Shea butter
We often hear a lot about it, we find his name in the ingredients list of many cosmetic products and probably know that it is generally good for our skin, but how much do we really know about the benefits of this ingredient? Hereinafter, we present beneficial effects of shea butter!
In France and French speaking countries it is also known as Karite (ghariti), Shea tree grows in West and Central Africa, most of them in Ghana. The butter is obtained from the nuts of the tree which takes about fifteen years to give birth, and even fifty to reach full maturity. For this reason, but also because of the great importance that the production of shea butter has for Africans, cutting down of these trees is strongly prohibited.
Translated from the language Bamanakan Shea means “holy”. In Africa the butter obtained from the fruit of the sacred tree has been used for more than two millennia – as a remedy for sore muscles and as a protection from the dry desert wind. Traditionally only women are allowed to touch the Shea tree, to pick the fruit and processed them, so this “women’s gold” provided hundreds of thousands of African women valuable income and support for themselves and their families.
The process of obtaining Shea butter is the same as for butter made from milk. Shea butter contains vitamins A and E, folic acid and proteins. Because of its composition it is very similar to the natural sebum secreted by our sebaceous glands so the skin absorbs it quickly.
Shea butter is safe for sensitive skin. African women used it for baby skin care for centuries. It has anti-inflammatory effects, and helps with skin diseases such as eczema, neuro-dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, abrasions and burns, as well as irritation after shaving or waxing. Regenerating properties make it ideal for the care of mature skin and considering that it deeply penetrates the skin and regenerates it, it is recommended in the treatment of stretch marks and scars.
Shea butter provides moisture, prevents breakage and encourages growth of the hair. It is effective against seborrhea and dandruff, and also serves as protection from the sun, heat, chlorine from swimming pools and sea water, so be sure to pack in a suitcase when traveling. On the beach it can help protect you from harmful solar radiation, because it has a natural SPF 6.
Shea butter can be used alone or mixed with essential oils, and Koozmetik gladly uses it in the preparation of a wide range of its products, such as lip balm, moisturizing face creams M and N, natural deodorant, hand cream, and nutritious body lotion.
