Shea Butter: What It Is, What It Does for Our Skin

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and every time I’ve opened a magazine lately, there is a picture of a tin of 100% Shea Butter for sale from L’Occitane, who donates part of the proceeds to breast cancer organizations. It got me wondering what shea butter actually is (how do you milk a shea?) and why everybody says it’s the best skin-healer and moisturizer around. A little research convinced me: Everybody needs to know about this fabulous stuff!

Shea butter is a solid fatty oil made from the nuts of Karite Nut trees, also known as Mangifolia, that grow in the semi-arid savannah regions of West and Central Africa. Shea butter is sometimes called “women’s gold,” because extracting the butter from the nuts gives employment and income to hundreds of thousands of rural African village women. Shea butter is so non-toxic and beneficial that it is used in foods and cooking as well as soaps and beauty products. (One of my favorite lip balms is a vanilla-scented treat from La Natura made with shea butter. It is totally delicious!)

African healers and beauties have known about shea butter for thousands of years: the substance is almost magical in its healing effects on burns, skin conditions, ulcerated skin, stretch marks, and dryness.

It contains beneficial vegetable fats that promote cell regeneration and circulation, making it a wonderful healer and rejuvenator for troubled or aging skin. It also contains natural sun-protectants.

To buy a 150 ml tin of 100% pure shea butter for $35 from L’Occitane (proceeds to benefit breast cancer organizations), go to L’Occitane’s website.

Or, to buy pure shea butter for much less, go to Sun Rose Aromatics.

Read more: Beauty, Skin Care

By Cait Johnson, Assistant Producer, Care2 Healthy Living Channels.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Imani Z.

5:35PM PDT on Mar 11, 2013

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March 11
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Elaine Rose C.

1:11PM PDT on Apr 25, 2012

i really wanted to try shea butter for my really dry skin but it is so expensive in philippines... =(

April 25
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Gary C.

9:22PM PDT on Apr 23, 2012

Thankyou.....

April 23
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Kerrie G.

9:03AM PDT on Apr 20, 2012

Interesting info, thanks.

April 20
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Nirvana J.

2:22AM PDT on Apr 20, 2012

Thanks

Mustafizur T.

2:04PM PST on Mar 8, 2012

http://www.care2.com/greenliving/shea-butter-what-it-is-what-it-does.html

March 8
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1:59PM PST on Mar 8, 2012

Shea butter is a solid fatty oil made from the nuts of Karite Nut trees. anti-aging, skin healing treat rich in vitamins A & E.It can be used lips,skins,Eyes.It cn be found in East Africa.LEARN more at:- http://www.sheaterraorganics.com/Shea-Nilotica-Shea-Butter-Certified-Organic_p_61.html

Dela D.

1:09PM PDT on Nov 3, 2011

check out www.sheamamanaturals.com for natural baby and mom products using shea butter

November 3
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Kristina I.

10:41AM PDT on Sep 24, 2011

I'm a great fan of shea butter. I use Dari Natural's Body lotion and also their gentle facial cream. Their products are made from pure unrefined shea butter, coconut oil, olive oil and jojoba. This stuff is absolutey amazing.