The color of the shea butter depends on the color of the shea nut used. Shea nuts can produce butter varied in color from off-white to light yellow. Unrefined, raw shea butter can never be snow white or deep yellow unless it has undergone a refining process to strip it of its natural color and smell or a dye has been added to it to give it a deep yellow tone, respectively. Many vendors will sell shea butter that has been cut with other oils, most notably palm oil or mineral oil and still advertise it as unrefined shea butter. Mineral oil is notoriously known for its skin clogging effect as it is a derivative of petroleum which may explain why some people report experiencing breakouts and aggravated cysts when using shea butter they purchase from other vendors. Please keep in mind that unrefined shea butter should not have any other ingredient than the shea nuts themselves. Vendors who cut their shea butter do so in order to short customers and take advantage of the exotic nature of shea butter. If you encounter shea butter that is of a gritty or sticky texture and is advertised as real shea butter, you ought to be made aware that there may be other ingredients mixed in the butter.

With that said, the benefits however remain the same for all shea butters of unrefined variety. Raw Shea Butter is widely hailed for its skin nourishing, moisturizing and anti-inflammatory properties. Pure Shea Butter contains high concentrations of vitamins A, E and F which help keep skin soft, supple and healthy. Shea Butter is recommended for people who suffer from sensitive skin, dry skin, uneven skin tone and eczema.

Shea butter is primarily used to repair and nourish dry brittle hair, restore moisture to dry, itchy skin and heal and soften hard callous feet. Shea Butter also helps repair, protect and treat skin from common conditions such as acne, eczema, skin hives and rashes and severely dry, cracked itchy skin or lips. In addition, Shea Butter can be used to reduce sporadic skin blemishes, minimize the appearance of scarring, eliminate dark spots, marks and skin discoloration and even skin tone. Like Cocoa Butter, unrefined shea butter can smooth stretch marks, lessen the irritation of psoriasis and restore elasticity to your skin, making shea butter ideal as an anti-aging ingredient to prevent skin wrinkles.

To use african shea butter on skin, simply rub a small amount of the butter in the palm of your hands until melted and then proceed to apply it to the desired parts of your body, paying special attention to dry cracked skin, rough elbows and knees, dark areas and skin discolorations. If treating a conditions such as eczema, acne and sun burn, make sure to thoroughly rub the butter on the affected areas. For pregnant women, rub shea butter into the skin of your belly, waist and thighs to either prevent and treat stretch marks and other scar tissue. Also use shea butter to help heal sore and cracked nipples. After the baby is born, use shea butter to treat and prevent diaper rash. (Petroleum based products can be toxic) ** Shea butter comes from the Karite tree which produces the nuts in which shea butter is extracted from, if you are allergic to nuts or latex in general, be precautious with your use of shea butter.

Shea Butter contains high elements of anti-oxidants and vitamins A, E and F which are the elements necessary that give Shea Butter its ability to ward off free radicals which in turn can be responsible for much of the common skin conditions we suffer from including acne. Furthermore, these vitamins also give shea butter its anti-inflammatory, healing and therapeutic properties. For example, vitamins A and E stimulate and regenerate skin cells, thus lending shea butter one of its most prized benefits: Skin rejuvenation and anti-aging. Because shea Butter penetrates deeply into the skin and works on the cellular membrane to restore skin elasticity and nourish dry, cracked and sun damaged skin from the inside out, it is an excellent anti-aging cream. By keeping skin supple and elastic, shea butter can prevent wrinkling. Shea butter can also be used as an after sun care moisturizer or remedy for sunburned skin for the same reason. Shea butter seeps into skin to stimulates cell reproduction which quickly replaced cells destroyed by the ultra violet rays of the sun.

**Shea butter has a low melting point and should be stored away from heat and moisture. However if melted the benefits it delivers can remain. To re-harden shea butter, let it sit in room temperature or refrigerate it. Use this 100% pure and unrefined Shea Butter as a daily hair and skin moisturizer to keep hair and skin bright, young, supple, soft and as healthy as possible the natural way. Our Shea butter is lightly whipped to a smooth and creamy consistency for your ease of use.

This video is courtesy of "LunaJessie" It was originally filmed in Mali, West Africa as an educational/training video that teaches women how to make an improved version of shea butter. What gives shea butter it's smoky smell was the fact that the nuts were roasted before they were kneaded. This video showcases a way in which shea nuts do not roast and therefore do not give the infamous smoked smell. The shea nuts used produced white shea butter, however yellow shea nuts do exist.