9 Beauty Benefits Of Shea Butter & Why It Should Be Included In Your Skin Care Routine
- Funmilola
- July 3, 2020
- Beauty
- Perfect Lip Balm, Prevents Stretch Marks, Shea Butter, shea butter as skin care product, shea butter benefits, Shea Butter Heals, Shea Butter Protects The Skin, Shea Butter Smoothens Wrinkled Skin, shea butter uses
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Shea butter is extracted from the seeds of the fruit that grows on Karite trees, which are mainly found in Africa.
It comes in the form of solid fatty oil and in its raw form, looks like scoops of hard caramel ice cream.
Shea butter has become widely popular for its extraordinary ability to not only protect the skin against everyday environmental damage but also repair and renew it.
The main components of shea butter include oleic acid, stearic acid, linoleic acid, etc. It also has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties (to a certain extent) that can be utilized to treat many ailments.
There are many benefits of Shea butter that women ignore and here are 9 benefits of them.
1. It’s safe for all skin types
One great thing about Shea butter is that it is suitable for all skin types.If you have sensitive skin, consider ditching the fancy lotions and potions—which may be making your skin even more irritated—and reach for shea butter instead.
Shea butter can nourish the skin with its fat content. It can also help to soften the skin on your hands and feet and make it supple. It penetrates the skin easily, without clogging the pores, and is effective for dry skin.
It’s appropriate for nearly any skin type.
2. It Protects The Skin
Shea butter melts on the skin to form a non-greasy coating that effectively seals in the moisture.
Applying Shea butter all over the body after a bath or a long swim will help keep the skin hydrated and soft. Alternatively, you can add a tablespoonful of the butter into your warm bathwater before the final rinse. It will quickly melt and cover your body with a thin, protective layer of oil, the interesting part is that it does not make the skin oily.
3. It Reduces Stretch Marks
Stretch marks formation depends on heredity and other factors such as rapid weight gain and pregnancy. However, keeping the skin moisturized will reduce stretch marks, if not completely prevent them.
Since many chemicals can be absorbed through the skin, it is best to depend on natural, non-toxic moisturizing agents like Shea butter for keeping the skin hydrated all through pregnancy and during the lactating period.
4. It Treats Dry And Itchy Scalp
Shea butter is effective in soothing a dry, itchy scalp or dandruff. It possesses anti-inflammatory qualities and rich fat that get absorbed into the skin without leaving a greasy residue behind or clogging the pores. Hence, it is extremely effective in providing relief from a dry scalp, scalp psoriasis, and other scalp conditions.
5. It reduces skin inflammation
If you struggle with chronic skin conditions like eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis, the fatty acids in shea butter will help ease inflammation. Shea butter slows the production of inflammatory cells that contribute to irritation and skin conditions.
6. It repairs damaged hair
Shea butter can help restore lost moisture which occurs from the use of chemical treatments like straighteners, perms, and curlers. It also protects the hair from harsh weather conditions and the harmful free radicals in the air and water.
7. It is the perfect lip moisturizer
Make your own long-lasting lip balm with Shea butter. Shea butter keeps the lips moisturized, and the vitamin A and E in the butter nourishes the tender skin and keeps it healthy. To make the simplest of lip balms for everyday use, you can add 2-3 drops of peppermint oil or any other essential oil of your choice to a tablespoonful of Shea butter.
8. Shea Butter Smoothens Wrinkled Skin
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.
The fatty acid profile of shea butter allows it to be absorbed into the deeper skin layers to nourish them and support collagen production.
9. It Treats Acne
Shea butter is rich in different kinds of fatty acids. This unique composition helps clear your skin of excess oil (sebum). At the same time, shea butter restores moisture to your skin and locks it into your epidermis, so your skin doesn’t dry out or feel “stripped” of oil.
The result is a restoration of the natural balance of oils in your skin — which may help stop acne before it starts.
