African Shea Butter & its Benefits

In the Cold or Hamanthan season, it's the best season to moisturise and keep your skin Looking fresh .Trust our African mothers, they are ever ready with Shea butter "Ori"to keep the cold away from their children. You can't compare Shea butter to Vaseline .

Shea Butter, also known as Ori is a wonderful all round health and beauty balm. One of those gifts of nature. One that everyone should crave for. It is gotten from seeds of the fruit of the Shea (Karite) tree and known to be a rich source of vitamins A, E and F. It offers UV protection (it is SPF ~6) and provides the skin with essential fatty acids and the nutrients necessary for collagen production. Shea butter has been used in Africa and other countries for years to improve skin and hair.

Shea butter (ori) – This superb moisturiser with exceptional healing properties has more to offer than just the foul odour which most people dislike. It exhibits so many health benefits, most of which are for the skin and hair, and ignoring this odour may help you achieve most of these benefits.

Natural Shea Butter – Raw or Unprocessed is the purest and best form to be used as it has not gone through stages of processing which will kill some of its vitamins and other natural properties, thereby reducing its benefits.The good thing is that the refined form still possesses many benefits, so it is advised that you make use of any type within your reach.

What Is Shea Butter?

Extracted from the nuts of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa) that is native to Africa, shea butter is a fatty oil that exists as a solid at room temperature.The Karite tree bears the fruits, and the nuts inside the fruits are of prime importance. These nuts are crushed, boiled, and manipulated to extract a light-colored fat, which is commonly referred to as shea butter.

The main components of shea butter include oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, etc. It gets absorbed quickly into the skin as it melts at body temperature. Its moisturizing and healing properties prove beneficial for many skin issues. It also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties (to a certain extent) that can be utilized to treat many ailments. Its similarity to many vegetable oils makes it suitable for ingestion .

Let’s look at the history of this rich nut butter before we delve into its beneficial properties and nutrition facts.

History Of Shea Butter

The shea tree has naturally inhabited West Africa for centuries, stretching from Senegal to Sudan and up to the foothills of Ethiopia. African history documents mention jars of a rich butter used for skin and hair care being transported during Cleopatra’s reign. Even the Queen of Sheba is said to have used it!

The tree was used to make coffins for the early kings in Africa, and the butter extracted from the nuts was used for its healing and skin care properties. The tree is also considered sacred by many tribes in Africa. It is still extensively used in Africa to protect the skin and hair from the harsh sun and dry winds. While kneading the extracted oil with the hand was popular earlier, advancements in technology have led to different methods, such as clay filtering and using hexane for the final extraction of shea butter. A few tribes also blend it with palm oil and use it for cooking purposes. This is mostly seen in Northern Nigeria.

Shea butter exhibits several health benefits and is used in a variety of cosmetics and medicinal formulas in combination with other botanical ingredients. Here’s why.

Why Is Shea Butter Good?

Shea butter is often used in moisturizers, creams, lotions, and other emulsions for the skin and hair. It is rich in fats that make it an excellent emollient and skin moisturizing agent. Experiments also showed that it has anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. These can help reduce inflammatory skin diseases and the damage the skin and hair have undergone due to free radicals.

It also contains vitamins A and E.

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