About Shea Butter/Beurre De Karite

The Amazing Powers of Shea Butter, known in Africa for Ages and confirmed by Science.

Nothing is so calculated to damage skin as life in the dry, sub-Saharan savannahs of Africa, where it is exposed to the ravages of sun, wind and sand. African healers have long known the benefits of 100% Pure Shea butter, an extract which is cold pressed from the nuts of the karite tree, which means "The Tree of Life". Shea Butter puts back into the skin those nutrients which the elements deprive it of, healing and restoring to its pristine condition. Intrepid Scottish explorer Mungo Park first collected Shea nuts in 1797, and the variety he collected has been named after him as Butyrospermum parkii.

Westerners are wary of "Old Wives" Tales. They would rather trust to science than rely on traditional wisdom. So the American Shea Butter Institute was established to study the effects of Shea Butter and determine whether the seemingly extravagant claims made for its powers are borne out of fact.

There is now mounting scientific evidence, confirmed by clinical trials, that Shea Butter actually works.

It helps diminish scarring, skin discoloration and age spots. It can be used on broken skin, around the eyes, as sun block cream and is even safe for babies as massaging and nappy cream.

It is effective as an after-shave and prevents ingrown hairs. It works wonders on hair and scalp and softens cuticles.

Shea Butter contains the same moisturisers produced by the sebaceous glands in the skin, restoring them as nature intended. Vitamin E in Shea Butter is believed to increase the micro-circulation to the skin, thus increasing the blood supply with an anti-ageing effect. Vitamin E may also act as an anti-free radical agent to counteract damage by chemicals, detergents, harsh weather and pollutants.

Not all Shea Butters are alike

To retain its healing powers, Shea Butter needs to be processed 100% naturally. This 100% naturally-produced Shea Butter is what we call Shea Natural. Unrefined Shea nuts contain Vitamins A, E, fatty acids and other phytonutrients. In an effort to extract the oil from the nut quickly, aiming for quantity, not quality, cosmetic manufacturers heat the Shea butter to over 400 degrees F, adding chemicals such as hexane and sodium hydroxide to speed extraction. Not surprisingly, this destroys the nutrients responsible for the healing properties for which Shea Butter is so prized in the first place. Though even refined Shea Butter will retain excellent moisturising properties, it will have lost its amazing healing capacity.

Not so with Shea Natural. Shea Natural 100% pure unrefined Shea Butter is produced under Fair Trade conditions by a Womens Cooperative in Ghana. The Shea butter is harvested and manufactured by hand. First the women walk over 10km through the savannah to gather the nuts, selecting only the very best as they will be carrying dozens of kilos back to their villages balanced on their heads.

Next the nuts are carefully steamed just enough to loosen the kernel from the shell. The Shea kernels are sun dried, inspected and sorted and those still found to be of inferior quality removed. Next comes crushing with a large, wooden mortar or an electric grinder. The crushed kernels are then lightly roasted to reduce the water content.

The kernels are pulverised, mixed with clear, clean water, and whipped until the colour changes. This kneading process can take up to three hours. Shea fats are then collected and further heated slightly to remove remaining moisture. The clear oil is filtered and allowed to cool,10 to 14 hours will have elapsed since the nuts were first selected.

After cooling, the Shea oil is stirred and allowed to crystallise into Shea butter. Finally, the partially crystallised butter is decanted into containers, where it continues to crystallise. Shea Natural is carefully stored in optimum conditions to retain its qualities.

What to look for when buying Shea Butter


Premium Shea Butter is a uniformly beige, creamy solid that melts in the hands on slight rubbing and is quickly absorbed by the skin. It should not be green, gray, dark brown or white. Shea products with these colours are modified substitutes and even if they bear the name 100% Shea Butter, they do not contain the healing fraction. Pure, natural Shea Butter also has a characteristic, slightly sweet smell. Many first time users of Shea Butter actually find the smell of Shea Butter quite attractive. However, after 10 or 20 minutes on the body the butter has no smell. Unaltered Shea Butter does not have a cologne or perfume fragrance.

It is no surprise that factors causing variations in Shea Butter quality, apart from the initial quality of the nuts themselves, are the methods of extraction and the environmental conditions of storage. No solvents are used in the extraction of Shea Natural and we take great care in storing too.

Why Shea Natural is your best choice


If Shea Butter ages or loses integrity, many of its benefits are lost. Shea Butter contains Cinnamic Acid, a substance closely related to kitchen cinnamon, which is bound to other ingredients. The American Shea Butter Institute has found that and as Shea Butter loses its natural integrity its levels of bound Cinnamic Acid drop, and those of free unbound Cinnamic Acid increase. Lowered levels of bound Cinnamic Acid correlate well with loss of clinical effectiveness for healing so determining free and bound Cinnamic Acid content reveals the quality of the Shea Butter for healing purposes.

The Institute also uses Gas Chromatography, Mass Spectrometry, Refractive index, Specific gravity, Flash Point, and Organoleptic assessment (how it looks and smells) to grade Shea Butters and then classifies the Shea Butters into Class A, B, C, or F.

Shea Natural, by virtue of the careful and painstaking way it is selected, naturally prepared and stored, falls into Class A and rates as a Premium Shea Butter. Class F Shea Butters are really only Moisturizers. It is important to note that Class A is ideally suited for the healing purposes listed in this brochure, and other healing uses not mentioned here. Class F moisturizers, used by cosmetic companies and available on the High Street, have few to no healing properties and, though they may be labelled 100% Shea Butter are useful only as a moisturizer straight or mixed in cosmetic products like lotions and soaps.