The shea butter comes from the fruits of the Shea tree, a tree of the Sapotaceae family. Famous in Africa, his native country, he is nicknamed "women's gold" or "the butter tree " and can live up to 300 years. From the top of its 15 meters, it begins to produce fruits (which are edible by the way) after 20 years! You still have to wait 50 to 100 years for a tree produces a good quantity of shea. Green in color and in the form of a cluster, the fruits of the shea contain an almond which itself contains the famous butter with a thousand and one virtues!
So how is shea butter obtained? How to use shea butter on hair? How to use shea butter on the skin and how to use it on the face? We answer all your questions and we give you many more uses of shea butter !
Shea butter is a vegetable butter obtained thanks to the nuts which form clusters in the tree! Once mature, the bunches are picked, often by women, because according to an African legend, harvesting by men would make the tree infertile. The workers then separate the nuts from each other before boiling them. Once boiled, they are placed in the sun to dry.
After a few days, the nuts are shelled in order to recover the almond which is inside. The almonds are then washed and sorted before being roasted and ground into a smooth paste. Finally, the paste is immersed in boiling water to bring the shea butter to the surface and to make the impurities fall to the bottom of the container. Once everything has cooled, the women can recover the yellowish to beige paste:the shea butter is ready!
All this work is repeated a good number of times, because to obtain only 1 kg of shea butter, you need 20 kg of almonds.
The multiple properties of shea butter make it a beauty essential! For starters, it contains several vitamins:
In its unsaponifiable part (insoluble in water), we find resinous esters, with healing properties, phytosterols, which stimulate cell regeneration, they are perfect for healing and the fight against the appearance of wrinkles, and latex , a natural anti-wrinkle!
Shea butter has so many possible uses that it can be applied from head to toe and on everyone in the family! On the face, it can be used in creams to fight skin aging , promote the healing of the skin or even nourish and protect it. On the body, it is used to soothe irritations, care for sensitive skin, prevent and reduce stretch marks. Finally, on the hair, it has nourishing and restorative properties, perfect for dry or textured hair. It is also recommended for dull hair, because it brings shine!
For toddlers, it can be used pure or in the form of shea whipped cream to soothe and care for their sensitive and irritated areas.
Regardless of the intended use of shea butter, be sure to choose butter from an organic sector in order to benefit from all its benefits. In fact, vegetable butters from traditional channels are often mixed with mineral oils, a cosmetic ingredient derived from petrochemicals. These oils have no benefit for the skin and can even negate the positive effects of shea because of their occlusive power.
Finally, for shea butter with multiple uses, turn to pure (or raw!) butter. This one ingredient is enough to work wonders on skin, face and hair, so why look any further? If you choose pure shea butter, you also have the option of making DIY recipes at home!
Shea butter can have several uses on the hair. Sometimes anti-dandruff treatment, sometimes nourishing and moisturizing treatment, it can also be used to protect the hair from heating appliances such as hair dryers or straighteners! So, in practice, how to use shea butter on hair ?
As we know, having hydrated, nourished and luminous hair is not easy, especially when the hair is subject to the vagaries of time, heating appliances and treatments that are a little too harsh. To overcome the consequences of its almost daily attacks, a solution:make masks or oil baths!
The coconut and shea butter mix is perfect for that since it combines the benefits of coconut oil (nourishes, hydrates, restores softness, suppleness and shine to all hair types) and shea butter (nourishes, sheaths and protects the hair). To apply it, simply melt the two butters in the microwave and apply the mixture from roots to ends! Then rinse in the shower after a few hours break.
For maximum effectiveness, put your hair in a hot towel to open the scales!
Shea butter can also be used to protect hair from heated appliances. To do this, simply apply a knob of butter to the lengths before using a heating appliance!
Applied to the scalp, shea acts as a natural anti-dandruff. It maintains a nourished and balanced scalp by promoting cell renewal. The scalp no longer desquamates, no more dandruff!
For anti-dandruff use , shea butter must be applied to the skull using massage to make it penetrate. Then let it sit for 20 minutes. To do before or after the shampoo!
Thanks to its high content of vitamins and fatty acids, shea butter can delay the effects of skin aging. It is also nourishing, protective and healing and can be used pure or in the form of shea whipped cream. Here's how to use shea butter on the face:
The presence of vitamins A2, E, F and natural latex acts as a real anti-wrinkle treatment. It softens the epidermis , effectively protects it against external aggressions (free radicals, oxidative stress) and keeps the skin nourished and hydrated. The unsaponifiable elements will stimulate the production of collagen and elastin, two proteins essential for better skin elasticity!
One of the other possible uses of shea butter is to make a nourishing mask for the face. Its content of fatty acids and vitamins of all kinds makes it ideal for sensitive and dry skin:it will nourish it and protect it from skin dryness while soothing it.
To do this, shea butter can be applied pure or mixed with other ingredients such as sweet almond oil (moisturizing, softening and soothing) or aloe vera (anti-inflammatory and moisturizing). ).
In winter, it can be applied to all skin types to protect the face from the cold by strengthening the hydrolipidic film.
Shea butter can be used as a natural lip balm and applied as many times as needed throughout the day. The best ? Use Purobio Lip Scrub before applying a dab of butter to lips before going to bed. When you wake up, your lips are soft and hydrated!
Shea butter has a multitude of uses for the body ! Hair removal, hydration of the hands and feet, anti-stretch mark or soothing treatment in the event of sunburn, firming or even repairing treatment for babies' diaper rashes, this is the well-being ingredient to have. Here's how to use shea butter on the skin:
Shea butter is ideal as a body cream! Its composition makes it a natural moisturizer that limits skin dryness. Thanks to its anti-inflammatory power, it is also ideal against eczema or psoriasis patches . Used every day, it restores comfort to the skin and limits the crocodile skin effect!
For pregnant women and young mothers, it can be used every day to delay the appearance of stretch marks as much as possible and reduce their appearance. It also soothes itching and tightness caused by skin enlargement. On the chest, it serves as a tightening treatment by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin. It is to be applied generously every day on the hips, thighs, stomach, breasts and buttocks!
For a super simple use of shea butter on the hands and feet, just apply it before going to bed and put on gloves and socks to let it do its magic! Thanks to it, the heels are less dry and rough and the hands are repaired and hydrated.
Nothing better than the anti-inflammatory and soothing properties of shea butter after hair removal! Whether with an electric epilator, wax or a razor, shea butter will act as a fire hose and calm the fire of hair removal. No more burning sensations, rough and red skin!
Its same properties are also ideal in case of sunburn. Apply liberally as many times as needed!
The use of shea butter on babies is quite possible. The latter can be used to calm the inflammation of diaper rashes or simply protect your skin from the drying effects of limestone. To do this, you can either coat your baby's skin with shea butter or put a dab of butter in his bath!
You now have all the cards in hand to have beautiful, well-hydrated skin and nourished hair! And you, how do you use your shea butter? Tell us in the comments;)
