Who should use shea butter?

Shea butter is a popular ingredient in high-end cosmetics for face, body, and hair care. What are its benefits, and is it worth using?

Shea butter—what is it?

Shea butter, also known as karité, is made from the fruit of the African shea tree. It is a luxury product because trees of this species do not begin to bear fruit until they are 20 years old, and each subsequent fruiting cycle lasts 2–3 years. What’s more, they produce only 20 kg of fruit annually, from which about 1.5 kg of precious butter can be obtained.

How does shea butter nourish the skin?

Shea butter is a source of valuable nutrients:

• vitamins A and E,
• polyphenols,
• phytosterols,
• gallic acid,
• cinnamic acid,
• fatty acids.

Shea butter has taken the world of face and body care by storm because:

• moisturizes,
• slows down the skin’s aging process,
• smooths out wrinkles,
• regenerates the skin,
• softens and firms the skin,
• protects against the harmful effects of weather conditions,
• has antibacterial properties,
• acts as a natural UV filter,
• prevents stretch marks,
  fights cellulite,
• soothes irritation and eczema.

Shea butter is also exceptionally effective if you’re dealing with cracked heels or dry, irritated skin on your hands.

Shea butter is also widely used in hair care because it smooths the hair shaft, seals the cuticles, and prevents frizz. Additionally, applying shea butter to your hair adds shine and softness, and helps restore strands that are dry or damaged by dyeing or heat styling.

For what skin types are shea butter products recommended?

Thanks to its intense moisturizing, nourishing, and regenerating properties, shea butter is a popular choice for people with dry, sensitive, or even atopic skin. Those with delicate skin will also appreciate its soothing and healing properties. Additionally, shea butter effectively reduces unsightly redness.

On the other hand, those with oily or combination skin will be pleased to know that shea butter creams don’t leave the skin feeling heavy.

What’s more, shea butter oil has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which is why it’s often found in products designed for problem skin.

Women with mature skin also love face creams containing shea butter for their ability to reduce wrinkles and slow down the effects of free radicals.

Is shea butter comedogenic, and what does that mean?

Comedogenicity, or the comedogenic rating, simply refers to an ingredient’s tendency to clog pores. This property can lead to the formation of pimples.

Comedogenicity is measured on a 6-point scale from 0 to 5. At the top of this list are oils and butters.

Fortunately, despite its rich, oily texture, shea butter is an exception and has a comedogenic rating of 0–2. This means it is very unlikely to clog the sebaceous glands.

What is the difference between refined and unrefined butter?

Refining involves the physical or chemical purification of a product to extend its shelf life. However, a side effect of this process is the loss of some of the treated product’s properties. For this reason, unrefined, cold-pressed shea butter is considered the most valuable.

In which products can you find shea butter?

Shea butter creams:

• UPLIFT ME Lifting and Soothing Day and Night Face Cream – a rich, vegan anti-aging cream with lifting properties. Its exceptional soothing and regenerating effects come from ectoine, a natural substance produced by bacteria that thrive in extreme conditions. It restores the skin’s healthy appearance, comfort, and radiant glow.
• PROTECTIVE SPF 30 Face Sunscreen – although shea butter itself provides protection against UV rays, it isn’t enough to shield you from photoaging. That’s why we’ve combined it with mineral filters in this moisturizing, beautifully scented cream.
• IDEAL Strengthening Cream for Couperose and Sensitive Skin – an essential cream with a natural mineral SPF 10 filter that provides immediate relief for tight, tired skin. It helps minimize the appearance of dilated capillaries and smooths the skin.
• LUSCIOUS Intensive Moisturizing Face Cream—provides instant, deep hydration thanks to its rich formula packed with valuable active ingredients, such as Damask rose and natural hyaluronic acid.

Shea butter body lotion:

• REGENERATING Almond Body Butter – a concentrated, velvety butter for dry skin.
• WARMING Body Butter – a sensually scented body butter with mandarin oil and ginger.
• PROTECTIVE SPF 30 Protective Body Sunscreen – a water-resistant sunscreen with natural filters safe for all skin types.