The benefits of African Shea Butter are plentiful. Shea butter is increasingly being recommended by physicians and dermatologist alike to help patients deal with a number of problematic skin, hair and foot care conditions. Furthermore, shea butter is widely used in Africa as a nasal decongestant, an anti-inflammatory for sprains and arthritis in hands and knuckles and as a moisturizer and emollient in popular and commercial cosmetic beauty products. For hundreds of years, the native people in countries that dominate the western region of Africa have used the healing and therapeutic powers of shea butter to protect their skin and hair from environmental factors including sun, wind and inclement weather. Unrefined shea butter is so purely crafted that it is also used in western African countries as an edible cooking ingredient and massage cream for people with sensitive skin including infants and babies.

AFRICAN SHEA BUTTER AND ITS BENEFITS FOR SKIN CARE

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.

AFRICAN SHEA BUTTER AND ITS BENEFITS FOR HAIR CARE

When shea butter is used on hair, it deeply penetrates the hair shaft to quench the thirst of dry and brittle hair. Shea butter is highly effective in repairing damaged hair and split ends and can be used as a pre-shampoo treatment to strengthen and protect hair from damaging surfactants found in shampoos and conditioners. Raw shea butter can also be used as a deep conditioning treatment to repair and soften damaged hair after shampooing, thus making hair more manageable.

To use African shea butter on hair, simply melt a small amount of shea butter between the palm of your hands and apply to hair for sheen. For a deeper scalp and hair treatment, part hair in several sections and rub a small amount of shea butter on the scalp. To use shea butter as a pre-shampoo treatment, slightly warm up the butter to soften it, without liquefying it and apply to dry hair, covering every strand. Let the butter sit for up to 45 mins and rinse. Continue with your normal hair routine. For a more intense treatment, combine shea butter with hair loving oil such as jojoba oil, olive oil or coconut oil.

AFRICAN SHEA BUTTER FOR ANTI-AGING, AFTER-SUNCARE AND SUNBURNS

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 BENEFITS AND COMMON USES

Here is a more extensive list of the many uses of unrefined shea butter and the conditions that it is able to treat:

**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.