what is shea butter made from

Shea butter is made from the nuts of the shea tree, which is found in East and West tropical Africa. The butter comes from two oily kernels within the shea tree seed. After the kernel is removed from the seed, it is ground into a powder and boiled in water. The butter then rises to the top of the water and becomes solid. Shea butter is composed of five principal fatty acids: palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and arachidic. About 85 to 90% of the fatty acid composition is stearic and oleic acids. The relative proportion of these two fatty acids affects shea butter consistency. The stearic acid gives it a solid consistency, while the oleic acid influences how soft or hard the shea butter is, depending on ambient temperature. Shea butter is mainly used in the cosmetics industry for skin- and hair-related products, and it is also used for cooking oil, as a waterproofing wax, for hairdressing, for candle-making, and as an ingredient in medicinal ointments. Shea butter is a valuable source of revenue for millions of women across Africa and is used in cosmetics as a lotion or moisturizer.