Shea butter has become a popular ingredient in a lot of skincare products, so it should be a familiar word to most people....but do you know what it is or why it has become so popular?Shea butter is actually derived from the inside of a nut from the Shea-Karite tree in Africa. In its pure state, it looks like hard caramel colored lumps. When put between the hands and rubbed to warm, it softens into the moisturizing buttery texture we're familiar with. It is rich in vitamins E and F that promote skin health and repair. It can be used on the skin for rashes, scars, infections, wounds, irritations, dryness, eczema, psoriasis, insect bites, burns and sunburns, and other ailments. It is versatile enough to be used on the hair as a conditioner as well, and on the lips for cracked, dry or chapped lips.
It is not uncommon to find shea butter in different colors, ranging from a whipped cream color to a grayish-yellow color. This is due in part to the area where the nuts were collected and whatever processes the butter has undergone. White shea butter is usually highly refined and process and thus has lost some of its natural components and therapeutic strength.
Shea butter does not go bad, but after a couple years, it does begin to lose its therapeutic effectiveness. This just means it loses its ability to mend and repair, but it will still have the fatty contents that are necessary for moisturizing.
Shea butter is good for massage, for lotion, for diaper rash, for hair-dressing, for burn relief, for skin difficulties,.... it is well worth obtaining for its many benefits of beauty and good health!
