Natural Beauty: Shea Butter
Hi everyone,
Can you tell that I think moisturizing is a crucial step in your beauty routine? One of my favorite products that I use to keep my skin soft and healthy is Shea butter. The product comes from the fat in nuts from the African Shea Tree and has been revered for centuries thanks to its healing and emollient properties. Rich in Vitamins A and E, Shea butter is not only a highly effective moisturizer, but it also reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and can help with wounds and skin irritations like eczema and sunburns.
Shea butter is available in unrefined and refined forms. In its unprocessed state, Shea butter has an earthy, smoky scent and ranges in color from ivory to yellow to light gray. It kind of reminds me of cookie dough! Since it’s unrefined, the vitamins, antioxidants, and healing properties remain intact. Refined Shea butter, on the other hand, is processed to remove the fragrance and is sometimes bleached so that the color is a true white. It’s still very effective as a moisturizer though. It’s the ultra-refined Shea butter that you want to steer clear of—it’s been processed multiple times, so the healing properties are severely diminished.
To incorporate this wonder ingredient into your beauty routine, you can either use raw, unrefined Shea butter or look for products that contain Shea butter. Here are a few of my favorite products out there right now:
- Out of Africa 100% Pure & Unrefined Shea Butter Tin, Verbena ($13.59)
- Boots Extracts Shea Butter Body Butter ($9.99)
- L'Occitane Certified Organic Pure Shea Butter ($40)
- Korres Body Butter ($29)
I like to use a variety of Shea butter products in my skincare regime. I love a good Shea butter body lotion, and the pure stuff is great to use on your cuticles and small cuts. It’s also great to use shampoo and conditioner that contains Shea butter to give some much-needed moisture to my locks in this cold weather!
Do you use Shea butter in your skincare routine? Let me know how in the comments section!
<3 Mish
24 comments
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I love both L'Occitane and Korres. I cant get enough of them
http://happychinadoll.blogspot.ca/2012/12/winter-2012-luxe-box-unboxing.html -
Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to use Shea Butter products (though I wish I could for all of the reasons you've listed) because I have a latex allergy (cross sensitization for the win!). I was wondering if you have suggestions on products/things to look for if you can't use large amounts of Shea Butter?
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Glad you discovered Korres!!! I was using this precise body butter all summer long and the benefits are amazing!!! -
I used to apply Lotus and Jasmine Shea Butter from the brand La Sultane de Saba on generously layer like a mask for my dry and chapped hands once a week and mosturize my feet every evening.It makes skin so soft and how it smells good ! -
i find that shea butter body lotions do wonders for my skin in the winter, my skin gets so much drier! HTTP://CLOUDSANDCUTICLEOIL.BLOGSPOT.CO.UK/ xx -
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Can you use Shea butter on your face or does it make your skin go oily?
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I love shea butter! :)
www.skyhigh-dreams.blogspot.com I blog every day about hair care skin care and even beauty!
Check me out, recommend, and follow please :)
xx ZOe -
I use Raw shea butter to moisturise my skin. I also do a mixture with different oils (Coconut and Olive oil, sometimes a bit of vitamin E) to moisturise my hair too. a little bit goes a long way, and it just feels soo great in my hair! -
Finally someone realizes how great shea butter is for the skin! You should use 100% natural African shea butter...its the best!
http://www.roros-world.com -
Interesting! I actually use the Out of Africa one, but I use it for my hair. I have very dry, chemically treated african american hair, and I use it after I wash my hair. It smells really good, just like lemon oil. Mine doesn't say "pure and unrefined on it though", and on the ingredients it has both shea butter and fragrance, which I assume is lemon oil.
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I use it for my zebra marks on hips aka stretch marks. But Ive never heard of these brand I mostly stick to Palmers. :/
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I've always loved Shea Butter lotion, it smells so wonderful in my opinion and leaves my skin so soft! I must try to find this unrefined version
<3 -
i find that shea butter body lotions do wonders for my skin in the winter, my skin gets so much drier!
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I would check if I can find them to try out!! I haven`t seen them yet in my country :(
Kisses
<3 Val
www.beautyval13.blogspot.com -
I'm using Josie Maran's Argan Oil since it's winter, and I like it! Also, emu oil is good for sunburns, cuts, and bruises and is also a natural antiseptic anti-inflammatory product. Of course, it comes from emus so vegans probably wouldn't appreciate it much, but it helped heal my piercings more quickly!
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When I use Shea butter I use it for multiple reasons. During the winter months I like to use it as an over night moisturizer for my face. And as mentioned in your blog it works good for eczema prone areas. I also use it to moisturize my hair. And I like how a little bit goes a long way. -
Michelle, is the product paraben-free? I recently learned that this substance can cause cancer.
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I love Shea butter and I love going to health food stores in brooklyn to get the raw unprocessed butter I love the smell and it moisturizes so well. Another natural that I love is african Black soap the raw unprocessed is known to do wonders for your skin and smells great -
I like anything from Physicians formula organic line. And Murad Acne cleanser. :)
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