Bryan Low
Shea butter, which is extracted from the nuts present in the fruits of the Shea tree have several health benefits. As a result of this it is widely used in manufacturing of Shea butter soap, cosmetics and even in many medicinal formulas. It blends effectively with other botanical ingredients to produce the desired effects.
What makes Shea butter good?
Shea butter is widely used in creams, moisturizers, emulsions and lotions meant for the hair and skin. Shea butter soap are quite popular in the market. The main reason for its widespread use is that it is rich in fats and this makes it an efficient skin moisturizing agent and emollient. According to scientific research it was found that this product has high content of antioxidants and is anti inflammatory in nature. This helps it to reduce and treat inflammatory skin diseases and any kind of damage caused to the hair and skin due to free radicals.
Also, this oil contains a high proportion of vitamin A and E which is essential to keep skin in optimal health. These vitamins also protect the skin from being damaged by the harmful ultraviolet radiations of the sun. Because of these components Shea butter has got a natural mild SPF. It serves as a good anti aging product as the vitamin E present in it helps to soothe dry skin and also improves the skin’s elasticity. So if you are buying cosmetics recently then do look out for Shea butter as one of its components.
There are several varieties of Shea butter available in the market and one must choose the best one for instant results. The most natural form of Shea butter is the raw or pure one which is characterized by a slight yellow or green color. It may contain some sort of impurities as it is completely unprocessed and sold after extracting it from the nut of the Shea tree. Different varieties of Shea butter are produced by different methods of extraction and purification of this raw Shea butter. The quality varies depending upon the method of extraction employed.
Shea butter usually occurs as refined or unrefined. While unrefined one is the purest form of this oil, the refined one is processed for commercial use. It is preferred to use natural and unrefined Shea butter because it is extracted manually and so it retains the minerals, vitamins and other natural properties which are beneficial for human health. Unrefined Shea butter is processed using a simple filtration process using clays or cheesecloth which can alter its color, texture and scent. Then it is further melted and set into molds to give the desired shape. It is available in grades ranging from A to F where A is the best quality.
