Shea Butter is a fatty extract from the seed of the Shea Tree. The Shea Tree only grows in the Savannah region of Africa. It grows up to 60 feet and can live up to 200 years. The Shea Tree produces its fruits once a year. The seed in the center of the fruit is roasted and crushed to extract the vegetable fat known as Shea Butter. Shea Butter has been used for centuries in Africa for cooking, and also as a skin treatment for its amazing ability to hydrate, renew, repair and protect the skin against harsh climates. Shea Butter is also called Womens Gold, because extracting the butter from the nuts gives income and employment to thousands of rural African women. The Types of Shea Butter Unrefined Shea Butter : Unrefined Shea Butter is naturally extracted Shea Butter in its raw and all natural state, with nothing added. It has a creamy texture, ivory to light yellowish color, and has a natural nutty aroma which fades away within minutes after application. Unrefined Shea Butter is the most effective type of Shea Butter because all its natural, healing, and moisturizing properties are intact, undiluted, and unaltered. Refined, Processed Shea Butter: Refined Shea Butter has been processed and stripped of most of its natural vitamins. It is extracted with chemicals like hexane, then it is bleached, deodorized, and heated at extreme temperatures. As a result, Refined Shea Butter is white in color and has no scent, but it lacks the true healing and therapeutic benefits of Unrefined Shea Butter. In addition, Refined Shea Butter is often hard and grainy. Many cosmetic companies make Shea Butter creams and lotions including moisturizers, anti-aging, stretch marks, and hair products. These products also fall under the category of processed Shea Butter because the percentage of pure Shea Butter in these products is very low and not as effective.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Sep 2014 01:53:49 +0000
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