10 Health Benefits of Shea Butter

What is Shea Butter? It is a skin superfood that comes from the seeds of the fruit of the Shea (Karite) tree found in West-African countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Burkina-Faso.

Shea butter is naturally rich in vitamins A, E and F. It offers UV protection (it is SPF ~6) and provides the skin with essential fatty acids and the nutrients necessary for collagen production.

It has been used over the centuries for both clinical and beauty purposes, no wonder Queen Nefertiti of ancient Egypt acknowledged Shea butter as the secret of her beauty.

You can embrace shea butter into your regular skin care routine and watch the wonders behind it.

Check 10 great benefits of Shea butter below.

1. Anti-Aging
The vitamins A and E found in this butter keep the skin supple, nourished, and radiant. If used regularly, it reduces wrinkles and also prevents premature wrinkles and facial lines. Its anti-aging properties can also be attributed to its ability to increase circulation to the skin and promote cell renewal.

2. Skin Smoothing
Shea butter aids in the skin’s natural collagen production and contains oleic, stearic, palmitic and linolenic acids that protect and nourish the skin to prevent drying. With long term use, many people report skin softening and strengthening as well as wrinkle reduction.

3. Reduces Stretch Marks
Shea butter is often used as a base in ointments or creams prepared commercially for stretch mark treatment.These marks are formed when the skin stretches beyond its elastic capacity hence daily massage of the affected area with this skin healing butter can lighten the stretch marks and off it goes.

4. Repairs Damaged Hair
So many chemical treatments like straighteners, perms, and curlers are responsible for stripping off the natural moisture from our hair, but shea butter can help restore this lost moisture. It also protects the hair from harsh weather conditions like harmattan and the harmful free radicals in the air and water. Here is a simple way to include shea butter in your hair care diet.

⦁ Take a tablespoon of raw or unrefined shea butter and melt it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
⦁ Once the butter cools down slightly, make small sections of your hair and apply the liquefied butter to the scalp and entire hair length.
⦁ Leave it on for half an hour and then rinse your hair with a mild shampoo.

5. Moisturizing
The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in Shea butter makes it incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for skin. It is often used to remedy dry skin and to help protect the skin’s natural oils.

6. Treats Split Ends And Breakage
Shea butter exerts moisturizing and regenerative effects on the hair and scalp. This strengthens the hair strands and reduces breakage. Also, being rich in vitamins A and E, it soothes dry hair and mends split ends

7. Lessen Muscle Ache
Muscular pain often results from an inflammation at the affected site due to exertion or a muscular ailment. Traditionally, shea butter has been extensively used in Africa to relieve muscle aches and soreness.

8. Nasal Inflammation And Nasal Congestion
The anti-inflammatory compounds of shea butter can reduce this inflammation and clear your nostrils.

This might sound weird, the next time you experience nasal congestion, all you need to do is apply some shea butter in your nostrils using your finger.

9. Rheumatism
Rheumatism is often characterized by joint pain, inflammation, and stiffness. The pain and swelling can also be present just in the muscles or the fibrous tissue. Shea butter is used as an ointment on the parts of the body affected by rheumatism to relieve the swelling and pain. Its anti-inflammatory properties are of key importance here as rheumatism is basically an inflammatory disease.

10. Lowers Cholesterol
This magnificent butter is edible and is used by many people in Africa for food preparation. An unknown advantage of adding shea butter to your diet is its ability to lower cholesterol in the blood.