Shea Butter Spot

Karite butter or Shea butter, as it is popularly called in the West, is manufactured in Africa. The color or this formulation can range from anywhere between cream to ivory white. Traditionally doctors in Africa used it for treatment of all kinds of skin and scalp ailments and allergies. If you are looking to get into the soap manufacturing or skin care products manufacturing you cannot but be aware of what shea butter is.

The product is obtained from shea trees, which are found largely in the West Africa in the Savannah region. These trees grow widely in this region and bear a small almond-like fruit from which shea butter is extracted. An average shea tree would take about 40 to 50 years to mature. These species fall under the category of protected plants because of the myriad social, health and economic benefits they provide. Shea butter is also a widely used source of food in the region. A large number of botanists and scientists in Africa qualify shea butter as a vital agent for physiological purification, both external and internal.

In the time past, various uses to which shea butter was out included treatment of skin eczema and other problems like blemishes and discoloration, sprains and muscle cramps, arthritis and various inflammations and also as a sunscreen.

Non-saponifiable fatty acids, especially oleic and stearic acid are major components of a shea butter formulation, which makes it very useful for various skin problems. They hydrate the skin and help prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging. Shea butter effectively combats various skin problems by restoring the lipid balance in the skin and hence rejuvenates the epidermal cells. The non-saponifiable fatty acids also make shea butter an excellent component for soap manufacturing. Soft and gentle on your skin and body, shea butter is becoming an important component of a whole range of beauty products like shampoos, creams, soaps and various cleansers and cleansing agents for your skin.

Shea butter is also an effective antidote for stretch marks. Stretch marks are a bane for a lot of people, especially women. When you gain a substantial amount of weight, during pregnancy for example, your epidermal cells are unable to stretch beyond a point and get ruptured resulting in stretch marks. Stretch marks most often occur in places like thighs, buttocks, stomach etc. There are a wide range of cosmetics and creams in the markets these days that claim to be effective in getting rid of stretch marks but shea butter is one of the few things that are really effective.

In its local terrain, shea butter is used as cooking oil but in other parts of the world, it is a viable component of cosmetic products. It has effectively replaced cocoa butter as the most coveted component of various skin care products like moisturizers and skin creams, because of its medicinal properties. Cracks skin, skin prone to eczema and rashes and sun burnt skin all benefit from shea butter.

Shea butter has been found to be more useful than other products like jojoba butter and cocoa butter for treatment of damaged hair. Thus, it forms an important component of shampoos too. When combined with coconut oil it forms an excellent mixture for soaps, both soothing and medicinal.

Just over the past few years shea butter has just flooded the store shelves across the USA. Every company is chomping at the bit to add this new "flavor" to their product lines. Of course we now this "flavor" has been around for centuries. If you look closely you'll see sheabutter but in everything. Lotion,diaper wipes,body wash,foot cream. You name it I've seen it ! And most of them have very fancy packaging to get you to buy.

With so many products out there with shea butter in it you have to know the quality will suffer. And when I say quality I'm talking about the type of shea butter these companies use. To keep it simple I will give you two types of sheabutter.
Unrefined/Raw- This is the best quality. It still retains its healing and moisturizing properties. It's color ranges from a creamy whipped butter look to grayish yellow.

Highly Refined/Refined- This is sheabutter that has been refined to remove the smell and it's color.This is usually done with hexane or other petroleum products.And the use of harsh chemicals, such as sodium hydroxide. Antioxidants or preservatives such as BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) or BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) may be added as well. It goes without saying that you are left with a odorless and white shea butter product. The yield and shelf life of the shea butter is increased. But you lose much of the healing and moisturizing properties.

These major companies are most definitely not using raw shea butter in all their products. The cost would be enormous. And if you read the packaging you'll see the ingredients. In your quest go for raw unrefined shea butter. Don't be fooled by the pretty packaging or the pure white and smoothness. And also if you can buy fair trade sheabutter. That way you ensure the producers are getting fair compensation for the work involved in getting a shea butter nut to the form you see.