If you like natural cosmetics, then you are familiar with many herbal ingredients that are used to create a variety of creams, lotions, tonics and other products marked “Bio” or “Natural”. One of the commonly used natural ingredients is shea butter. The application and properties of this herbal product have become the topic of this article.
What kind of oil is this?
This product is obtained from the fruits of a tree called shi. The substance has a solid consistency at temperatures below 35 ° C. If you increase this heat indicator, then shea butter, or shea butter, begins to melt with ease. The smell of this plant product is delicate and pleasant, with nutty notes.
Depending on the characteristics of the raw materials and the method of oil production, its color can vary from white to greenish yellow. It is eaten, used for the production of chocolate, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Tasty and stored for a long time
At room temperature, this plant product is very similar to ghee. This similarity is probably the main thing that catches the eye of the European. The Scottish traveler Mungo Park, who was one of the first natives of the Old World to witness the production of shea butter, appreciated the nutritional qualities of the product. He noted that this plant material can be stored in unsalted form for a whole year. The taste of the exotic product, according to Park, is in no way inferior to the premium cow butter familiar to Europeans. Not surprisingly, the local population of Burkina Faso and other African countries, this vegetable fat is included in the daily diet. After the notes of the Scot, who so enthusiastically described shea butter, the use and properties of this product aroused great interest among Europeans.
How is it produced?
In the homeland of shea wood, shea butter is produced manually, probably today. Harvesting nuts falls on the rainy season. An interesting feature of shea butter production is the fact that it is completely feminized. The whole difficult process of extracting a fatty product is carried out by beautiful and hard-working women in Africa.
After harvesting the nuts, they are placed in vats and kept in the ground for about two weeks. The pulp of the fruit rots, and the seeds are removed more easily. They are boiled to avoid germination and roasted for four days. Such a semi-finished product can be stored for a long time, up to nine months.
To extract oil from the seeds, they are freed from the peel and roasted for a whole day. The prepared kernels are crushed, pounded in a mortar to a pasty state and intensively kneaded. The resulting mixture is rinsed in a large amount of water several times, separating the foam. Further, this substance is boiled for several hours, removing the upper layer. This is the precious target product - shea butter. The use and properties of this fat in Africa are mainly associated with the nutritional value of raw materials.
Where can I use this product?
This shea butter is exotic for us, and Africans cook food with it, smear walls and windows in the rainy season and are used for simple medical and cosmetic needs. About 90% of the produced product is used for own needs by the population of the black continent.
After tasting shea butter in Europe and the USA, the use and properties of this plant raw material formed the basis of many scientific and technological developments. Today in Africa, for the most part, not ready-made fatty substance is purchased, but the seeds of the plant itself. Mechanically processed shea butter, properties and applications, the photo and description of which are now familiar to many people on the planet, are considered to be a cleaner and more stable product. It is used for food and cosmetics. The qualities of this oil are determined by its composition. Let's take a closer look at what is in the treasured jar with plant matter.
What does this plant product consist of?
Nowadays, quite often, cosmetic products include shea butter.
The properties and application of this fatty substance are directly based on its composition. Shea butter contains the following biologically active substances:
Triglycerides or fatty acids:
- Oleic (up to 55%) - omega-9 acid, a good emulsifier, is widely used in chemical synthesis, soap making, and cosmetics.
- Stearic acid (up to 45%) - carboxylic acid, the most common in nature. For the human body, this substance is an energy depot. This acid is widely used in soap making and in the manufacture of cosmetic products.
- Palmitic (up to 7%) - monobasic unsaturated acid, gives hydrophobic properties, is used in the manufacture of soaps, detergents and cosmetics.
- Linoleic (up to 8%) - monobasic omega-6 acid, is indispensable for the human body. This acid promotes the restoration and normal functioning of cell membranes.
- Linolenic (1%) - refers to omega-3-unsaturated fatty acids, and is of considerable value to the human body.
Unsaponifiable Substances:
- Polyphenols have antimicrobial activity, have adaptogenic and antioxidant effects.
- Tocopherols, which together form vitamin E, have a rejuvenating, regenerating, antioxidant, cancer protective effect.
- Triterpenes stimulate oxygen saturation of cells, lower cholesterol, and serve as a sunscreen.
- Steroids have high biological activity and anti-aging effect.
- Terpene alcohols cause the smell of oil. They have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic properties and deliver nutrients deep into the skin.
Hydrocarbons (up to 3%) perform a moisturizing function.
The effect depends on the method of application.
Thus, we can conclude that shea butter, properties and applications, reviews and benefits for the body of which are the subject of our review, is considered a very valuable product. If you use it inside, then essential fatty acids contribute to the effective reduction of cholesterol. This oil rejuvenates the body, actively fights aging and cancer, saturates the cells with oxygen.
According to reviews, if shea butter is applied externally, then hydration, regeneration, and rejuvenation of the skin are observed, peripheral blood circulation improves. The restoration of cell membranes, the removal of inflammation, the elimination of peeling is noted. Shea butter, the properties and application of which in cosmetology is now of great interest, can be used as a mono-remedy, but it is most often included in a wide range of products for the care of face and body skin, as well as hair.
Shea Butter For Face Skin
This herbal, fat-like ingredient will be beneficial for dry, aging, irritated skin. You will find all information of interest about shea butter, properties and application for the face, reviews and recommendations of specialists and consumers below.
This ingredient has been actively included in the composition of cosmetics for two decades and has earned popular love and recognition. Shea butter soothes inflamed areas, softens coarsened areas, protects from the negative effects of the environment, restores barrier functions, has a rejuvenating and antioxidant effect, and serves as a solar filter. The presence of phytosteroids makes this herbal ingredient a unique and effective assistant in the fight against aging. Shea butter triggers cell renewal at a level inherent in a young body. Women using shea cream and masks show excellent results: the skin is perfectly hydrated, wrinkles are reduced, and elasticity returns.
Specialists recommend the use of cosmetics with shea butter after thirty years, when beautiful ladies are faced with the first signs of skin aging. This ingredient will help young girls fight acne. Consumers have noted a reduction in skin inflammation and the rapid healing of scars after acne and blackheads. Shea butter, properties and application for the face of which is highly appreciated by consumers, prevents the formation of comedones and does not clog pores. This means that the mechanism of acne and acne is interrupted, and the skin becomes clean, smooth, smooth and fresh.
Sheer for a beautiful body
Well proven shea butter as an anti-cellulite component. It enhances microcirculation of the skin and fights the notorious orange peel. If orange oil and coffee extract were added to the cellulite cream, then the shea terpenes will deliver them to the deeper layers of the dermis. Also, women note that not only the tuberous structure disappears, the skin becomes more elastic and soft.
Stretch marks that occur during pregnancy and for a number of other reasons can also be made less noticeable with shea butter. Providing a regenerative effect and restoring cellular structures, this plant component prevents the formation of striae and helps to heal scars.
Cinnamic acid, which is part of shea butter, serves as a natural UV filter and is actively used in the manufacture of special sunscreens.
Shea butter for hair
Of particular interest is the topic: "Shea Butter: properties and applications for hair." Modern women subject their curls to daily hot styling, apply styling products, color and resort to the use of new-fangled hairdressing services. All this, of course, makes us beautiful, but adversely affects the structure of the hair. They become dry, brittle and lose their natural luster.
Shea butter has shown excellent results in repairing damaged hair. If the scalp is dry, then it is possible to apply funds with shea along the entire length and rub it into the roots. Otherwise, experts recommend using shea butter on the hair, retreating from the roots a few centimeters. The mask should be kept for two to five minutes, depending on the dryness and degree of damage to the hair. Women note that after the first week of using the means with shear, the hair comes to life, becomes elastic, soft and shiny.
Other Ways to Use Shea Butter
In addition to the cosmetics industry, this herbal ingredient is widely used in food production. Quite a long time, shea butter, whose properties and applications in the food industry became in demand immediately after its appearance in Europe, began to be introduced into the manufacture of margarine. This substance contains many triglycerides, which by hydration give a large yield of saturated fats and make production profitable.
Shea butter is also often used in the manufacture of chocolate as a substitute for cocoa butter. This significantly reduces the cost of its production and does not negatively affect the quality of the treat itself. However, experts speak out that such a product cannot be called chocolate and give it the definition of “confectionery bar”.
For beauty inside
We can say that shea butter is clearly underestimated as a food product. It can be used as a full-fledged butter substitute, and this product is much better than its analogue of animal origin. It not only does not contain cholesterol, but also contributes to the fight against atherosclerosis, protects against aging, and prevents the development of cancer. The presence of phytohormones in it makes shea butter very useful for women during menopause. This will serve as a good alternative to anti-climactic drugs of pharmaceutical origin.