Why Shea Butter is Such a Good Ingredient for Beauty Products

Meta: Shea butter is one of the best moisturizing products that we have access to. Do you use it in your routine? Find out more about this amazing ingredient here!

If you use any heavy moisturizing products, there is a strong chance that shea butter will be one of the key ingredients used in it. You can use it on its own or as part of a cocktail of other ingredients and products. However, there is no denying that shea butter is one of the best ingredients out there when it comes to skincare. Let’s take a closer look at shea butter and some of its properties.

(Image Source: Pixabay)

What is Shea Butter?

Shea butter is extracted from the nut of the shea tree and then made into a white butter – to which yellow dye is sometimes added. This tree grows across nineteen African countries and in an area as wide as 5000 square kilometers. There is evidence that shea butter itself has been produced since the 14^th century.

It is mainly used in cosmetics, but it is also a key ingredient in African black soap and is used in food and cooking too. Though we might only associate one main usage with it, it is a variable and useful product that many will be able to use widely throughout their lives.

Why Shea Butter is Used in Beauty Products

Shea butter is a fantastic moisturizer, which is why you might find it used in many products. It is important that we find ways to add moisture back into our skin, even if we are on the oily side.

You might use a Vitamin C face wash as part of a double cleanse to reduce acne breakouts and brighten your skin. However, in doing so, you might find that your skin is a bit tight and feels like it has had the oils stripped from it. Using a moisturizer with a base of shea butter can really help you to maintain a good level of moisture in your skin.

But aside from being an effective moisturizer, there are other essential reasons why shea butter is used in many beauty products. They are as follows: 

• Suitable for all skin types: Shea butter is safe for all skin types. Although it’s a tree nut product, it has a low protein content that may cause skin allergies. Also, shea butter doesn’t contain chemical irritants that dry out your skin.  
• Has antioxidant properties: Shea butter also has high levels of vitamins A and E, which help promote antioxidant functions in your skin. Hence, beauty products with shea butter can protect your skin from any signs of premature aging.  
• Has anti-inflammatory properties: Shea butter can help with inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis by easing itching and soothing skin.  
• Boosts collagen production: This tree nut product has triterpenes, or naturally occurring chemicals that produce collagen inside your body. With increased collagen production, you can reduce the appearance of fine lines, resulting in younger skin.  
• Offers sun protection: This is another reason shea butter is a good ingredient in beauty products. It contains a sun protection factor (SPF) of 3 to 4, making it a perfect sunscreen for your skin.  

Indeed, there are many reasons why shea butter is a great ingredient for beauty products. Hence, start shopping now to incorporate this tree nut product into your daily skincare routine.   

However, if you’re having difficulty finding the right product in your area, open your favorite search engine and search. For example, if you’re from Australia, use keywords like ‘buy shea butter Australia online’ to obtain more accurate results and find the organic shea butter product you need.  

More Tahan Your Face

Pure shea on your face might be a little too rich, which is why you will often find it as just an ingredient in skincare for your face. Though we do need to make sure that we are maintaining good moisture levels in our faces, too rich a product could cause a breakout.

You can, however, use processed shea butter on the rest of your body! It is a fantastic moisturizer for drier areas of your body like your knees, hands, and elbows. If you have tattoos, it is also an excellent choice to help promote the skin healing after a fresh tattoo and keep your ink looking fresh.

Shea butter is such a versatile product that you will no doubt find it being used across many different products. If you have not yet used shea butter in your routine, you need to add it in when you can. There are so many amazing products out there that could become a key part of your routine. Add a little shea butter into your lotions and potions and prepare to revel in how soft your skin soon feels!