Shea Butter is a famous ingredient in many cosmetic products. It has many properties and uses around the world. You may have heard of it, maybe even use a product that contains shea butter in your house right now. Do you know where it comes from? I'll share this with you. Shea butter is a rich buttery fat that is extracted from the kernels of the Shea nut fruit. This process is manual and it involves a lot of work.

Africans have used it in skin care, hair care, and their diet for centuries. It is a vital part of the culture of the people and for good reason too!  The story of shea butter is rich, intriguing, and inspiring. It is a story you don't want to miss. In our follow-up posts, we will delve into more detail about this. We will talk about the shea nut tree, the fruit, the butter, and most of all the people who process it.

In the meantime, let’s discuss the benefits of shea butter for our skin and hair. 

Moisturizing

Shea Butter contains linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids. These are emollient agents that get absorbed into your skin when you use shea butter on your skin. They help to nourish your skin and protect it from harsh weather conditions. It keeps your skin nourished and protected during the harsh winter and the extreme summer heat. In Ghana and other parts of Africa, shea butter is a household staple for skin and hair care. It prevents your skin from being dry and ashy.

Anti-inflammatory 

Did you know that shea butter is anti-inflammatory? Yes, it is! It contains plant esters that make it effective in the reduction of inflammation on the skin. This attribute makes shea butter a good choice for treating eczema and psoriasis. Skincare products made with shea butter are helpful in the treatment of eczema and relief from psoriasis.

Non-irritant

What do you mean shea butter may be non-irritant? Let me tell you! Shea butter contains low protein levels, which means it's not very allergenic. Even though it's nut butter, it's not known to be irritant. Also, the shea nut trees are not planted/farmed. They grow by propagation and are not treated with chemicals. This means no chemical irritants, making shea butter safe to use for most skin types even for babies. As always, if you are pregnant, nursing or have nut allergies, to be safe, consult with your physician before use.

It may help treat dandruff

One of the ways to treat dandruff is to restore moisture to your dry and irritated scalp. Hairdressers in Accra use shea butter as a scalp conditioning treatment for dandruff. Out of 20 Hairdressers, 17 testified to using shea butter as a scalp treatment for dandruff. According to one of the ladies, her customers felt relief from itching scalp and saw a reduction of dandruff.

Protection from the sun

Shea butter by itself isn't a complete sun blocker. But, the cinnamic acid esters in it have the ability to absorb some UV rays. Thus, giving your body some protection from the sun. Regular topical use can offer some level of protection from the sun. That's why shea butter is found in most sunscreen and sunburn treatment products. Unrefined shea butter has an estimated SPF of 3/4. You should still put on sunscreen when you go out into the sun though. We don't want you to get sunburned!

Acne Prevention

Excess production of sebum can cause acne. This happens when your skin is dry. Your sebaceous glands try to compensate for the dryness by overproducing. The topical application of shea butter helps to restore moisture to your skin. It will lock in the moisture, which balances out the oils in your skin. This way, your glands don't overproduce sebum to make up for dryness and thus, no acne.

Hair Conditioning

For most hair types, shea butter can help soften the hair and make it more manageable to comb, style or braid. It is also useful in hair conditioners to help lock in the moisture of the hair and keep it soft and shiny. Well-conditioned hair doesn't get broken or damaged easily. Thus helping you maintain your hair length and volume. 

If your hair is curly or porous, you can use Umaglow Hair Cream (coming soon!), whose primary ingredients contain Shea Butter and conditioning oils, as a conditioner/hair mask. Always ensure that your hair has absorbed the product before you rinse and style. If you have thin, or straight hair you should only use a small amount on the ends of your hair to help seal in the moisture. If you use too much, it could weigh down your hair and make your hair look greasy.

Anti-aging

Shea butter contains triterpenes. This is a natural chemical that reduces the destruction of collagen fiber in the skin. Applying it to your skin every day can help reduce wrinkles and fine lines on your face. 

Aid to stretch marks and minor scarring

The topical application of shea butter can stop scar tissue from forming. It does this by aiding the regrowth of healthy cells. This helps your skin heal faster and lowers the visibility of stretch marks.

Heat Protection

When you apply heat treatments on your hair without heat protection, you can damage your hair. Putting shea butter in your hair before you do a heat treatment can help protect your hair from heat. Shea butter absorbs into your hair shaft and so it protects your hair from damage. 

You can base your scalp with shea butter before a hot comb or flat iron treatment. You can also coat your hair with a little shea butter to help protect your hair from heat damage. It keeps your hair elasticity and maintains your hair in the best of health. It is advisable to give your hair a break from heat treatments from time to time, whether you use heat protection or not.

So now you know! Get yourself some shea butter and make it part of your skin and hair care regimen. Go on over to the UmaGlow Store and grab yours now!

Photo Credit: Tamin Y  (Africa Natural Shea Gatherers - Manager)

Written by: Ewurama Kwofie - Organic Cosmetics Formulator - A’ha-Ban Skin Care, Accra Ghana