Unrefined Shea Butter is a powerful 100% natural moisturizer with many healing benefits and potential to improve the condition of skin and hair. It is solid at room temperature, but melts easily on contact with skin for quick and easy absorption.

Regular use can produce smoother, smoother and healthier skin for all skin types. It naturally contains vitamins A, E, and F. These antioxidants can help skin retain its natural elasticity, absorb moisture from the air, and help prevent premature wrinkles by increasing overall collagen production. It also contains cinnamic acid which can provide modest protection to skin from sun damage (note: traditional SPF sunscreens still need to be used for complete protection). While some of these benefits can also be found in other carrier oils and nut butters, unrefined shea butter is unique in that it contains a high amount of fatty and unsaponifiable acids in comparison.

In hair care, shea quickly provides moisture to dry and damaged hair and helps protect against weather damage and general brittleness. It is quickly and completely absorbed into the scalp to hydrate without clogging pores. It is especially beneficial for chemically processed and heat treated hair.

Some other benefits include:

Treatment of skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.

Prevention and treatment of stretch marks.

Relieves burns, sunburns, and insect bites.

Soothing diaper rash.

Helps prevent scars on cuts.

Moisturizer for severely dry and cracked skin.

Raw Shea vs. Refined shea:

It is important to note that there are processing differences between refined and unrefined shea. All shea butter is initially extracted from the African shea nut tree (shea), but only unrefined shea butter has the healing benefits that make it a highly sought-after natural moisturizer and skincare ingredient.

Unrefined Shea Butter can be extracted from Karite Nut by hand using traditional West African methods or with the use of a mechanical press. Both methods produce butter without the use of chemicals or synthetics. The end product is unrefined shea butter, also known as raw shea butter or virgin shea butter and has a high concentration of antioxidants, healing benefits, and natural UV protection. It can range in color from beige to light yellow and has a slight smoky or nutty aroma that comes from traditional processing methods.

Refined or ultra-refined shea is extracted and processed with high temperatures and chemical solvents such as hexane. It is generally pure white in color and contains no odor. During this processing, almost all possible healing benefits have been lost.

Today, many mainstream skin and body care products use the refined variety in their formulas due to its longer shelf life, pure white color, and lack of odor. These products may be decent moisturizers, but they won’t have the amazing healing benefits that can only be found with pure, unrefined shea.