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Ever wondered the benefits of shea butter? Shea butter is a solid fatty oil that is derived from the nuts of the Karite trees and today we are looking deeper into the benefits of it.

Before we just into it, Let me introduce myself if you're a newbie here! Hi There! I am Queen, I would like to warmly welcome to my Natural hair Blog! Here i share great information and valuable tips that will help you maintain your natural hair, after all we all want a beautiful crown, right?! :) I made a special page for you all (my lovely queens!) with helpful resources like coupon codes, discounts and products that will help you and me in our hair journey! I'll also be sharing different Best Selling Products for natural hair as i discover them! I think we can learn to embrace and have fun taking care of our hair, so join me and let's do it together(Join My Exclusive Facebook Group to get instant access to me and let's build a community beyond hair)! Lastly, i have a gift for you! We've all been there, The struggle to grow and maintain out hair Long! Ugh, i know trust me! My hair was stuck at shoulder-length for the longest till i finally passed it :) Now my hair is all the way to my bra strap! I made this to help a sista out! You can get your free Natural hair cheat sheet guide to longer hair here! Now that we've got that out of the way, let's continue!

In our Previous post we mentioned moisture as a important factor to growing your natural hair:

Helpful links: How to grow your natural hair

The question is, What is Shea Butter.

Shea butter is a solid fatty oil that is extracted from the nuts of the Karite trees / known as Mangifolia, predominantly located in Africa.

The Karite tree bears the fruits and the nuts inside the fruits contain shea butter. The nuts are then crushed, boiled, and manipulated in order 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.

Raw or unrefined shea butter is the purest form of shea butter, which is the most natural and the least processed and it gets absorbed into the skin quickly or melts rapidly at body temperature!

It is able to retain its vitamins, minerals and other natural properties easily.

Refined shea butter, on the other hand, is the processed form of butter.

What Is the Best Type of Shea Butter?

There are two types of shea butter available on the market, the refined and unrefined one. Out of the two types of shea butter, the first one is considered to be best, as it has not undergone any chemical treatments.

Helpful Links: Buy Raw or undefined shea butter from myafricamarketplace.

Benefits of shea butter for your hair

Healthy and happy hair Shea butter is used in many a haircare product and with good reason. It is said to have a number of benefits, including sealing in moisture, defining curl, conditioning the scalp, alleviating dandruff and decreasing the dreaded frizz. Also, applied to just the roots when styling can add a bit of volume to fine hair. Shea butter as hair conditioner one of the benefits of shea butter is that it works very well as a hair conditioner and the great thing is that it won’t leave your hair looking or feeling greasy. It will help your hair from drying out in warm climates and reduce frizzy hair. shea butter melts at body temperature, you can rub it between your fingers to break it down into oil form. Or you can mix shea butter with other natural oils for hair to create a blend that is easier to distribute, then apply to your hair. Healthy scalp with shea butter Shea butter is good for dry scalp and helps to moisturize it. To help get and maintain a healthy scalp, you can use shea butter as a hair mask. To do this, gently heat some shea butter so it has just melted.You can even do this by letting some melt in the palms of your hands. Then using your fingers, massage some shea butter into your scalp and leave it for about 20-30 minutes. Then wash out.

Benefits of shea butter for your Skin

Indulge dry skin

According to the American Shea Butter Institute, the moisturizers in shea butter are the same ones that are produced by the skin’s sebaceous glands, making it one of the best matches for dry skin.

Better-smoother lips with shea butterShea butter is said to protect and soothe the lips. Apply several times a day; smooch frequently to test its efficacy. Calm inflamed skin

Shea butter has several anti-inflammatory agents, including derivatives of cinnamic acid. Fade stretch marks

While authorities like the Mayo Clinic and Baby Center note that the only way to really diminish stretch marks is with Retin-A or laser treatments, there are many testimonies across the Web of people who swear by the power of shea butter for helping in this endeavor. Its abundance of vitamins and healing agents doesn’t make this seem like much a stretch, so to speak. Ease eczema and acne

Both eczema and acne require delicate treatments as not to exacerbate the problems; and in both cases, a pure and natural product is favorable to one with synthetic ingredients and fragrances. According to reviews, shea butter’s efficacy for eczema and acne is mixed. Repair cracked heels and troublesome cuticles

Many who suffer from painful cracked heels and dry cuticles claim that shea butter solves the problem.For heels that are particularly bad, apply shea butter before bed and slip into cotton socks for the night. Antioxidant boost!

one important benefit of Shea butter is high in vitamins A and E, as well as catechins and other significant plant antioxidants, which may protect skin from damage.There is evidence that suggests that cinnamic acid esters in shea fat also help to prevent damage from ultraviolet radiation. Shea butter = wrinkles fighter!

The American Shea Butter Institute claims that the application of high-quality shea butter will diminish the appearance of wrinkles after four to six weeks of use.Other research suggests that the application of shea butter to the skin results in a brighter complexion and visibly reduced wrinkles. Moisturizing:

The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in Shea butter makes it incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for skin.It is often used to remedy dry skin and to help protect the skin’s natural oils. Skin Smoothing:

Another great benefit of shea butter aids in the skin’s natural collagen production and contains oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids that protect and nourish the skin to prevent drying.With long term use, many people report skin softening and strengthening as well as wrinkle reduction. Anti-Ageing Benefits:

Shea butter is considered as one of the best anti-aging and moisturizing agents for the skin. It stimulates the production of collagen, the youthful scaffolding protein in the skin.

Benefits of shea butter for your health

Ditch the itch from insect bites

With its anti-inflammatory magic, it makes sense that shea butter would quell the swelling of insect bites, but if crowds of people across the Web are correct, it also stops the irksome itch of insect bites pretty much on the spot. Aid your shave

The jury is still out on this one – some like a shea shave because it’s so nice on the skin; others say that it doesn’t provide enough cushion for the razor since it doesn’t lather. If you like more of an “oil shave” than a sudsy one, shave with shea. And even if you use a lather to shave with, applying shea post-shave can soothe irritation. Clear nasal congestion

A study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology found that shea butter was potentially more efficacious in treating nasal congestion than nasal drops.Subjects with congestion (mostly associated with seasonal allergy) were given 2-4 grams of shea butter applied to the interior of the nostril “by means of the subject’s right index finger.” Reduces Inflammation:

One compound in particular, lupeol cinnamate, was found to reduce skin inflammation and even potentially help avoid skin mutations. This also makes it beneficial for some people with acne. Fight germs and bacteria

helpful benefit of shea butter also contains naturally occurring antibacterial compounds, such as cinnamic acid, that further help to fight germs and bacteria, and is also helpful for skin irritations and rashes that need soothing and healing help.Raw Shea butter is naturally anti inflammatory, using it to wash areas that are inflamed, irritated and in need of some disinfecting and protective love is the perfect gentle yet effective strategy for using your Shea butter soap. Stops the negative effects of harmful free radicals

a stop benefit of shea butter soap is also high in skin nourishing vitamins, namely vitamins E, A and C, all of which act as antioxidants to stop the negative effects of harmful free radicals.Vitamins A and C also act as catalysts to the skin to produce more collagen, which in turn fills out wrinkles, aids in faster dermal healing, and results in skin that is plump, tight and resistant to sagging.

Because raw Shea butter is such a rich and effective moisturizer, using it for making soap is ideal because it will help to feed and soften the skin that is being cleaned by the soap. It also makes the soap less harsh.

Shea Butter – Precautions

If you are allergic to nuts, it may be best to avoid shea butter until you are sure that you will not have any negative side effects. Do a small patch test, just to make sure you don’t develop any allergic reaction to shea butter.