Shea butter is an off-white or ivory-colored fat that has been extracted from the nuts of the Shea Tree in Africa. Many industries are using it in the formulation of cosmetics. It is also edible cooking fat in Africa. It is primarily composed of Stearic Acid and Oleic Acids. It is also composed of bioactive substances that are mostly used in medicinal properties. Along with oil palm, it serves a source of edible oil to cook food in households of many parts in Africa.
This African butter is useful for skin care and for the stretch marks because it has the quality to protect the skin from the sun’s radiation and it acts as an emollient and moisturizer. It remains solid at room temperature and melts at body temperature, therefore, it is useful for skin. The topical use of this butter has been proven and it is being used for anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. And some use this it for the treatment of inflammation in nostrils, nasal congestion, cough, minor bone dislocation, etc. According to the research, there are no reports of allergies reacting to the skin or to the body by consuming the butter.
BENEFITS OF USING SHEA BUTTER
Shea Butter is mostly used in the formation of cosmetics in the cosmetics industry for skin and hair. This is mainly used in products like lip gloss, moisturizers, creams, hair conditioners, and emulsions. Therefore, here are the Top 10 Benefits of using Shea Butter for skin,
DAILY MOISTURIZER FOR FACE AND BODY
Shea Butter incredibly nourishes and moisturizes skin with the help of the concentration of vitamins that it has in abundance. It helps to soften the face and body skin by moisturizing it. It also has a soothing quality that makes your face and body skin smoother and reduces the effects of aging. It will also help you to reduce pimples and acne because it has healing power which can help you to brighten your face.
REDUCES STRETCH MARKS, BLEMISHES, AND WRINKLES
There are many kinds of medical procedures that can help you to reduce stretch marks, but Shea butter is a natural ingredient that will naturally reduce stretch marks, blemishes, and wrinkles. Why is it helpful? Because it contains Vitamin A which is very helpful to increase skin elasticity and helps against many skin diseases. Using the butter can improve your skin by reducing the appearance of blemishes or red spots or acne from your face, as the impact of Vitamin F in it helps in fading it over time by reducing wrinkles, stretch marks, and blemishes.
RESTORES SKIN ELASTICITY
Shea Butter is one of the natural ingredients that help to increase skin elasticity by providing hydration to the skin. Using a lotion or moisturizer made with it daily can make your skin glowing, supple, increase collagen production, and give you an overall healthy skin. It can even help to repair the unhealthy skin and increase the glow of your face or body because it boosts the skin collagen production and increases skin elasticity, it thereby reduces the signs of acne, wrinkles, pores, etc. The use of this incredible emollient daily can help to restore skin elasticity.
ANTI-AGING AND INCREASING CIRCULATION
Shea Butter is known as one of the best solutions against signs of aging. It includes vitamins A and vitamin F which helps the skin to become supple, nourish, and radiant. It is an excellent moisturizer for both anti-aging and increasing circulation. If you use this moisturizing butter regularly, it will help you to prevent skin aging and increase blood circulation. It promotes cell restoration by preventing your skin from wrinkling and aging. It also includes the antioxidants which are effective against skin-damaging free radicals.
CONDITIONS SKIN AFTER SUN EXPOSURE
The sun rays can easily damage your skin by increasing the free radicals in the skin cells. But by protecting the skin using Shea butter on the affected area, it can reduce the skin inflammation due to sun exposure. Due to sun exposure angry rashes and sunburns form on your skin resulting in swelling but using the butter can help in treating your affected skin. It has the property to protect your skin from photoaging that can help with redness and rashes occurring due to sunburn.
REDUCES SCARRING AND ACNE
The reason behind the using of Shea butter to reduce scar and acne is its natural components like vitamin A, vitamin F, rich antioxidants, and omega fatty acids which are Oleic acid, Stearic acid, Palmitic acid, and Linoleic acid. All these substances can help prevent skin damage by reducing scars and acne. Hence, all the substances are proven in the research published in the journals for the National Institute of Health which helps to reduce scar and acne and helps to repair or restore it. Using raw Shea butter can help your skin smoothing, glowing, and prevent your skin from scars, acne, red spots, wrinkles, etc.
SOFTENS ROUGH SKIN OF PALMS AND FEET
Dehydrated and dry skin becomes rough. But by applying the Shea butter on the rough skin of your body like palms, feet, hands, elbows, and knees can show extraordinary results immediately. You just have to massage the rough part of your skin using Shea butter gently to make your skin soft. Because it can nourish the skin with its natural fat content. Therefore, this African butter moisturizer is very helpful for dry and rough skin to make it smooth and soft.
HEALS DRY OT ITCHY SKIN
Shea Butter is very helpful to heal dry or itchy skin because it includes the high oil content and fatty acids that help to cure deeply. It also helps to restore the skin by penetrating the skin and regenerating the skin cells. The natural nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and Vitamin F are found in it which helps in preventing skin disease and heals dry and itchy skin. Using it will never cause any side effects as it is a concentration of natural things. Applying it can excellently nourish and moisturize your skin.
HEALS WOUNDS AND CRACKS
Shea Butter has omega acids like Oleic acid, Stearic acid, Palmitic acid, and Linoleic acid and fatty acids which helps to heal wounds and cracks in the skin without having any side effects. It has the ability to cure the wounds and cracks deeply and can show you the results immediately. You can even use it to treat the rashes, burns, insect bites, and many more things. It even helps to heal your skin’s deeper layer wounds faster as it could heal on its own form. Hence, by using shea butter for wounds and cracks can heal faster as it contains vitamins in it.
RESTORES HAIL LUSTER
Shea Butter to moisturize hair has benefits as it restores damaged hair, helps in preventing hair loss, even soothes a dry and itchy scalp, treats in split ends and breakage, and can naturally condition the hair. There are numerous medical treatments for the moisturization of hair but the butter is a formulation of natural substances like vitamins, fatty acids, and omega acids which helps to smooth hair naturally by restoring the hair luster. By applying it on the hair properly can show you the effect of it immediately without causing any side effects. As it is known to be naturally soothing certified organic by the National Institute of Health.
FAQs
What is Shea Butter used for?
Shea butter is used for many purposes ranging from emollient to moisturize and soften the skin to using it to cook food.
Does Shea Butter lighten skin?
Shea butter conditions the skin protecting it from the harmful rays of the sun which usually cause unhealthy tanning. So, in a way, Shea butter does lighten and protect the skin.
Can Shea Butter remove dark spots?
Shea butter is a great source for Vitamin A, E, and F that provide antioxidant properties and healthy omega fatty acids that reduce inflammation. Together these nutrients protect skin health, reduce dark circles, blemishes and dark spots.
How long does Shea Butter takes to work?
Applying Shea butter on your skin instantly moisturizes it and provides it with intense hydration. It may take several regular applications of Shea butter to face scars and stretch marks.
Can Shea Butter remove stretch marks?
Yes, because Shea butter is rich in Omega fatty acids like Stearic, Oleic, Palmitic and Linoleic acids, it provides instant nourishment to the skin and with regular use, it effectively fades stretch marks.
SUMMARY
We hope you must have understood the use of Shea Butter. There is more than enough evidence in NIH that proves the benefits mentioned here. There are many ways to use it in the diet, for skin, for the body, and for hair. It has natural substances like Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin F, and Omega Fatty Acids like Oleic acid, Stearic acid, Palmitic acid, and Linoleic acid. So use products that contain Shea butter or use it raw. In any way, it will give you healthy acne-free skin.
If you are curious to know about other anti-aging skincare ingredients, then check out our article on Bee Venom: A new Botox alternative.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30967105