5 Shea Butter Benefits That Will Compel You To Use It On Your Skin & Face

Shea butter is extracted from the seeds of the fruit that grows on Karite trees, which are mainly found in Africa. It is in the form of solid fatty oil and in its raw form, looks like scoops of hard caramel ice cream. No wonder that certain communities use it even for food preparations.

In the world of beauty, shea butter has become widely popular for its extraordinary ability to not only protect the skin against everyday environmental damage, but also repair and renew it.

Here are some shea butter benefits that actually make a difference!

Shea Butter heals: Most soaps and oils convert into soap (saponification) when they come in contact with alkali. Shea butter does not as it contains oil soluble fatty acids and plant sterols such as oleic, palmitic, stearic and linolenic acids which stand their own ground. This intensifies its healing potential especially for burns, cuts, rashes insect bites and eczema. Not just that, shea butter is a great friend of athletes and sportspersons as it also eliminates toxins which cause muscle fatigue. So give yourself a good rubdown post your workout so as to not compromise on your workout the next day.

Shea Butter protects: The antioxidants in shea butter keep cells protected from damaging free radicals and other environmental hazards whilst cinnamic acid esters in the shea fat keep ultraviolet radiation at bay. Your skin will never look dull again.

Shea butter for skin

Unsaturated fats with copious amounts of non-saponifiable components, essential fatty acids, vitamins E and D, phytosterols, provitamin A and allantoin…these are the ingredients for picture perfect skin and you’ll get all these benefits from shea butter. These ingredients also makes it a natural moisturizer which keeps the skin’s protective oils where it should be, right inside the skin!

Anti-ageing benefits: Youthful skin is just a dab away. Take advantage of the vitamin A and E that shea butter possesses to preserve your skin’s radiance and softness. Shea butter gives collagen production a gentle push to retain skin’s youthful looks.

Pro Tip - If you don’t have time to make Shea Butter face mask for youthful skin, use Olay Total Effects Night cream which may be able to address your skin ageing concerns.

Shea butter for face

Give yourself a spa-like treatment with this simple homemade face mask and get softer skin in minutes!

• In a blender, combine ½ tablespoon of shea butter, ½ an avocado, 1 tsp. raw honey and a few drops of lime juice.
• Blend till smooth consistency.
• Apply on skin and leave for 30 minutes, after which rinse off with cold water and a mild soap.
• The shea butter may not leave your face completely which is a good thing so do not try to over wash – this will dry out your face.
• If the pack remains, store in in the refrigerator and use again within 2 days.