Shea Butter
What is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is an ivory-colored natural fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree by crushing, boiling and stirring. It is widely used in skin care as a moisturizer, salve or lotion. Shea butter is also edible and may be used in food preparation, even occasionally used as a substitute for cocoa butter. 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.
Shea Butter's Benefits for Skin
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.
