Uses for Shea Butter
All Shea butter is useful as a moisturizer, but to achieve the additional benefits listed below, you will want to purchase Grade A Shea Butter. Grade A has been tested to contain at least a 5% concentration of phytonutrients and will always be unrefined. If you chooce refined you risk the chemical introduction of things that are not natural to get a less scented and more light complexion shea butter.
Purported skin conditions effectively treated with shea butter:
- Rash including those from allergies such as poison oak and ivy
- Burns including sunburn and radiation
- Blemishes
- Itching
- Cracked skin
- Frost bite
- Dry, rough skin
- Muscle fatigue, aches, and tension
- Eczema
- Insect bites
- dermatitis
- Smoother clearer skin tone
- Wrinkle reduction
- Reduction in skin thinning due to collagen deterioration often associated with aging.
Note: you will need to use Shea butter for 4 to 6 weeks to attain these results.
Purported skin conditions effectively treated with shea butter:
- Rash including those from allergies such as poison oak and ivy
- Burns including sunburn and radiation
- Blemishes
- Itching
What are the active ingredients?
There are two fractions associated with Shea butter: the healing or non-saponifiable fraction and the moisturizing or saponifiable fraction.
The non-saponifiable fraction includes vitamin A, vitamin E, cinnamic acid, phytosterols, tryterpenes and latex. Stigmasterol, a phytosterol, is also found in Shea butter that gives it the ability to relieve stiff sore muscles.
The saponifiable, or moisturizing fraction includes triglycerides, diglycerides and monoglycerides. These make up roughly 90% of Shea butter composition and include the fatty acids: oleic acid (40-60%), stearic acid (20-50%), linoleic acid (3-11%), palmitic acid (2-9%), linolenic acid (<1%) and arachidic acid (<1%).
