Natural Skin Superfood – Shea Butters

Life Aromatics Shea Butters Benefits

We infuse Essential Oils and Carrier Oils into our Shea Butters. The results are amazing! The combination enhances the benefits that Shea Butter offer. The Carrier Oils add to the nutrient profile of the Raw Shea Butters. They emulsify with the Shea Butter to produce a softer moldable product that is easier to use without adding any extra chemicals. Jojoba oil enchances the penetrative ability of the Shea Butter making it absorb much faster. The Essential Oil blends will enhance the treatment of specific conditions, such as;

Muscle & Joint – Works to relieve aches and pains in Muscles and Joints. Treats sunburn and reduces inflammation while giving a cooling sensation

Skin Care – Awesome skin tonic that works against Ageing of skin, wrinkle formation, and cellulite formation. Skin Care is potent in treating Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis. This product works awesome as a baby bum cream too that will treat nappy rashes

Vanilla – Awesome skin moisturizer and will treat dry skin while leaving a fresh Vanilla scent

Revitalize – Potent energizer that will help to uplift your mood. This will help you to focus and concentrate more on what you need to do

Unrefined – Jojoba and Grapeseed Oil blend with no Essential Oils. Provides the standard Shea Butter and Carrier Oil benefits

General Shea Butter Benefits

Shea butter is a nutrient-rich butter obtained from the nut of the African Shea Tree and is used widely in the cosmetic industry. Shea Butter is generally known to provide the following benefits:

  • Moisturizes – Natural vitamins and fatty acids in shea butter make it nourishing and moisturizing for the skin. It remedies dry skin and helps protect the skin’s natural oils.
  • Reduces Inflammation – Due to cinnamic acid content and other natural properties, shea butter is anti-inflammatory. One compound, in particular, lupeol cinnamate, reduces skin inflammation. Its anti-inflammatory properties make it beneficial for acne.
  • Smoothes Skin – Shea aids in natural collagen production.  With long-term use, people report skin softening and strengthening as well as wrinkle reduction.
  • Penetrates Skin – Studies show that it is good at penetrating the skin and is made of 60% fat, making it highly emollient.
  • Provides Essential Fatty Acids – Shea contains oleic, stearic, linoleic, palmitic, arachidic, and linolenic acids. These make it a perfect boost for cellular energy and regeneration.
  • Gives UV Protection – It offers mild UV protection, up to SPF ~6.
  • Supplies Vitamins A and E – The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties on the skin may help with dermatitis and psoriasis.
  • Reduces Joint Pain – A 2016 study found that it relieves the symptoms of osteoarthritis in rats and protects cartilage from destruction and degeneration.

More good news: it’s great to use on kids and babies too! A 2015 pediatric study demonstrated an eczema cream with shea butter to perform just as well as the standard ceramide products. In addition, it had a high compliance rate which means that the kids didn’t mind using it.

How can one use Shea Butter?

Apart from being a skin moisturizing butter, Shea Butter can also be used for;

  • Hair – Shea Butter works well on both the hair and scalp. It leaves hair feeling silky smooth and will treat conditions such as dry and flaky scalp.
  • Eating – Some African tribes have enjoyed using Shea Butter as a cooking butter for centuries. The nutrient profile is perfect for consumption. 
  • Smoothes Skin – Shea aids in natural collagen production.  With long-term use, people report skin softening and strengthening as well as wrinkle reduction.

Caution: Before Using

Shea Butter may contain trace particles of the shea nut. We generally caution those with nut allergies to take caution when using Shea Butter products since it may cause allergenic reactions, however there are arguments that Shea Butter has no allergenicity.

Tips for Using and Storing Shea Butter

  • Store it out of direct light or heat. Several sources suggest it may go rancid or expire between 12-24 months.
  • If your shea butter gets crumbly, it may be a little cold. Holding it between your hands to warm it will help it soak in well.
  • TIP for use in DIY: If needed, melt it over low heat (about 110 degrees) and then use. Do not let it get close to boiling, or you may lose some of the most beneficial healing properties.

The benefits of shea butter are vast! It’s an excellent part of your natural skincare routine arsenal. How will you and your family use it? Leave it out on your bathroom counter and watch it disappear!

Further Reading for the curious:

  1. Oh, M. J., et al. (2017). Novel phytoceramides containing fatty acids of diverse chain lengths are better than a single C18-ceramide N-stearoyl phytosphingosine to improve the physiological properties of human stratum corneum. Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology, 10, 363–371.
  2. Maranz, S., Wiesman, Z., & Garti, N. (2003). Phenolic constituents of shea (Vitellaria paradoxa) kernels. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 51(21), 6268–6273.
  3. Ugwu-Dike, P., & Nambudiri, V. E. (2021). A review of ethnomedicinal uses of shea butter for dermatoses in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dermatologic therapy, e14786. Advance online publication.
  4. Kao JH, Lin SH, Lai CF, Lin YC, Kong ZL, Wong CS. Shea Nut Oil Triterpene Concentrate Attenuates Knee Osteoarthritis Development in Rats: Evidence from Knee Joint Histology. PLoS One. 2016;11(9):e0162022. Published 2016 Sep 1.
  5. Hon, K. L., et al. (2015). Patient acceptability, efficacy, and skin biophysiology of a cream and cleanser containing lipid complex with shea butter extract versus a ceramide product for eczema. Hong Kong medical journal = Xianggang yi xue za zhi, 21(5), 417–425.
  6. Honfo, F. G., et al. (2014). Nutritional composition of shea products and chemical properties of shea butter: a review. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 54(5), 673–686.
  7. Sarruf, F. D., et al. (2020). Butyrospermum parkii butter increased the photostability and in vivo SPF of a molded sunscreen system. Journal of cosmetic dermatology, 19(12), 3296–3301.
  8. Davrieux, F., et al. (2010). Near infrared spectroscopy for high-throughput characterization of Shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) nut fat profiles. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 58(13), 7811–7819.
  9. Di Vincenzo, et al. (2005). Regional variation in shea butter lipid and triterpene composition in four African countries. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 53(19), 7473–7479.