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About Shea Butter
Shea butter is a particularly effective moisturizer because contains so many fatty acids, which are needed to retain skin moisture and elasticity. The high fatty acid content of shea butter also makes it an excellent additive to soap, shampoos, anti-aging creams, cosmetics, lotions, and massage oils—its soft, butter-like texture melts readily into the skin.
shea butter
Shea butter protects the skin from both environmental and free-radical damage. It contains vitamins A and E, and has demonstrated both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Shea butter is already added to many cosmetic products, but you can also purchase 100 percent pure shea butter at most health food stores and from online distributors. Unrefined shea butter is superior in that it retains all its natural vitamins, especially vitamin A and vitamin E. However, the natural smell of shea can be a bit off-putting (stinky), though the aroma does disappear after it has been applied to your skin within minutes. You can also buy ultra-refined and refined shea butter. Both of these types are have a more pleasing scent, color, and consistency, although the refining process may diminish the vitamin potency.
Shea butter, also known as karite butter, is a cream-colored fatty substance made from the nuts of karite nut trees (also called Mangifolia trees) that grow in the savannah regions of West and Central Africa. Karite trees, or shea trees, are not cultivated. They grow only in the wild, and can take up to 50 years to mature (they live up to 300 years!). In most parts of West Africa, destruction of the shea tree is prohibited because this little nut provides a valuable source of food, medicine, and income for the population. In fact, shea butter is sometimes referred to as “women’s gold” in Africa, because so many women are employed in the production of shea butter.
Why is shea butter in such demand? Western countries are just beginning to recognize the considerable health and beauty benefits of shea butter, something Africans have known for thousands of years. Shea butter has been used to help heal burns, sores, scars, dermatitis, psoriasis, dandruff, and stretch marks. It may also help diminish wrinkles by moisturizing the skin, promoting cell renewal, and increasing circulation. Shea butter also contains cinnamic acid, a substance that helps protect the skin from harmful UV rays.
Benefits of Shea Butter

Moisturizing

The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in shea butter makes it incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for skin. It is often used to remedy dry skin and to help protect the skin’s natural oils.

Reduced Inflammation

A 2010 study found that due to its cinnamic acid and other natural properties, shea butter was an anti-inflammatory. One compound in particular, lupeol cinnamate, was found to reduce skin inflammation and even potentially help avoid skin mutations. This also makes it beneficial for some people with acne.

Skin Smoothing

Shea butter aids in the skin’s natural collagen production and contains oleic, stearic, palmitic, and linolenic acids that protect and nourish the skin to prevent drying. With long-term use, many people report skin softening and strengthening as well as wrinkle reduction.

A Few Uses for Shea Butter
  • For the face and body as a natural moisturizer.
  • As a lotion bar stick for easy use.
  • After sun or beach exposure to replenish skin.
  • As a salve to ward off stretch marks.
  • As a natural cuticle cream.
  • As the best under-eye wrinkle remover and bag-reducer.
  • As a massage butter.
  • On sore/raw noses during a cold or flu.
  • On scars to naturally help collagen production.
  • As a base for homemade deodorant.
  • As a natural baby-care product (alone) or as an ingredient in baby care recipes.
  • On the lips or in homemade lip balms.
  • On the eyelids before applying makeup to make it last longer.
  • To improve skin elasticity (some even say it helps with cellulite).
  • On the hair or scalp (in a mixture with other natural ingredients).
Frequently Asked Questions
Shea butter can last for years if stored properly. Storing shea butter isn’t difficult – the most important things are to keep your shea butter out of direct sunlight and temperature extremes (not too hot or too cold – room temperature is fine) and to keep it from very moist or humid conditions. Occasionally Shea Butter will bleach to a white color – if this happens just mix it up and all should be fine. The only thing you really need to worry about is if your shea butter actually grows mold – much like you would find on bread – in this case it has probably been stored in humid or moist conditions and should be disposed of.
Shea Butter comes in a variety of colors and shades, depending on it’s region of source in Africa. Most commonly shea butter ranges from a beige to a light yellow. However, shea butter is sometimes almost white and can be very deep yellow or even have a slight olive tinge.

Like this – “shay butter”

Raw Shea Butter can be applied directly to the skin on any part of your body – face, arms, hands, feet and on the body itself. To apply shea butter, just dip your fingers into your container of shea butter and scoop out as much as you’d like to rub in. Then work the shea butter gently into your skin. It should disappear leaving a healthy sheen.

Shea butter offers many benefits to your skin. It fights aging, reduces dryness and dry spots, it’s very helpful for those fighting issues with diabetes. Shea butter helps stretch marks and reduces burn marks or other skin disfigurements, such as those left from acne.

Shea butter is regarding as being non-comedogenic, meaning it does not block pores and contribute to acne. On a scale of 0-5, with 5 being the most likely to block your pores, shea butter ranks a 0, meaning it doesn’t clog pores.
No – shea butter will not clog your pores. This is very important to note since shea butter is used in so many products, is natural and is such an incredibly versatile skin and hair care product.
Shea butter is widely known to reduce scarring, including acne scars. While shea butter probably won’t heal your acne many people use shea butter as part of their overall acne skin care regimen.
Absolutely- many people, regardless of hair type or skin color, use shea butter for added control and manageability and all round healthier hair.grainy shea butter – what does that mean?
Sometimes a batch of shea butter becomes “grainy” during the process of melting and cooling – you might feel a slight grittiness as you rub your shea butter in. This just requires a bit of extra effort, isn’t harmful, and may add some exfoliating qualities to your shea butter!
Most shea butter comes from west Africa – particularly Ghana, where the shea nuts grow wild and can be harvested by local residents, who add to their income through shea butter production. Some shea butter, however, is produced in eastern Africa, often Uganda. East African shea butter tends to be lighter in color and texture, and typically is more expensive that west African shea butter.
The results you’ll see from shea butter vary but typically Afrikan Republic customers report excellent results from the use of shea butter. These results include improvements in these areas – reduced damage caused by diabetes to the skin, fewer wrinkles and age spots, elimination or reduction of stretch marks (particularly difficult for darker skinned individuals), less acne and reduced scarring, elimination of “ashy” skin and for hair – decreased brittleness and increased manageability and thickness.
With any product you use on your baby you should test it first. But of course natural shea butter is used throughout western Africa and is used quite often on young children. Shea butter is used as a cooking oil and is generally a very safe product.
Be cautious when using a scented shea butter on your baby – they could be sensitive to the scent, especially if you are using a chemically scented shea butter.
Absolutely – during pregnancy you are likely to stress your skin (and your partner, kids, yourself) so it’s especially important to keep your skin moistened and pliable during pregnancy. Using shea butter can reduce the incident of stretch marks, and you know you don’t want them!
There is no better place to use shea butter than on your face. Your face is most exposed to sun, wind and though black women are famous for maintaining their youthful looks every wants to avoid the signs of aging, wrinkles and laugh lines. Shea Butter also acts as a sunscreen – making it less likely that your face will be much darker when beach time comes!
If you really need to melt your shea butter (perhaps to blend in a scent or mix it with other oils) we recommend melting over the lowest possible heat. If possible, just warm it enough to mix in your additional ingredients. Shea butter can turn grainy when you overheat it.
Your scalp is the base for a beautiful head of hair. Having a properly moisturized scalp reduces dandruff. In addition, shea butter contains vitamins necessary for healthy skin. A healthy scalp is the beginning of healthy hair.
Shea Butter is made from the oil boiled out of the shea butter, or karite, nut. This nut grows wild in western African nations like Ghana and has been harvested and converted into shea butter for eons.
Raw, natural shea butter typically has a smoky scent to it. Some find this natural scent to be slightly unpleasant but most adjust to the scent very quickly. If you prefer you can purchase a scented shea butter but it’s best to make sure your shea butter is scented with natural or essential oils, rather than a chemical fragrance. All Afrikan Republic Shea Butters are naturally scented.
If your shea butter has no scent and is very white, most likely it’s a refined shea butter. Refined shea butter is used in most commercial cosmetics and products that contain shea butter. For a shea butter cream that uses raw shea butter try the Afrikan Republic Shea Butter Cream.
Eczema is a painful and irritating skin disease that affects many people. We can’t tell you how many of our customers have reported that natural shea butter provided more relief for their shea butter than $100’s of dollars of prescriptions from their dermatologist.
Shea Butter will definitely help reduce wrinkles and signs of aging. Shea butter not only moisturizes your skin but also provides valuable nutrients your skin needs to repair and heal itself.
Absolutely – shea butter is nature’s perfect skin moisturizer. When using shea butter you know you aren’t rubbing harmful chemicals into your skin. If shea butter can moisturize in the heat of western Africa it can moisturize your dry skin.
Ashy skin is known to disappear when shea butter is used regularly. Apply anywhere you typically see ashy skin, most often found on elbows, knees and legs.
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