Definition of shea butter
Shea butter is a vegetable oil extracted from nuts of the shea tree (Vitellaria paradoxa), which principally grows in West Africa. It's a natural ingredient largely used in cosmetics and personal care products for its moisturizing and nourishing properties. Shea butter is rich in vitamin A, E and F, as well as essential fatty acids, which makes it beneficial for the skin and in particular for the hair.
Actions and benefits of shea butter
Property of shea butter: hydration and nutrition
Shea butter is an excellent natural hydrating agent. Its content in fatty acids such as oleic acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid helps nourishing and deeply hydrating skin and hair. It is particularly efficient to treat dryness and give suppleness to damaged hair.
Property of shea butter: anti-inflammatory properties
Components such as cinnamic acids contained in shea butter have anti-inflammatory properties. It helps soothing skin irritations, redness and inflammations, making shea butter an ideal ingredient for sensitive skind or skins that are subkect to eczema and psoriasis.
Property of shea butter: repairing and healing
Thanks to its richness in vitamins A and E, shea butter favors cellular regeneration and wound healing. It is often used to treat scars, stretch markks and small cuts, as well as to improve skin elasticity.
Property of shea butter: UV protection
Sea butter contains esters of cinnamic acids, which offer a small protection against UV rays of the sun. Although it doesn't replace a sunscreen, it can offer another protection against the damages caused by UV rays.
Property of shea butter: antioxidant and anti-aging
Vitamins E and A, contained in great quantities in shea butter, have antioxidant properties which help fighting against free radicals and slowing the aging process. It contributes in reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, and maintaining a young an bright skin.
Clinical and scientific studies on shea butter
Studies have demonstrated the multiple benefits of shea butter for hair. A research published in the "Journal of Convergence for Information Technology", showed that shea butter is excellent for protecting damaged hair because of colorations. Another study highlighted that shea butter offers a significant protection against UV rays and improves skin hydration.
Sourcing of shea butter
Shea butter is mainly harvested in savanna areas in West Africa, especially in Ghana, Nigera and Burkina Faso. Shea nuts are picked by hand, then dried and transformed to extract the butter. The traditional methods of transformation, including torrefaction, grinding and mixing, are often used to preserve natural properties of the butter. The sustainable and fair practices are privileged to support local communities and minimize the environmental impact.
Anecdotes on shea butter
Shea butter has a long story of use in Africa, dating from thousands of years ago. It is often named "the women's gold" because the production of shea butter is an important source of income for a lot of africann women. Moreover, the queen of Egypt Cleopatra was using argile pots filled with shea butter for her beauty cares.
Shea butter in our products
In the Laboratoires SILKBIOTIC, we integrate shea butter in our hair mask thanks to its remarkable hydrating, repairing and protective properties. It is a key ingredient which offers all of its exceptional benefits for all types of skins, even the most sensitive ones.
Sources :
- Hyo-Ri K, et al. Effects of Hair Treatment with Shea Butter on Bleached Hair. Journal of Convergence for Information Technology (2021).
- Oluwaseyi M, Effects of topical and dietary use of shea butter on animals. American Journal of Life Sciences (2014).
