Shea butter is known for its intensively nourishing properties. Hinted in its name, shea butter is one of the most nourishing skincare ingredients out there.
But making it is no mean feat. In fact, making just 25kg of shea butter can take one person up to three days. It’s hard work, but its multipurpose properties make the effort worth it.
Read Also: Beauty Guide: 10 Great Benefits Of Shea Butter On Your Skin
The ingredient has been utilised in West Africa for centuries, thanks to its long list of benefits, covering everything from skincare and hair to cooking and healing.
When it comes to skincare specifically, there’s a certain way you should use it (hint: there’s one area you should actually avoid). So, we’ve put this together to break down everything you need to know about the wonder ingredient.
What is shea butter? Shea butter is a solid fat substance from the nuts of shea trees from west Africa. It’s very popular as a body moisturiser amongst the west African community.
What are the skincare benefits of shea butter? It’s deeply moisturising and soothing. People use it for a whole host of other benefits, too – it prevents stretch marks and treats cuts, bruises and wounds. It’s also used as a treatment for skin inflammation. like eczema. It naturally has essential fatty acids which are also key for healthy skin.
Should you use shea butter on your face? This isn’t something we would recommend. It’s too heavy and occlusive an ingredient to use solely on your face. There are so many fantastic choices of moisturisers available that have a whole host of enhanced skincare benefits and include ingredients like peptides and ceramides, which also play an important role in skin health.
How should you use shea butter? Shea butter is fine as a body moisturiser, especially after a shower to lock in moisture and deeply hydrate the skin. We wouldn’t advice it on the face for any skin type in its raw form. For dry skin types, if it is included in a moisturiser to provide oil content for example, then that’s fine.
What skin types should avoid using it? It is definitely not for oilier skin types as it can clog pores and fuel breakouts.
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