It is high in vegetable fat, which gives it amazing moisturizing properties. Its use increases the skin elasticity and helps maintain its natural moisture.

It is particularly rich in phenolic substances which have potent antioxidant activity. Of the 10 phenolic substances containing shea butter, 7 of them are catechins detected in green tea.

Catechins considered to increase the protection of the skin against external dangers, such as infection and solar radiation while act as anti-aging agents and fight free radicals.

Shea butter contains vitamins E and A, which exhibit antimicrobial activity and are valuable allies in the treatment of skin irritations, infections and eczema.

Shea butter is "solid" at room temperature (up to 25C). Nevertheless "melts" immediately upon contact with the skin and gives direct, deep and efficient hydration. When used in the manufacture of soaps, shea butter is a fantastic product which gives a rich gentle foam.

Is shea butter edible?
Technically, this butter is edible without doubts because it’s a regular oil extracted from tree seeds. There are no dangerous or potentially dangerous ingredients in it and if you want, you can try it in your meals. Actually, not all types of shea butter are edible because not all of them are pure enough for eating.

Apart from very specific recipes, shea butter can be used in any food and in any cooking type. You can boil it or use for deep-frying just like any other animal or vegetable fats that are used in the kitchen. Besides this, you can even use it like the regular cow’s butter and spread it over bread to create vegan sandwiches or so. The usage of shea butter in the kitchen is not limited with anything. Some specific African recipes involve the consumption of shea butter during certain illnesses. For instance, if a person suffers from strong cough or just has caught cold, shea butter is believed to be a good treatment. some Africans drink special tea with this butter. It involves regular tea with ginger, lemon, honey and a couple of teaspoons of shea butter. It’s said to boost the immune system strongly.

Some of our favorite uses for shea butter:

~ By itself for face and body as a natural moisturizer
~ In a shea butter lotion bar stick for easy use
~ After sun or beach exposure to replenish skin
~ Alone or in a pregnancy 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
~ In my homemade velvety soft whipped body butter
~ On sore/raw noses during a cold or flu
~ Added to basic homemade lotion
~ On scars to naturally help collagen production
~ As a base for homemade deodorant
~ By itself for low-grade sun protection
~ Whipped into magnesium body butter
~ As a natural baby-care product (alone) or ingredient in baby care recipes
~ By itself on the lips or in homemade lip balms
~ In a homemade shimmer lip balm
~ 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 mixture with other natural ingredients)
~ In homemade liquid creme foundation and makeup

TIP: If the shea butter is too thick for what you’re trying to do, melt it over very low heat and then use. Do not let it get close to boiling or you will lose beneficial properties.