Shea butter

Shea butter, sometimes also called karité, looks at first glance like a shapeless, yellowish lump of fat. But don’t be fooled by appearances – a piece of this “African gold” obtained from the nuts of sacred African trees should definitely be part of your beauty routine for its amazing positive effects.

The history of using shea butter in skin care is long – this miraculous natural substance was worth its weight in gold back when the queen Nefertiti used it to keep her skin silky smooth. It has its place both in the beauty industry and in the food industry, because raw shea butter is very rich in nutrients, full of saturated fatty acids and vitamins, and can be used in an endless number of ways.

Characteristics of Shea Butter

Shea butter is one of nature’s best treasures because it combines restoring and beautifying effects – a rare thing to find in a single substance. Thanks to a high content of fatty acids, it has positive effects on the skin, and its vitamins help keep the skin supple and wrinkle-free. Catechins and antioxidants speed up scar restoring and help cure various skin issues.

Benefits of Shea Butter for Skin

• Helps regenerate skin cells and promotes collagen production thanks to vitamin A which has positive effects on targeting wrinkles.
• Restores your skin’s elasticity and firmness thanks to a hight content of saturated fatty acids.
• Acts as a light protection from sunlight (SPF 3 to 4) thanks to vitamin E.
• Helps with acne treatment and restores the natural beauty of your skin.
• Speeds up the restoration of scars, burns, insect bites, and soothes allergic skin reactions.
• Recommended for issues with psoriasis, dermatitis, and atopic dermatitis.
• In winter, it acts as a protective shield against the cold and humidity, doesn’t clog pores, and can be used every day.

Benefits of Shea Butter for Hair

• Promotes a better hair growth and nourishes hair follicles.
• Removes dandruff, has a positive effect on dry scalp.
• Helps restore the right moisture balance to excessively oily hair and scalp.
• Gives hair a healthy gloss and takes care of split ends.
• Creates a protective filter on your hair against the harmful effects of sunlight.
• In winter it protects hair from the cold and humidity.
• Takes care of hair frequently stressed by blow-drying and straightening.

Beauty Products with Shea Butter

Shea butter can be used on all skin types from dry to normal, oily, or severely acne-prone complexion. It doesn’t feel heavy on your skin and doesn’t clog pores, which makes it suitable for everyday use. What’s crucial with different skin types, is the amount and type of products you choose.

Always apply pure shea butter to wet skin and hair. The oilier your skin is, the less shea butter you should use. You can either use unrefined shea butter or refined organic shea butter which has been cleaned, softened, and is easier to spread. Try for instance shea butter by Saloos that comes in a handy travel-friendly packaging.

Face and body creams with shea butter should be applied at least twice a day to help stimulate the production of collagen and elastin which help keep our skin firm. The renewal of protein structures slows down the process of cell ageing. Body washes and liquid hand soaps with shea butter provide quality care and hydration even during shower and frequent hand-washing.

Nourishing hair masks with shea butter will take care of dry and damaged hair from the first wash, plus they are often enriched with other rare substances that contribute to the health of your hair. You should also have a shea butter lip product to take care of the sensitive skin of your lips. Try for instance the Purity Vision shea lip butter.

Notino.co.uk carries a wide range of products with shea butter – so try them and see the miraculous effects by yourself!