Go Green With Shea Butter

Shea butter comes from the nut of the Shea-karite tree that is indigenous to Africa. Often extracted by hand, pure, raw Shea butter is extremely thick, yet does not clog pores. It has a creamy colour and a very distinct smell. The colour of Shea Butter varies more than you might assume. The ultimate colour of the butter depends on the Shea-karite nuts used. Shea nuts differ in colour from almost white to yellow.

Raw, unrefined Shea butter contains minerals and vitamins such as vitamins A, E and F, plus essential fatty acids. It has been used for centuries for its moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
Shea butter has the capability to soothe, hydrate and balance your skin. It is used as a moisturizer for dry skin and eczema, as a treatment for dry scalp, stretch marks and scars, for chapped lips and to help restore skin, softens cracked dry skin on heels, elbows and knees. It aslo provides collagen for anti-aging benefits, pain reliever for swelling and arthritis massage aid for muscles and stiffness.

The use of Shea butter in conventional products is on the rise, but those products are highly processed, stripping Shea of its natural healing properties. These mainstream products may also contain mineral oil. It’s recommended that Shea butter be used only in its pure, raw form (dense).

I already keep Raw African Shea Butter on hand to condition my hair naturally (almost every day!), I began to use it on my skin last year December, during harmattan season when I had cracked dry skin on heels and my had extremely dry palms. It moisturizing effectiveness blows conventional moisturizers out the water! I tell you, in 2 days I was looking for the dry skin!  I have since switched, using it as my daily skin moisturizer and I am glad that my entire family is using it, keeping them safe from exposure to toxic ingredients.

My Shea butter Melted!

One of the countless things about Shea Butter is its low melting point.  When you apply it to your skin, it literally liquefies.  However, one of the downsides about Shea Butter is its low melting point. It's pretty possible it will melt in a hot room. It may even be melted when it's delivered to you in the summer months.  If this happens, don't be bothered. The Shea Butter is good. Just take off of the container lid and put in the refrigerator until it hardens again.  As it begins to cool, you may have to give it a stir to bring the olein (liquid parts) back into contact with the stearin (solid parts) so that the Shea Butter is uniform all through.