| FAQs |
• What is Shea Butter?
• Where does Shea butter come from?
• Why is Shea tree so special?
• What is Shea butter used for?
• What is the composition of Shea butter?
• What are the properties of Shea butter?
• Why is Chadian Shea butter different?
• What do you mean by all natural?
• How is your Shea butter produced? |
What is Shea Butter?
Shea butter is a natural vegetable fat extracted from the kernels of Shea fruits by crushing and heating. It is Ivory to yellow is color depending on the extraction method and the region of origin.
Where does Shea butter come from?
Shea butter has been produced traditionally for centuries in the Sahel region of Africa that runs from Senegal in the West to the foothills of the Ethiopian highlands in the East passing through southern Chad in the Central region. Shea trees only grow in that area. Efforts to reproduce the trees in other parts of the world have so far been fruitless.
Why is Shea tree so special?
The Shea tree or Karité tree is called Vitellaria paradoxa (it was formerly called Butyrospermum paradoxum). This tree holds a particular social, cultural, economical and spiritual significance in the African regions where it grows. It has a very slow growth and maturation time. Shea tree start producing fruits when they are about 20 years old and are fully matured around 45 years old. After reaching maturity, Shea trees can continue to produce fruits for 200 years and more. Everything on the Shea tree is useful with valuable significance. Locals make use of the fruits, butter, leaves, flowers, bark, wood, and even roots in traditional food, medicines, rituals and furniture. This tree is also literally known as the “tree of life”.
What is Shea butter used for?
Shea butter is used as cooking oil across the African Sahel region. It has also been used for centuries as a skin moisturizer and ointment to heal all sorts of skin conditions ranging from eczema to cuts and burns. The moisturizing and healing properties were demonstrated in the early 1960s by researchers in West Africa and the butter was ever since introduced for use in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Many high end cosmetic product manufacturer incorporate Shea butter in their formulations and Shea butter is also used as base in some pharmaceutical ointments and suppositories. Last but not least, many European chocolate manufacturer are now using Shea butter as a Cocoa butter substitute.
What is the composition of Shea butter?
Shea butter is composed of 4 principal fatty acids (Palmitic, Stearic, Oleic and Linoleic acids) conferring its unique moisturizing properties. The nice balance between the Stearic and Oleic acids contribute to its consistence and well appreciated softness. However the what actually gives Shea butter its sought after healing properties is its high content of unsaponifiables. They have been well studied and characterized by different scientists, and they can usually make up to 10% of Shea butter composition (making it unique and superior to many other vegetable fats). In general, the unsaponifiable fraction is made of Triterpenic alcohols (Alpha Amyrin, Beta Amyrin, Lupeol, Parkeol and Butyrospermol – about 75%), Karitene (about 20%), Sterols (Stigmasterol and Spinasterol – about 4%), and Tcopherols (Vitamin E – about 1%).
What are the properties of Shea butter?
Shea butter rich composition in fatty acids makes it natural soft skin moisturizer of choice. The unsaponifiables give to Shea butter some very important properties such as anti-inflammation, anti-aging, UV rays protection, cellular regeneration, elasticity restoration, wound healing, scar reduction and anti-microbial. All or part of those properties are more or less evident in products made with Shea butter depending on the concentration used.
Why is Chadian Shea butter different?
According to a study by Maranz & Wiesman (Cf., Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, 2004) Chadian shea butter has the highest content of vitamin E among all Shea butter across the African savanna (Vitamin E is a well known anti-oxidant, photo aging reducer and erythema inhibitor often used to enrich skin products). This is in part due to the hotter and dryer climatic condition in this region allowing a better ripening of the fruits.
What do you mean by all natural?
This means that 100% of all ingredients in any given Shea Touch product are either extracts or derivatives of plants, fruits and flowers; or other natural ingredient like beeswax.
How is your Shea butter produced?
Shea Touch Shea butter is produced in Kelo (Southern Chad). Ripped Shea fruits are picked from the ground under the Shea tree during the harvesting season; after a triage, the fruits pulps are removed (most often used as food) and the nuts are sun dried. The kernels are then freed from the nuts and sun dried again. Finally after a triage, the kernels are grounded and the butter is mechanically extracted by pressing. This cold processing system allows the preservation of most of components that provides Shea butter its properties. This sets our Shea butter apart from those that are extracted using chemical solvents and/or excessive heat depraving them of the very properties sought after.
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100% Natural
- Parabens & PEGs free
- Silicones free
- mineral oils free |
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Environment
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No testing on
animals |
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A sizable portion of our profit goes right back to support ..
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