Spotlight: Let's talk about Shea Butter!
Although not as popular as cocoa butter, shea butter is brilliant for those of us with dry skin!
As well as being a popular cosmetic ingredient, it is also edible and is a great source of Omega 3.
I am a HUGE advocate for shea butter as i have seen its effects on me during prolonged usage, however, most of the Shea butter produced in the UK/USA is not always 100% shea,as companies add various chemical ingredients to “bulk” up the product, and so I get my Shea butter imported from Ghana- that way, I know it’s 100% pure!
So! A few facts you should know about shea butter:
- Shea butter is classified within 4 grades: A, B, C and D. A (unrefined, raw) contains the most natural vitamins, B (refined), C (Highly refined ans extracted using chemicals) and D (lowest uncontaminated grade. When buying Shea Butter, always make sure (when possible) that you check the ingredients for Grade B-C shea butter (grade A is rarely sold in the UK but if you can get it, please do!)
- Shea butter comes from West Africa (predominantly Ghana and Senegal)
- Shea butter is known to treat the effects of rashes, eczema, fading scars, stretchmarks, dry skin and hyper-pigmentation. (I can vouch for this one!)
- Effectly penetrates the skin without leaving it greasy.
For the past week or so, i’ve been using my own DIY version of a body moisturizer, using some grade A Shea butter that my Dad brought back from his recent trip to Ghana! Here’s what I did:
Pure Shea butter:
I then cut the shea butter into smaller pieces.
I then used a measuring jug, some coconut oil and found an empty pot
I then mashed the Shea butter and coconut oil (I later added some olive and avacado oil too) together to make an extremely rich, creamy mixture.
I then put it all in the empty pot and voila! Homemade shea moisturiser!
Try it sometime!
