Shea Butter Sapotaceae Butyrospermum parkii
This fat is obtained from nuts (an egg shaped seed found inside the fruit) of the Karite tree native to West Africa. Karite means "Tree of Life". (In Europe, the fat is used as a cooking fat, in the manufacture of margarine, & as a substitute for cocoa butter.) African healers have used shea butter thousands of years as treatment for dry or aging skin.
Shea butter contains vitamins A, E & F. Vitamin E is an important anti-oxidant.
This shea butter is fully refined and is almost colorless and odorless.
Shea butter's high content of non-saponifiable fatty acids enables it to moisturize & aids the skin in retaining its natural elasticity.
Shea butter also protects the skin against the damaging effects of the sun while repairing cellular degeneration.
Since it is high in insaponifiables, shea butter is a luxurious, moisturizing addition to soap & lotions. and therefore a great moisturizing ingredient in soap.
Some who tout this butter, call it the "all natural vitamin A cream" and use it directly on the skin!
The substances found in Shea butter that provide its moisturizing qualities are very much like the moisturizers found in the sebaceous glands in human skin.
Some uses for Shea butter:
*wound healing
*dry &/or rough skin
*peeling skin (post-sunburn)
*wrinkles
*itching
*sunburn
*cracked skin
*stretch marks
*muscle fatigue & tension
*eczema
*dermatitis
*burns
Useful as a superfatting agent in soap and as a key ingredient in lotions & creams.
SAP: .131 (NaOH)
Additional Information: When shea butter is refined the prevention of graininess is achieved by quick cooling.
When working with shea butter, melt it with the rest of the hard oils in your recipe and cool it quickly but don't put your packaged products into the freezer. When making lip balms using refined shea, they should cool quickly enough by nature of the small containers you use. Other items may need to be poured into chilled containers or placed into the refrigerator to achieve quick cooling.
