Shea butter is a seed fat that comes from the shea tree, found in East and West tropical Africa. It is used in cosmetic products for its moisturizing effects, which are tied to its fatty acid content, including linoleic, oleic, stearic, and palmitic acids. When applied topically, these oils are rapidly absorbed into the skin, acting as a “refatting” agent, restoring lipids and rapidly creating moisture. This restores the barrier between the skin and the outside environment, holding moisture in and reducing the risk of dryness. Shea butter contains high levels of linoleic acid and oleic acid, which balance each other out, making it easy for the skin to fully absorb and not make the skin look oily after application. The plant esters of shea butter have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, which trigger cytokines and other inflammatory cells to slow their production, restoring the natural balance of oils in the skin, which may help stop acne before it starts. Shea butter also contains triterpenes, which are thought to deactivate collagen fiber destruction, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and resulting in plumper skin. Shea’s moisturizing and antioxidant properties work together to help the skin generate healthy new cells, which could be beneficial when dealing with allergies, sinusitis, or the common cold.
There are no negative effects of shea butter when applied topically, but there is no good scientific evidence to support its use for acne, burns, dandruff, dry skin, eczema, and many other conditions. Shea butter is also used as a fat for cooking and in manufacturing cosmetic products. Shea butter contains just as much saturated fat as monounsaturated fat, which is not considered a healthy fat.
Shea butter oil is 100% pure natural skin, body, and hair moisturizer, which is expeller-pressed, unscented, undiluted, and tested for purity with every batch, and safe for all skin types. Shea butter undergoes two short chemical reactions to turn its lipids into a positively and negatively charged surfactant, shea butter betaine, which is used to create ultra-rich, hydrating cleansers. Shea butter surfactant is great for non-rinse facial products like micellar cleansers, preservative-free, and creates clear products.
