Shea Butter

What is it?

An oil rich in fats that is derived from the karite tree (also known as the shea tree) is your solution for many skin, health, and hair health issues. Fairly recently, this butter has gained huge popularity in the western world due to its widespread use in several beauty products, such as lotions, cosmetics, shampoos, and conditioners. Let’s learn more about shea butter benefits, nutrition facts and much more.

Shea butter is fat that’s extracted from the nuts of the shea tree. It’s solid at warm temperatures and has an off-white or ivory color. Shea trees are native to West Africa, and most shea butter still comes from that region.

Shea butter has been used as a cosmetic ingredient for centuries. Its high concentration of vitamins and fatty acids — combined with its easy-to-spread consistency — make it a great product for smoothing, soothing, and conditioning your skin.

Curious? Here are 22 reasons to add it to your routine, how to use it, and more.

1. It’s safe for all skin types

Shea butter is technically a tree nut product. But unlike most tree nut products, it’s very low in the proteins that can trigger allergies.

In fact, there’s no medical literature documenting an allergy to topical shea butter.

Shea butter doesn’t contain chemical irritants known to dry out skin, and it doesn’t clog pores. It’s appropriate for nearly any skin type.

2. It’s moisturizing

Shea butter is typically used for its moisturizing effects. These benefits are tied to shea’s fatty acid content, including linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids.

When you apply shea topically, these oils are rapidly absorbed into your skin. They act as a “refatting” agent, restoring lipids and rapidly creating moisture.

This restores the barrier between your skin and the outside environment, holding moisture in and reducing your risk of dryness.

3. It won’t make your skin oily

Shea butter contains high levels of linoleic acid and oleic acid. These two acids balance each other out. That means shea butter is easy for your skin to fully absorb and won’t make your skin look oily after application.

4. It’s anti-inflammatory

The plant esters of shea butter have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties.

When applied to the skin, shea triggers cytokines and other inflammatory cells to slow their production.

This may help minimize irritation caused by environmental factors, such as dry weather, as well as inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema.

5. It’s antioxidant

Shea butter has significant levels of vitamins A and E, which means it promotes strong antioxidant activity.

Antioxidants are important anti-aging agents. They protect your skin cells from free radicals that can lead to premature aging and dull-looking skin.

6. It’s antibacterial

A 2012 study suggests that oral doses of shea bark extract can lead to decreased antimicrobial activity in animals.

Although more research is needed, this could indicate possible antibacterial benefits in humans.

Because of this, some speculate that topical application may decrease the amount of acne-causing bacteria on the skin.

7. It’s antifungal

Shea tree products have been established as powerful ingredients to fight skin infections caused by fungi.

While shea butter may not be able to treat every kind of fungal infection, we know that it kills spores of the fungi that causes ringworm and athlete’s foot.

8. It may help prevent acne

Shea butter is rich in different kinds of fatty acids. This unique composition helps clear your skin of excess oil (sebum).

At the same time, shea butter restores moisture to your skin and locks it in to your epidermis, so your skin doesn’t dry out or feel “stripped” of oil.

The result is a restoration of the natural balance of oils in your skin — which may help stop acne before it starts.

9. It helps boost collagen production

Shea butter contains triterpenes. These naturally occurring chemical compounds are thought to deactivate collagen fiber destruction.

This may minimize the appearance of fine lines and result in plumper skin.

10. It helps promote cell regeneration

Shea’s moisturizing and antioxidant properties work together to help your skin generate healthy new cells.

Your body is constantly making new skin cells and getting rid of dead skin cells. You actually get rid of anywhere between 30,000 to 40,000 old skin cells each day.

Dead skin cells sit on the top. New skin cells form at the bottom of the upper layer of skin (epidermis).

With the right moisture balance on the surface of your skin, you’ll have fewer dead skin cells in the way of fresh cell regeneration in the epidermis.

11. It may help reduce the appearance of stretch marks and scarring

It’s thought that shea butter stops keloid fibroblasts — scar tissue — from reproducing, while encouraging healthy cell growth to take their place.

This may help your skin heal, minimizing the appearance of stretch marks and scarring.

12. It may help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

By boosting collagen production and promoting new cell generation, shea butter may help reduce what researchers call photoaging — the wrinkles and fine lines that environmental stress and aging can create on skin.

13. It offers added sun protection

Shea butter can’t be used by itself as an effective sunscreen.

But using shea butter on your skin does give you some added sun protection, so layer it over your favorite sunscreen on days you’ll be spending outside.

Shea butter contains an estimated SPF of 3 to 4.

14. It may help prevent hair breakage

Shea butter hasn’t been studied specifically for its ability to make hair stronger.

But one 2017 studyTrusted Source found that a chemically similar West African plant made hair significantly more resistant to breakage.

15. It may help treat dandruff

One way to treat dandruff (atopic dermatitis) is to restore moisture to your dry and irritated scalp.

One 2018 reviewTrusted Source found that shea butter, when used in combination with other moisturizers, could help decrease dandruff flakes and reduce risk of flare-ups.

More research is needed to determine how effective shea is when used alone.

16. It may help soothe conditions like eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis

Shea’s anti-inflammatory properties help soothe skin and relieve itching. This may prove especially helpful for inflammatory skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis.

Shea also absorbs rapidly, which could mean quick relief for flare-ups.

ResearchTrusted Source even suggests that shea butter could work just as well as medicated creams in treating eczema.

17. It may help soothe sunburn and other skin burns

ResearchTrusted Source suggests that oils may be beneficial for superficial (first-degree) skin burns, such as sunburn.

Shea’s anti-inflammatory components may reduce redness and swelling. Its fatty acid components may also soothe the skin by retaining moisture during the healing process.

Although the researchers in this study established that the use of shea butter, aloe vera, and other natural products is common, more research is needed to assess their efficacy.

18. It may help soothe insect bites

Shea butter has been traditionally used to soothe bee stings and insect bites.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that shea butter may help bring down swelling that bites and stings can cause.

That said, there isn’t any clinical research to support this.

If you’re experiencing severe pain and swelling from stings or bites, consider seeing a health professional and stick to proven treatments.

19. It can help promote wound healing

In addition to reducing underlying inflammation, shea is also linked to the tissue remodeling that’s crucial for treating wounds.

Its protective fatty acids may also help shield wounds from environmental irritants during the healing process.

20. It may help relieve arthritis pain

Arthritis is caused by underlying inflammation in the joints.

A 2016 animal studyTrusted Source on shea oil concentrate suggests that it can help reduce inflammation while also protecting joints from further damage.

Although this study focused on knee joints, these potential benefits could extend to other areas of the body.

21. It may help soothe muscle soreness

Muscles that have been overextended can be affected by inflammation and stiffness as your body repairs muscle tissue.

Shea butter may help sore muscles in the same way it may help joint pain — by reducing inflammation.

22. It may help relieve congestion

A 1979 studyTrusted Source suggests that shea butter may help alleviate nasal congestion.

When used in nasal drops, shea butter may reduce inflammation in the nasal passages.

It could also help reduce mucosal damage, which often leads to nasal congestion.

These effects could be beneficial when dealing with allergies, sinusitis, or the common cold.

Where do all of these benefits come from?

The benefits of shea butter come from its chemical makeup. Shea butter contains:

• linoleic, palmitic, stearic, and oleic fatty acids, ingredients that balance oils on your skin

• vitamins A, E, and F, antioxidant vitamins that promote circulation and healthy skin cell growth

• triglycerides, the fatty part of the shea nut that nourishes and conditions your skin

• cetyl esters, the waxy part of the shea nut butter that conditions skin and locks in moisture

Keep in mind that the exact makeup varies according to where the shea nuts are harvested from. You may also find shea butter mixed with added ingredients, such as tea tree oil or lavender oil.

How to use shea butter

On skin

You can apply shea butter directly to your skin. Raw, unrefined shea butter is easy to spread.

You can use your fingers to scoop a teaspoon or so of shea butter from your jar, and then rub it onto your skin until it’s completely absorbed.

Shea butter is slippery and can keep makeup from adhering to your face, so you may prefer to apply it at night before bed.

On hair

Raw shea butter can also be applied directly to your hair.

If your hair is naturally curly or porous, consider using shea butter as a conditioner. Make sure your hair has absorbed most of the shea butter before rinsing and styling as usual. You can also use a small amount of shea butter as a leave-in conditioner.

If your hair is naturally straight, thin, or fine, consider using shea butter on the ends of your hair. Applying shea butter to your roots may cause an oily-looking buildup.

Storage

Shea butter should be stored slightly below room temperature, so that it stays solid and easy to spread.

Possible side effects and risks

There are no documented cases of topical shea butter allergies. Even people with tree nut allergies should be able to use shea butter on their skin.

That said, discontinue use if you begin experiencing irritation and inflammation. Seek emergency medical attention if you experience severe pain, swelling, or difficulty breathing.

Products to try

If you want to get the most out of your shea butter, purchase it in its raw and unrefined form. The more that shea butter is processed, the more its amazing, all-natural properties are diluted.

For this reason, shea butter is classified by a grading system from A to F, with grade A being the most pure form of shea butter you can buy.

Buying shea butter that’s raw and unrefined also helps more of your purchase count toward supporting the communities that actually harvest and grow shea nuts. You can go a step further by purchasing grade A shea butter that’s labeled “fair trade.”

The bottom line

Shea butter is packed with essential nutrients that can enhance your natural complexion and help you glow from the inside out.

Although it’s considered safe every skin type, many products containing shea butter have other ingredients mixed in.

Refined vs. Unrefined Shea Butter

Shea butter may be refined or unrefined. Unrefined shea butter is the purest form of shea butter, which is the most natural and the least processed. Since it is extracted manually, it is able to retain its vitamins, minerals, and other natural properties. It is subjected to a basic filtration process using clays, cheesecloth, or other methods. These can slightly alter the butter’s color, scent, and texture. It is melted, set into molds, and sold in the form of bars or sticks.

Unrefined shea butter is further categorized into grades ranging from A to F, with grade A being the best quality.

Refined shea butter, on the other hand, is the processed form. Apart from the filtration process, it also undergoes a deodorizing process by airing or usage of chemicals. It is also bleached to make the butter whiter. Addition of additives is common to add a suitable scent and increase the shelf life (preservatives) of the butter. All of these processes make the butter white and very smooth. A major disadvantage of using the refined version of shea butter is that all the processing it goes through reduces its nutritional value.

This refined version can be refined even further, which implies the involvement of more processes to make it even more smooth and white. This is often done when shea butter needs to incorporated into cosmetics or skin care products. Quite a few of the nutritional benefits get destroyed after so many refining processes. This type of shea butter is often referred to as ultra-refined or highly refined shea butter.

Some companies also market their shea butter as being organic. This is the unrefined version that has been grown and harvested using natural processes only. The healing and moisturizing properties of shea butter can be attributed to its nutritional value. Here is the nutritional data for shea butter.

Shea Butter Nutrition Facts

NUTRITION FACTS
Serving Size 5g shea butter kernels 20 Servings per 100 g 0.2 Servings per 1/8 cup (30ml 28g) *
Energy per 5g serving :
Calories	44 Cal / kcal	Kilojoules 185kJ
Nutrients	Per 1/8 cup (30ml)	Per 100g
Energy	1,023kJ(244Cal)	3,700kJ (884Cal)
Protein	0g	0g
Fat Total	28g	99.9g
saturated	12.9g	46.6g
trans fat	<0.03g(MAX)	<0.1g(MAX)
polyunsaturated fat	1.4g	5.2g
monounsaturated fat	12.2g	44g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Octanoic acid	0.06 g	0.2 g
Decanoic acid	0.06 g	0.2 g
Dodecanoic acid	0.36 g	1.3 g
Tetradecanoic acid	0.03 g	0.1 g
Hexadecanoic acid	1.2 g	4.4 g
Octadecanoic acid	10.7 g	38.8 g
Palmitoleic Acid	0.03 g	0.1 g
Octadecenoic acid (Omega-9)	12.025 g	43.5 g
Octadecadienoic acid (Omega-6)	1.355 g	4.9 g
Octadecatrienoic acid (Omega-6)	0.08 g	0.3 g
Phytosterols	99 mg	357 mg
Total Carbohydrate	0g	0g
Sugars	0g	0g
Dietary Fiber	0g	0g
Water	<0.028g(MAX)	<0.1g(MAX)

If you are looking to find a great natural beauty product for your skin or hair, then shea butter is a wonderful choice.