Shea butter benefits

The regional tribes consider it a sacred tree so they only take the fruit when it has already fallen to the ground, this being also a totally ornamental tree.

How is it obtained?

Shea is a tree with a longevity of up to three centuries, where the trunk can reach two meters and the tree more than ten high. It begins to bear fruit after fifteen years. The fruit is very fleshy drupes similar to olives, but covered with a fine hazelnut-like shell in the center of which is a white almond-shaped seed.

After maturing between four and six months, they are collected and washed to remove impurities. They are then ground, roasted and passed through a mill to obtain a very runny brown paste. This is beaten by hand so that the butter is separated from the rest of the components. The resulting butter is brought to a boil and filtered several times to remove impurities until a clean honey-colored product is achieved. For the use of the cosmetics industry, the extraction of butter is carried out by cold pressing the fat-rich cotyledons of the almond and this is ivory-white in color. When cooling or resting, a paste with a creamy texture is obtained, giving rise to butter.

What composition does it have?

Shea butter or shea oil is a fatty substance made up of:

• A fatty acid profile of the type: 3-8% palmitic, 30-40% stearic, 41-50% oleic and 4-7% linoleic.
• Unsaponifiable fraction: basically composed of triterpenic alcohols, hydrocarbons and sterols. It is precisely this unsaponifiable fraction that makes it exclusive compared to the others. While it is common to have between 0.4 and 1% by weight of unsaponifiable fraction for all known vegetable fats, shea butter is much more active in these active principles since it has between 3.5 and 17% by weight of said fraction.

What properties does it have?

• Moisturizing and nourishing. It has the ability to hydrate and soften the dermis.
• Anti-aging and regenerating. It is an excellent natural cell regenerator that prevents aging of the skin and hair, thanks to its high amount of tocotrienols, a type of vitamin E capable of suppressing the formation of free radicals.
• Its high content of fatty acids, such as oleic acid, give it great anti-inflammatory propertiesHence, it is effective for treating skin with eczema, ulcers, chafing, chilblains, insect bites and bruises.
• Healing. Due to its high content of vitamin A, it is interesting for treating skin problems such as reducing wrinkles and stretch marks, chapped hands, skin with and wound healing.
• Moisturizing and emollient. It retains moisture preventing dehydration of the skin and provides flexibility and elasticity.
• Depigmenting. Thanks to this action of unrefined shea butter, it helps to soften skin blemishes.
• Relaxing. Due to its soft texture, it relaxes and refreshes the skin, making it an ideal product to do or for after shaving, soothing irritated skin.
• Sunscreen. It can act as a screen for certain ultraviolet rays of certain wavelengths responsible for various skin ailments, thus avoiding solar erythema or skin inflammations characterized by caused by solar action.

What applications does it have?

It has a solid butter-like texture that, when in contact with body heat, turns into oil, thus being avery simple and pleasant product to apply anywhere on the body as long as it is pure and unrefined butter. It can also be applied through cosmetics that include it among its components.

Skin applications

As a moisturizer, both for the face and the body, although oily skin should limit its use on the oiliest areas of the face.

• What lipstick, thanks to its moisturizing and regenerative properties.
• Like Brepairing salm in dry or cracked areas such as the nose, elbows, heels ...
• To treat the irritated skinafter shaving or when we suffer from skin problems such as psoriasis.

Hair applications

Thanks to the aforementioned nutrients, another of the most common uses has to do with hair care, being especially recommended:

• Dry and lackluster manes, treated with any type of dye or after the summer, when the hair is especially punished.
• To include it in our hair routine we can evenly apply a couple of pure shea butter nuts all over the hair. Once distributed, moisten a towel with warm water and wrap it around the head, leaving it to act for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• In the event that the hydration problem is not so acute, we can wash the hair with the usual shampoo. On the other hand, if you want to enhance its effects even more, it is advisable not to wash your hair until the next day.

Kitchen applications

The pure shea butter is fully edible and very nutritious, and traditionally used in local cuisine and topically for its benefits and properties on skin and hair. Its use also extends to chocolate industry as a substitute for cocoa butter.

• Shea butter is extracted from the shea tree. In its pure state, it is totally edible and highly nutritious, and is traditionally used in local cuisine and topically for its benefits and properties on skin and hair.
• It has a solid, butter-like texture that turns into oil when it comes into contact with body heat, making it a very simple and pleasant product to apply to any part of the body, as long as it is pure and unrefined butter.
• Another of the most common uses has to do with hair care, being especially recommended in the case of dry hair with lack of shine, treated with any type of dye or after the summer.

Alessandra huerta