Shea Butter

Properties and Benefits

Shea butter is a well-known anti-inflammatory substance. It reduces inflammation, a protective response of the skin tissues to harmful stimuli such as damaged cells and irritants.

She butter is popular for its emollient properties – Emollients are substances that are known to soften and soothe the skin. Shea butter therefore, is used to correct dryness and scaling of the skin.

Shea butter is also popular for its moisturizing properties. Moisturizers make the skin (epidermis) softer and suppler by increasing its water content (hydration).

Shea butter is a natural ultraviolet sun protector, but the SPF level may vary from 0 to about SPF 6. Shea butter absorbs rapidly into the skin without leaving a greasy feeling.

Uses

Shea butter is a common ingredient in expensive moisturizing skin products. Shea butter is known for its skin softening effect – therefore used in hair conditioners to add and maintain moisture in dry and rough hair, as well as preventing breakage.

Shea butter helps heal the following skin and body conditions: scars, eczema, burns, rashes, acne, very dry skin, blemishes, dark spots, skin discolorations, chapped lips, stretch marks, wrinkles, psoriasis.

Shea butter is an edible butter. It is also used as cooking oil in West Africa. It is also used in making chocolates, as a substitute for cocoa butter.

History and Cultural Aspects

Shea butter is also a common component in several aboriginal ceremonies.

In Uganda, the Holy Spirit Movement rebel group applied shea butter to their bodies, believing that it would stop bullets.

In Togo West Africa, shea butter is used in ceremonies of the Fulani ethnic group. Shea butter is also used by carvers of djembe shells and other African drum shells to condition the wood, goat or cow skin heads of the drums.

Origin

Shea butter is extracted from fruit of the shea tree by crushing and boiling. The shea tree is native in the wild in the dry savannah belt of West Africa from Senegal in the west to Sudan in the east, and on the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands. It grows in 19 countries across the African continent – Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Zaire and Guinea.

Consistency

Shea butter is a yellow- or ivory-colored natural fat. It has a butter-like texture and is relatively richer than other emollients.

Recipes

Mint Cream Hair Dressing

Prepare and weight ingredients. For this recipe, you will need: 8 oz raw shea butter, 4 oz olive oil, 4 oz castor oil, 2 tbs ginger mint herb tea, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional), 30 drops peppermint essential oil.

In a heat proof bowl, combine olive oil and herb tea oil and heat in a double boiler. Allow to tea to infuse in oil for about 20 minutes. Strain using a cheese cloth.

While waiting for the infusion, place shea butter in a heat proof bowl, and gently melt in a double boiler. Remove from heat. Add castor oil and olive oil infusion. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and allow to cool. Use hand mixer and blend thoroughly until mixture becomes creamy. Spoon into clean jars, cap and store.

Shea Body Butter

Prepare and weight ingredients. For this recipe, you will need: 8 oz unrefined shea butter, 2 oz grape seed oil, 1 oz vitamin E, a few drops of essential oils (use any blend according to your preference).

Place shea butter in a heat proof bowl, and gently melt in a double boiler. Remove from heat. Add grape seed oil and blend well until mixture becomes creamy in color and texture. Stir in vitamin E and essential oils.

Transfer into clean jars, cap and store.

Shea Butter Soap

Prepare and weight ingredients. For this recipe, you will need: 14 oz lard, 8 oz virgin olive oil, 10.6 oz coconut oil, 4 oz shea butter, 1.3 oz castor oil, 2 oz sweet almond oil, 15 oz water and 5 ½ oz lye, soap dye (according to your preference), essential oils (or essential oil blend, according to your preference).

Place the lard in a heat proof bowl and heat in a double boiler until melted. Add shea butter and stir with a wooden stick until the butter is melted (you may need to use a double boiler to completely melt the shea butter). Add virgin olive oil and coconut oil until completely mixed. Cool to 150 degrees F.

Heat water to 150 degrees F. Place the lye in a bowl and pour water. Combine the lye-water mixture with the oil mixture. Blend well until mixture is thick and creamy. Add soap dye and essential oils blend thoroughly.

Spoon the soap mixture into the moulds and leave to harden overnight. The following day, place the soaps in the freezer for an hour or two before removing them and turning them out of their moulds. Leave on a wire rack for 1 - 2 weeks to harden further.

Shea Butter Lip Balm

Prepare and weight ingredients. For this recipe, you will need: 2 fluid ounces castor oil, 2 fluid ounces plus 1 teaspoon jojoba oil, ¼ weighed ounce of beeswax, ½ weighed ounce candelilla wax, 2 teaspoons unrefined shea butter, 1 teaspoon grape seed oil, ¼ teaspoon vit. E.

Place all ingredients in a heat proof bowl. Place in a microwave oven until melted but not boiling (approximately less than 2 minutes). Allow mixture to cool for about 4 minutes. Pour mixture into 16 lip balm tubes (or clean jars). Let it cool for about 45 minutes before capping.

Shea Butter Lip Stick

For the oil phase, you will need: 2 fluid ounces castor oil, 2 fluid ounces plus 1 teaspoon jojoba oil, ¼ weighed ounce of beeswax, ½ weighed ounce candelilla wax, 2 teaspoons unrefined shea butter, 1 teaspoon grape seed oil, ¼ teaspoon vit. E. Place all oil phase ingredients in a heat proof bowl. Place in a microwave oven until melted but not boiling (approximately less than 2 minutes). Allow mixture to cool for about 4 minutes.

For the powder phase, you will need: 4 teaspoons mica powder color (combination according to your taste), red oxide powder (combination according to your taste), 1 teaspoon zinc oxide (for a matte finish; you may disregard or decrease for a glossy and shiny finish). Combine all powders in a bowl.

Add the coloring pigments to the oils, and mix thoroughly. Pour mixture into 16 lip balm tubes. Let it cool for about 45 minutes before capping.