies.

Modern Shea Butter processing involves using hydraulic presses to extract the shea oil but is an expensive process that is not quite financially feasible yet.

Shea butter benefits come from the high amounts of vitamins A and E it contains. Shea butter is a wonderful skin moisturizer due to the large amount of healthy fatty acids, which help to retain skin moisture and elasticity. It has antioxidant properties as potent as those of green tea and olive oil and it is proven to absorb the suns harmful UVB rays making skin care experts consider it a great anti-aging product.. Shea’s anti-inflammatory properties make it ideal for healing skin and even helping with skin conditions such as eczema.

Yes, Shea Butter lotion is a smooth rich skin care product you would be wise to start using.