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Shea Butter Benefits and Uses

1. Introduction to Shea Butter
2. What is Shea Butter
3. Shea Butter Apperance & Composition
4. How Does or Should Shea Butter Smell
5. Is all Shea Butter the Same
6. Shea Butter Uses
7. Shea Butter Hair Benefits
8. Shea Butter Skin Benefits
9. What is a Shea Butter Mix

Introduction to Shea Butter?

Shea Butter has been around for quite some time, centuries in fact.  Shea Butter is local to Africa, which is where it is used the most for its benefits to skin and hair. Recently, though, it seems as though Shea Butter’s benefits have been discovered off continent. This is because Shea Butter is beneficial to allpeople, races and nationalities, not just any one group! You can find Shea Butter in its pure form, or as an ingredient in other products.

What is Shea Butter?

Shea Butter is only found in Africa.  It is extracted from the seeds of the Shea-Karite tree. These seeds or nuts are then removed of their outer shell.  These nuts are then crushed by hand so that they can be slowly roasted into a nice butter.  After this is done, it is kneaded by hand in large basin of water to separate the oils. It’s this fatty acid that gives Shea Butter its unique natural restorative properties and makes it far superior to other organic butters. Finally, the Shea Butter is removed off the top of the pot, and cooled until it hardens.

Shea Butter is an all natural organic product (edible), and as a result one will vary slightly from another in smell, appearance, and quality.  The majority of the Shea Butter variation found will depend on where the Shea Butter is produced and how or if the Shea Butter is refined.

Shea Butter Apperance & Composition?

Shea butter should be yellowish or ivory colored. White Shea Butter can be found, and usually has this color because it has been highly refined.  Heavily Rooted does not endorse refined Shea Butter because it’s original restorative properties would have diminished.

How Does or Should Shea Butter Smell?

Shea Butter is a natural organic product, and thus has a natural nutty smell. This smell isn’t unpleasant to most, but some manufactures may include a fragrance to counter the natural smell of the Shea Butter. If you have an unrefined Shea Butter that has no smell, it is probably old.  This is because Shea Butter loses its smell over time.  Once the smell is gone, it is best to dispose of the remaining Shea Butter.

For unrefined Shea Butter, the natural smell is removed during the refining proccess, just like most of the natural and organic restorative properties the Shea Butter once held.

Is all Shea Butter the same?

No, not all Shea Butter is the same. As you look deeper into Shea Butter you will find two major categories.  unrefined Shea Butter, and refined Shea Butter.  The difference lies in how the Shea Butter is extracted from the nut of the Shea-Karite tree as detailed earlier.

Unrefined Shea Butter is extracted in the process detailed above, using water.  This is done usually by hand in an African village, but will leave many of the natural restorative properties in the Shea Butter.

Refined Shea Butter may be treated with chemicals that remove color and it’s natural smell, rather than using water.  These chemicals tend to strip not just the smell and color, but many of the restorative qualities that make Shea Butter advantageous over so many other butters.

Shea Butter Uses?

Shea Butter is often used as a base for medical ointments, and has been claimed to have anti-inflammatory properties. Shea Butter is also claimed to be effective treatment for the following conditions: fading scars, eczema, burns, rashes, dry skin (moisturizer), sun burn, skin peeling, dark spots, skin discolorations, blemishes, wrinkles, soften skin, chapped lips, stretch marks (pregnancy), wrinkles, hair luster and irritation from psoriasis.

Shea Butter is effective in at least four categories: Anti Aging, Healing Aide, Prevention, Skin Protection.