Amazing Shea Butter
The Many Glorious Benefits Of Shea Butter
What Is Shea Butter ?
Many people may be familiar with Shea Butter. Natural Shea Butter is found in many body creams, lotion recipes, soap recipes and hair products. The Shea tree, called Karite, is the tree in which the Shea Nuts are harvested from. Shea Tree is only found in Africa, and it can take as long as thirty years for a single tree to begin to bear fruit, suitable enough for picking.
African Americans have long been using Shea Butter to help make their skin and hair beautiful and healthy. It's the fatty acid inside the Shea Nut that gives Shea Butter all of its, seemingly magically, moisturizing and healing properties.
Which Is The Best Shea Butter Product?
Shea Butter Ingredients
Shea butter melts into the skin, via body temperature, is absorbed very quickly and doesn't leave any gross, sticky, or greasy feelings on your body or hands. There are now five grades assigned to determine the quality of the shea butter you are purchasing. Grade A is raw or unrefined. Grade B is refined. C is highly refined. D is the lowest uncontaminated grade, and E has contaminates. A, B, and C are the commercial grades.
Grade A, of course retains the most natural vitamins, such as vitamins and and E. These vitamins may not be as abundant in the other grades. Grade A, raw butter, ranges in color from creamy, light, yellow, to a grayish yellow. It has a nutty smell to it, that is not present in the grades. Sometimes it can smell similar to lard, or animal fat.
In Africa, Shea Butter is not only used to make skin and hair radiant, it's also used, quite a bit, as cooking oil. You will also see it being used as a way to water proof items used for carrying around water. Candles are also made from it, as well as many types of medicinal ointments. The softening qualities that belong to Shea Butter also are great for making wood more durable and leather more pliable.
If you look at the ingredients in some of your favorite chocolate treats, you might discover that one of the ingredients is Shea Butter. Sometimes, Cocoa Butter is replaced with it. It has a different, nuttier, taste to it, but many find the taste to be something quite pleasing and enjoyable.
Many picky children even love the taste of treats made with Shea Butter.
Which is better Shea Butter or Cocoa Butter?
Shea Butter During Pregnancy
Studies have been done that show Shea Butter reduces the damaging effects of ultraviolet rays from the sun, on the skin. The sun protection level is said to be varied depending on the quality and what kind of Shea Butter, refined or unrefined, it happens to be, but it can be as high as SPF6.
Not only does it help to keep skin soft and supple, Shea Butter may also help to fade scars and stretch marks. Women who are pregnant sometimes use kind of Shea Butter lotion to help prevent stretch marks from appearing in the first place.
Shea Butter is said to be even better than Cocoa Butter when it comes to stretch mark prevention.
SHEA BUTTER SUNSCREEN
In the hot, dry, summer months, keeping skin hydrated by drinking plenty of fluids is very important. Keeping skin hydrated from the outside, in can also be extremely helpful in soothing the itchiness associated with dry skin.
The time you may be stuck with a sun burn may also be lessened when you use Shea Butter. If you're concerned about wrinkles and sun damage, rubbing yourself down with Shea Butter may help you keep them at bay for a little longer.
SHEA BUTTER ALLERGY
If you are allergic to nuts or latex, you may not be able to enjoy the benefits of Shea Butter. It is always best to talk to your doctor or dermatologist before putting anything new into your body or onto your skin, especially if you have allergies or pre-existing health problems.
NATURAL SHEA BUTTER
When you can find it in its natural, most pure form, you are able to use Shea Butter for a wide variety of things. You can even use it around the house on furniture, to help put a little life back into it, and give it a nice shine.
If you have a leather couch that is in need of a pick-me-up, try rubbing a bit of Shea Butter into it. You may be very surprised and amazed at the results.
SHEA BODY BUTTER CREAM
Women are not the only people who may find that using Shea Butter helps their skin. Men and children can also take part in the daily, or nightly ritual of covering their bodies with this lotion, or bathing in a relaxing bath with a little of Shea Butter added to the water.
If you, or anyone you know, wants more beautiful, skin and hair, you might want to consider making this a part of your daily routine.
Hello Loretta,
I recently saw a reference to whipped Shea Butter, and I am wondering how this is used. Are there some products that would require the Shea butter to be whipped, or is this just a cost saving measure to allow them to use less Shea butter?
Where can I find out more about this? I am wondering how many products use the whipped product and how many use the regular Shea butter. Would the ingredients list mention whether or not the Shea butter was whipped?
Anyways, I would appreciate it if you could tell me where I can learn more about this.
Thx, John
