What is Shea Butter-Reasons You Should Add Shea Butter to Your Routine
What’s it all about?
Shea butter, a fat extracted from the nuts and seeds of the Shea tree, is a type of fat. It is solid at warm temperatures, and it has ivory or off-white color. Most Shea butter is still made in West Africa.
Since ancient times, Shea butter has been used in cosmetics. The high concentration of vitamins, fatty acids, and easy-to-spread consistency make Shea butter a great product to smoothen, soothe, and condition your skin.
- It is safe for all skin types
Technically, Shea butter is a tree-nut product. It is, however, much lower in allergens than most tree nuts products.
There is no medical literature that indicates an allergy to Shea butter.
Shea butter does not contain any chemical irritants that can dry out the skin. It also doesn’t clog pores. It is suitable for almost all skin types.
- It is moisturizing
It is often used to provide moisturizing properties. These benefits are due to Shea butter’s high fatty acid content (including linoleic and oleic acids as well as stearic and palm tic acids).
These oils can be applied topically to your skin and absorbed quickly. They are a “refatting” agent that restores lipids and quickly creates moisture.
This creates a barrier between your skin, the environment, and your body. It holds moisture in and reduces your chance of drying out.
- It won’t make your skin oily
Shea butter soap base is rich in linoleic and oleic acids. These two acids work together to balance each other. Shea butter is easy to absorb and won’t leave your skin looking oily.
- Its anti-inflammatory
Anti-inflammatory properties have been demonstrated by plant esters of Shea butter.
Shea stimulates the production of cytokines in the skin and other inflammatory cells by being applied to it.
This can help reduce irritation from environmental factors like dry weather and inflammatory skin conditions such as Eczema.
- It is an antioxidant
Shea butter is rich in vitamins A and E. This promotes strong antioxidant activities.
Antioxidants are essential anti-aging agents. They protect your skin cells against free radicals, which can cause premature aging and dull skin.
- It is antifungal
As powerful ingredients to combat skin infections caused by fungi, Shea tree products have been proven effective.
Although Shea butter is not able to treat all types of fungal infections, we know it can kill spores of the fungi responsible for ringworm and athlete’s foot.
- This may help to prevent future breakouts.
Shea butter contains many types of fatty acids. This unique combination helps to remove excess oil (sebum) from your skin.
Shea butter also restores moisture to the skin and locks it in, so that your skin doesn’t feel dry or “stripped” from oil.
This results in a natural skin balance restoration that may prevent future acne outbreaks.
- It promotes cell regeneration
Shea soap base moisturizing properties and antioxidant properties combine to help your skin create healthy new cells.
Your body is always creating new skin cells and removing old skin cells. Every day, you can get rid of between 30,000 and 40,000 skin cells.
The top is made up of dead skin cells. The epidermis is the lower layer of skin.
You’ll see a decrease in dead skin cells and more new cell growth in your epidermis if you have the right moisture balance.
- It can help to reduce scarring and stretch marks.
Shea butter is believed to prevent colloid fibroids — scar tissue — and encourage healthy cell growth.
This could help reduce stretch marks and scarring.
- It can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Shea butter can boost collagen production and promote new cell growth, which researchers refer to as photo aging. This is the phenomenon whereby skin suffers from wrinkles and fine lines due to environmental stress.
- It provides additional sun protection
It is not possible to use Shea butter by itself for effective sunscreen.
However, Shea butter can be used on your skin to provide additional sun protection. You can layer it on top of your favorite sunscreen for days when you will be outside.