Botanical Name: Butyrospermum parkii

Aroma: Nutty and Fatty.

Texture: Solid but permeable at room temperature. Leaves an oily/waxy feeling on the skin.

Color: Off-White.

Shelf Life: Up to 2 Years (Store in airtight container in cool, dry location.)

Shea butter is a slightly yellowish or ivory colored natural fat extracted from the seed of the African shea tree by crushing and boiling. It is widely used in cosmetics as a moisturizer and salve. Shea butter is edible and may be used in food preparation, or sometimes in the chocolate industry as a substitute for cocoa butter. The English name "shea" comes from sí, the tree's name in the Bamana languages of Mali. The French name "karité" comes from ghariti, its equivalent in the Wolof language of Senegal.

Shea Butter is not theoretically a carrier oil, but its natural, beneficial properties make it a lipid suitable for aromatherapy work. Shea Butter is highly moisturizing, has a smooth, creamy texture and can be included in massage blends, lotions, creams and other natural skin care products. Shea Butter can become gritty if not melted and then cooled properly. It must be heated to at least 175degrees F and then kept heated to that temperature for at least 20 minutes. If possible, let it cool in the refrigerator. Once it has cooled, it does not need to be kept in the refrigerator.

Shea butter is used as a base for medicinal ointments, and has been claimed to have anti-inflammatory properties. Shea butter is thought to be an effective treatment for the following conditions: fading scars, ECZEMA, BURNS, RASHES, severely DRY SKIN, dark spots, skin discolorations, chapped lips, stretch marks, WRINKLES, and in lessening the irritation of PSORIASIS. Shea butter has been used as a sunblocking lotion, although the level of protection against the sun's ultraviolet radiation is extremely variable, ranging from nothing to approximately SPF 6. 100% Pure & Natural Shea Butter is an all-natural vitamin A cream. Shea Butter has shown to be a superb moisturizer, with exceptional healing properties for the skin.

In Nigeria, shea butter is used for the management of sinusitis and relief of nasal congestion. This is due to its hydrating properties which helps in relaxing the tension in the face skin thus easing respiration.

There is a growing list of skin conditions where 100% Premium Shea Butter has been shown to be effective. Vitamin A in Shea Butter is important for improving a number of skins conditions, including blemishes, wrinkles, eczema, and dermatitis. Additionally, Premium Shea Butter cream has properties that treat skin allergies, insect bites, sunburns, frostbites, and a number of other conditions of the skin. Shea Butter's unparalleled moisturizing property is due to several natural moisturizers present in the cream. The moisturizers in Shea Butter are the same moisturizers produced by the sebaceous glands in the skin.

The exact benefit of the Vitamin E in Shea Butter is less clear. Vitamin E is a vitamin whose exact function in human being is not entirely clear, although it has been described as effective in a number of conditions or circumstances. These benefits include being anti-aging, an anti-free radical agent, and exerting a positive effect on increasing the micro-circulation.

If the vitamin E in Shea Butter is helpful for the skin, such benefits could be accomplished by at least two methods: (1) by increasing the micro-circulation to the skin, which results in increased blood supply to and from the skin; (2) vitamin E may serve by as an anti-free radical agent, thereby aiding in preventing the deleterious effects of sun and environmental exposure.

Although we started this article by saying that Shea Butter was not theoretically a carrier oil, you can see from its ingredients and healing properties that it deserves a place in this database as a Carrier Oil.