"Superfood" for the Skin

​Organic Shea Nut Butter is an ingredient in several of our products. It comes from the Karite tree which grows in the savannah of western Africa and is considered sacred by some groups. The name “Shea” is derived from the Bambara word “Si”. The tree can grow up to 60 feet tall and live for 200+ years.

The butter is obtained by removing the outer shell of the nut. The nuts are then crushed and slowly roasted into the butter. The butter is then kneaded in basins of water to separate the oils which float to the top where they are removed. Once the oils cool they harden into the butter.

Shea Nut Butter has been used for thousands of years. Queen Nefertiti (mid 1,300 BC), renowned for her exceptional beauty (in fact her name means “a beautiful woman has come”), was said to have used it daily.

Often called “Superfood” for the skin Shea Nut Butter has a high content of vitamins A, E and D. It contains high levels of essential fatty acids, phytosterols, and allantoin.

Vitamin A – Vitamin A contains retinoids which help smooth fine lines in skin. Retinoids stimulate collagen production in the skin which is the main component in connective tissue. When the connective tissue breaks down we get fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin A also helps even out your complexion by normalizing skin cell turnover which helps shed damaged skin cells.

Vitamin E – Vitamin E prevents wrinkles buy blocking the damage caused by free radicals. In addition to this it boosts collagen production and encourages cell regeneration.

Phytosterols – Naturally occurring cholesterols found in plants. As we get older our skin loses the ability to produce collagen. According to a study done by the German medical journal “Das Hautarzt” topical treatments containing phytosterols not only stopped the slowdown of collagen production but encouraged production as well.

Allantoin – According to the Dermatology Review, allantoin is a versatile chemical compound that can be found naturally in animals and plants. Allantoin is thought to have abilities to moisten and smooth your skin.

Besides these awesome skin moisturizing properties shea nut butter also has high levels of Cinammic Acid – the same compounds found in cinnamon. This compound is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. Additionally Cinammic esters offer some mild protection from the sun. We’re not recommending you use shea nut butter instead of sunscreen, but it does help with the overall protection of your skin.

Its moisturizers are the same produced by your skin’s sebaceous glands. This means that it absorbs very nicely.

Our Shea Nut Butter Sticks are pure unrefined shea nut butter. They make it so easy to apply Shea Nut Butter to your skin. You can purchase them with no fragrance added or we have a wide variety of essential oils and fragrance oils to choose from.
 
Our lotion, deodorant, and lip balm also contain organic shea nut butter.

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