Shea (karite) butter is derived from nuts that grow on the karite tree, also called the shea tree. The tree grows in the wild in West Africa. According to the Commonwealth Secretariat, shea butter is called "women's gold" by villagers in West Africa, because women villagers are the primary harvesters and producers of shea butter. Shea butter is rich in vitamin A, nansaponifiable fats and various other nutrients that are beneficial to the skin and hair. The butter is commonly used to moisturize the skin, to help prevent wrinkles, to heal acne, to heal rashes and minor skin wounds. According to the American Shea Butter Institute, karite means "the tree of life," named so because of the many healing benefits provided by shea butter.
Step 1
Learn to identify pure shea butter. There are numerous shea butter products on the market, but not all of them are equal. Look for shea butter packages that are marked as "unrefined." Unrefined shea butter has not undergone chemical processing. If possible, open up the shea butter package so that you can see if it is a good quality product. Pure, unrefined shea butter ranges from off-white to tan to a yellowish color, is solid but soft in texture and has a mild nutty odor. To ensure that you are purchasing high-quality, pure and unrefined shea butter, look for products labeled with the "Certified by the American Shea Butter Institute (ASBI)." The American Shea Butter Institute only certifies shea butter that is pure and unrefined.
Step 2
Scoop a marble sized amount of shea butter out of the package, using a clean spoon. By using a clean spoon instead of your fingers, you avoid introducing bacteria from your hands into the package of shea butter.
Step 3
Drop the shea butter from the spoon into the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together to melt the shea butter. Shea butter is solid when cold, but melts readily at body temperature.
Step 4
Smooth the shea butter onto your skin, using your fingertips. Gently massage the shea butter into your skin, until it is fully absorbed. Pure unrefined shea butter absorbs quickly into the skin.
Step 5
Spread shea butter through damp hair, starting from the ends and working up to the roots. Shea butter moisturizes and protects hair from breakage.
Step 6
Moisturize your feet before you go to bed. First soak dry, scaly feet in warm water for 15 minutes before slathering generous amounts of shea butter on them. Put on a pair of socks to lock in moisture and go to bed.
Tips and Warnings
- Pure unrefined shea butter has a shelf life of 18 months to two years. After that time, the shea butter loses a lot of its nutrients, but still retains its moisturizing properties. To make sure you are purchasing fresh shea butter that has not sat on store shelves for a long time, purchase directly from a manufacturer.
- Shea butter that is pure white, rock solid, has a perfume odor or no odor, is not pure and has been chemically processed.
Things You'll Need
- Spoon
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