Let’s first understand, what is Shea Butter?
Shea Butter is a plant lipid, extracted from the nuts of the Shea tree. Shea trees are native to West Africa and still the maximum of the Shea butter production is done in that region.
Shea Butter is rich in fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins that make it perfect as a cosmetic ingredient for centuries.
Conventionally, it’s popular for its anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties, relieving health issues like ulcers, nasal congestion and, unsurprisingly, skin problems.
Shea butter has made its way onto the ingredient lists of some of the most tried and richest skin moisturizers and face creams because of its proven skin care abilities. It is easy to spread over the skin, which makes it great for skin smoothing, soothing, and conditioning.
Now, let's move on to the top 5 reasons to add shea butter in your daily routine:
1. It nurtures skin moisture
Shea Butter’s smooth texture, easy spread and quick absorption quality make it one of the most used ingredients for moisturizing effects.
Its fatty acids content like linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids make it a great emollient that softens and hydrates skin.
It helps improve the skin’s natural barrier and also protects from damage from environmental pollutants. These fatty acids act as a "refatting" agent, reestablishing lipids and quickly creating moisture. They help reestablishes the boundary between your skin and the external climate, holding moisture in and lessening the risk of skin dryness.
2. It’s anti-inflammatory
It’s been found in research that the plant esters of Shea butter have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it perfect to soothe and nourish upset skin. Most of the products that help heal inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis contain Shea butter.
Furthermore, it also helps soothe sunburns. When applied to the skin, Shea stimulates cytokines and other inflammatory cells to slow their production. This might assist with limiting skin irritation brought about by ecological variables, like dry climate, just as fiery skin conditions, like dermatitis.
3. It has strong antioxidant properties
Shea butter contains a substantial amount of Vitamin A and E, which elevates its antioxidant activity. It helps prevent premature ageing and restore dull-looking skin. When Shea butter is applied to the skin, they protect skin cells from free radical damage.
Shea butter’s polyphenols—antioxidants—have anti-ageing benefits and properties similar to those found in green tea. Dr Wong calls it "essentially a solid oil. "Shea butter also contains five essential fatty acids (a major amount coming from stearic and oleic acids), a category which includes phytosterols, vitamins E and D, allantoin (good for healing skin irritations), and vitamin A.
4. It helps fight acne
Acne occurs when the openings of hair follicles become clogged and blocked with oil and dead skin cells. If the clogged pore becomes infected with bacteria, it forms a pimple, which is a small red bump with pus at its tip.
Shea butter’s unique composition helps prevent skin breakouts. Its different kinds of fatty acids help clear your skin of excess oil (sebum).
Simultaneously, Shea butter reestablishes moisture in your skin and secures it to your epidermis, so your skin doesn't dry out or feel "stripped" of oil.
The outcome is a reclamation of the normal equilibrium of oils in your skin — which might assist with halting skin breakout before it begins.
5. It boosts cell regeneration
Did you know, human skin cells are constantly changing and regenerating themselves?
If you're wondering exactly how many skin cells fall off, get ready for some staggering numbers. Scientists estimate that the human body is made up of around 10 trillion cells in total. Your skin makes up about 16 per cent of your body weight, which means you have roughly 1.6 trillion skin cells [source: BBC]. Of course, this estimate can vary tremendously according to a person's size. The important thing is that you have a lot of skin cells. Of those billions of skin cells, between 30,000 and 40,000 of them fall off every hour. Over 24 hours, you lose almost a million skin cells [source: Boston Globe].
Shea’s unique moisturizing and antioxidant properties work together to help your skin generate healthy new cells. New skin cells develop from the bottom of the upper layer of the epidermis, and the dead skin cells sit on the top.
With the right moisture balance on the surface of your skin, you’ll have fewer dead skin cells in the way of fresh cell regeneration in the epidermis.
The Best Products with Shea Butter:
Jojo Pop Up Shop’s Massage Oil Candles are hand-poured in small batches using luxurious organic Shea butter, sustainably sourced cocoa butter, eco-friendly soy wax and organic jojoba oil. This unique blend creates a lower burn point, so the wax pool is warm (not hot!), so our candles smell great and feel amazing on your skin.
1. Noir Amber Massage Oil Candle
Our Number One Seller Amber Noir scent is a sweet and sultry fusion of mandarin, jasmine, and rich amber with undertones of sandalwood and musk.
2. Brandied Pear Massage Oil Candle
A sweet blend of fresh, juicy pear and cask aged brandy.
3. Cashmere Vanilla Massage Oil Candle
An elegant and warm scent with smooth and sweet vanilla with a sultry musky base.
4. Lavender Massage Oil Candle
Like an enchanting meadow fringed with sprigs of lavender, with undertones of bergamot, lemon and cedar.
5. White Currant Massage Oil Candle
An alluring balance of tart and sweet with sweet red currant, black currant and zesty lemon peel combined with fresh airy ozone, a hint of peppermint and a botanical heart of juniper and geranium.
6. Beach Linen Massage Oil Candle
Our Beach Linen scent captures the scent of clothes dried on a line in the beach breeze, with a fresh airiness. Notes include orange, sea salt, ozone, parsley leaf, lavender, jasmine, and patchouli.