This treasure from the African savannahs is the great secret to showing off hydrated and nourished skin and hair.
The shea tree (Vitellaria Paradoxa), from whose nuts the popular butter of the same name used by the cosmetic industry is obtained, grows in the savannas of Central and West Africa.
It is an imposing species: it can reach 15 meters in height with a trunk one meter in diameter, and it can live up to 300 years.
Karité means “ butter tree” and obtaining butter – the result of a laborious artisan process in which the peel is removed, the pulp is dried in the sun, crushed and finally boiled – employs many women from countries such as Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast or Mali.
This butter can be eaten and is part of the traditional recipes of the region, but it has also been used for skin care, an application that has been successful all over the world.
SHEA KEEPS YOUR SKIN HYDRATED NATURALLY
Its richness in unsaturated fatty acids –especially oleic acid–, vitamin E with antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory phytosterols – plant “hormones” that promote skin regeneration – are the reasons why it is included in many cosmetics. In manufactured products we can find it in the list of ingredients under the name But spermum park.
Pure butter can also be used at home: it favors the hydration of dry skin and hair, improves chapped lips and irritated nose, and prevents the appearance of stretch marks.
To be exact, it is not that shea hydrates the skin, as no oil does, but that by spreading a film it prevents the skin from dehydrating by contact with air.
On the other hand, as they have emollient properties, shea-based products are also used as an alternative to cortisone in the treatment of skin with eczema or dermatitis.
RAW OR REFINED SHEA BUTTER
Shea butter can be found raw or refined.
- Raw, unrefined: has not received any treatment and no additives have been added. It is yellowish or gray in color and has a strong aroma.
- Refined: its natural smell is eliminated along with other components, which favors its use as an ingredient and its conservation. It is whiter and has a finer and more uniform texture than unprocessed.
HOW TO APPLY PURE SHEA BUTTER
- Take the right amount that we are going to use.
- As at room temperature it has a solid consistency, but it melts with the heat of the skin, it is advisable to rub it in the hollow of the hand beforehand so that it applies better.
- Apply with a light massage until it has been absorbed by the skin.
