The nuts are dried, ground, and the powder is boiled in water. Once it rises to the top and solidifies, it is shea butter. It is ivory in color and often dyed yellow with palm oil or borututu.

Shea butter is made up of 85 – 90% stearic and oleic acids. Other principal acids include palmitic, linoleic, and arachidic.

Shea butter is a 
•    Renowned moisturizer
•    Rich in vitamin A and E
•    It reduces skin irritations
•    It evens out skin tone and wrinkles and it is
•    Non comedogenic so it can be used on sensitive or acne prone skin (ingredient that will not block the pores in the skin)

Fatty acids serve as permeability enhancers and refatting agents. Acids help the vitamins in shea butter permeate the skin barrier leading to greater efficacy and they restore the skin’s lipid layer.

Shea butter creates a protective shield that helps lock in moisture, keeps dryness out, and protects the skin from sun, heat and wind.

Vitamin A helps keep skin and mucous membranes healthy which leads to long lasting hydration. Vitamin E has antioxidant qualities – it combines with oxygen and destroys free radicals.

Shea butter also boosts collagen production, promotes skin cell generation, and helps combat inflammation.

DISCLAIMER 
While shea butter is technically a tree nut product, there are no documented cases of allergies to topical use of shea butter due to the very low level of proteins that trigger allergies.