What is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is a fat that is extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. Shea butter comes from two oily kernels within the nut. After the kernel is removed from the nut, it is ground into powder form and sprinkled in boiling water. A butter like consistency then rises to the top of the water and thus shea butter is created.
Traditionally, elements of the shea tree were renowned for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. Health issues such as ulcers, nasal congestion and eczema have all been relieved throughout recent history thanks to this remarkable tree.
Shea Butter Hand Care
Our Hand Cream is consistently one of the most popular products in our wide offering, with many reviews citing its strong healing and hydrating benefits.
While we aren’t usually ones to give away secrets, we feel on this occasion we have to give credit to our favourite super ingredient that helps to make our products feel luxurious and incredibly effective when keeping hands hydrated.
9 Benefits of Shea Butter on Skin
So, what are the many benefits of shea butter and why should you use a shea butter hand cream every day? Here are nine things you should know about this incredibly beneficial gift from mother nature.
1. It’s moisturising and deeply hydrates hands
The secret is out, shea butter is just about the most moisturising thing you can massage into your hands. This reason for this is the fatty acid content found in shea. When you rub shea into hands, the oils from the rich fatty acids are quickly absorbed into your skin. Shea effectively acts as a refatting agent for the hands which restores lipids and provides a generous offering of moisture. Shea butter therefore protects your skin from the harsh outside environment and locks in moisture.
2. It’s rich in antioxidants and therefore provides anti-aging properties
Shea butter is packed with a variety of vitamins, including vitamin A and E, promoting high levels of antioxidant activity. Antioxidants provide anti-aging benefits and protect your skin cells from factors that lead to premature aging and tired-looking skin.
3. It’s hosts anti-inflammatory properties and can help aid several skin conditions
The plant esters of shea butter have been found to have anti-inflammatory properties.
When applied to the skin, shea triggers inflammatory cells to slow their production. This not only provides relief to those of us who get irritated skin during dry weather, it also provides real benefit to those who suffer from eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis. In fact, research suggests that shea butter could work as well as ointments often prescribed by doctors for treating eczema.
4. It can help in the skin’s healing process
Shea butter not only aids inflammation, it has also been proven to help treat wounds. This is because of the protective fatty acids that are found within shea butter which shield cuts on hands from potential irritants. For this reason, shea butter is also a great anti-bacterial treatment.
5. It may soothe sore muscles
When muscles are overworked and overextended shea butter can provide quick relief thanks to the aforementioned anti-inflammatory properties of shea butter which provide joints with some respite during the muscle healing process.
6. It’s backed by science to promote cell regeneration
That’s right! The abundantly moisturizing and high antioxidant levels of shea butter work together to provide a boost for your skin when it comes to cell regeneration. By lathering shea butter rich products on provide your hands with rich moisture. This helps to remove the thousands of dead skin cells you produce every day. In turn, you are left with a fresh, hydrated canvas for new skin cells to develop.
7. It’s perfect for every skin type
Fun fact: there is no medical study that has found an allergic reaction to topical shea butter. This is because shea butter is incredibly low on the proteins that have been found to cause allergic reactions. This makes this natural resource perfect to use for any skin type.
8. It’s known to soothe itchy bug bites
One of shea butters earliest uses in Africa was relief from bee stings and insect bites. Anecdotal evidence suggests that shea butter may bring the swelling causes by the bites down although there is not yet written clinical research to support this. Still, we might suggest bringing some of our shea butter rich hand creams on holiday with you for hands and for bites.
9. It could help to relieve pain caused by arthritis
As mentioned previously, shea butter acts as an anti-inflammatory. The fact that shea butter eases joint and muscle tension suggests that shea butter could also ease arthritis as it is caused by underlying inflammation of the joints.
So, there you have it - nine benefits of shea butter on the skin. The secret is out, we absolutely love shea butter and all the benefits it provides. Shea butter is full of essential nutrients that provide a luxurious glow to your natural complexion and support skin cells during the healing process.
This is why we put it in more than just our hand creams. In fact, shea butter is a key ingredient in our body lotions, hand wash, shower gel and body creams. As we said, it’s one of our favourite ingredients!
The Somerset Toiletry Company was founded in 1999 and has been developing beautiful body care and gifts ever since. Please read our about us page to find out more, or explore all our scented toiletries, home fragrances and more on our website.