Shea butter is found in many all natural skincare face care and even now found organic massage candles? You find it listed in the ingredients in all types of products such as cosmetics, lotions, cuticle creams, body scrubs and stretch mark creams, but do you know what it is?
Shea butter is a natural moisturizer in the form of butter from the nut of the shea tree. It's consistency is that of whipped frosting and melts at skin temperature. Did you know that it naturally contains Vitamin A & E? Both of these vitamins are good in the battle against the signs of aging. One very good reason along that its found in some of the top brands of face moisturizers.
Where does shea butter come from? Shea butter comes from the shea tree that grows in dry savannah regions of Western & Central Africa, especially Ghana, Burkina Fasso, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda & Mali. The shea tree bears a fruit that looks like a small avocado. It's the nut inside that is crushed and then boiled where they then extract the vegetable fat that is called Shea Butter.
What is it good for?
One of the many things that Shea butter does is it enhances the skin's natural barrier function and increases the moisture levels, and helps with cell regeneration. It also helps with capillary circulation, helps sooth your irritated skin, helps protect against UV rays and has helps with restructuring effects on the epidermis. These reasons alone makes it perfect for facial and skincare products! Its amazing what a by product of a nut can do!
And that's not all! Shea butter also has benefits for all types of skincare problems, such as dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, burns and stretch marks (when applied while pregnant.)
And any area where extreme dryness that while living in harsh weather conditions. It has been used by the Ghanian women as shea oil & butter for centuries to protect their skin dry Saharan winds.
It has uses in other fields as well. Shea butter is used as raw material in cooking oil, margarine, soap, detergents and candies. In fact it can be used as a substitute for coca butter in chocolate!
Because of its amazing healing properties Shea butter has found its way into a whole lot of products natural and other wise. The next time you are looking at the list of ingredients of your favorite face care or thinking of creating your own, remember from a basic nut comes the most amazing product Shea butter. And its going to be around for a long, long time!
