Shea
Butter
Shea butter (also known as karite butter) is a very popular
ingredient in cosmetics. Shea butter is produced from the
nuts of the Shea tree (Butyrospermum
parkii) which
grows in West and Central Africa in Nigeria, Togo, Mali,
Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Benin and Burkina Faso. Ninety-five
percent of the shea butter produced in these countries is
used in candy and confectionaries. The other five percent
is used for cosmetics. Refined shea butter has been treated
to remove some of the natural smell and color of shea
butter. Unrefined shea butter is produced by traditional
methods and retains the natural color, smell, and naturally
occurring nutrients in shea butter. Shea butter has several
wonderful qualities that make it an excellent additive to
cosmetic products. It consists primarily of stearic acid
and oleic acid - two fatty acids which moisturize the skin.
Shea butter contains a large percentage of unsaponifiables
which help to stimulate and regenerate the skin. It also is
useful as a sunblock.
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