What’s the Hype behind Raw Shea Butter?

Have you ever wondered why there suddenly is a plethora of raw shea butter products? It appears to be contained in any form, from body lotion to shampoo and even in skincare products for your face. Everyone seems to be going on about it, but what’s behind the hype?

Shea butter has been used for thousands of years, predominantly in Africa. It’s produced from the nut contained in the shea fruit and has already made the infamous Cleopatra the beauty she was – as we’re told. Since it provides remarkable healing properties even for scars, it is already widely traded back in the day. However, only during recent years, shea butter seems to have made a comeback. You may wonder what’s so special about shea butter while there are very similar products that work great, too. Ponder no longer, let’s have a look at comparable beauty products and see the differences.

Coconut Oil

Coconut is cold-pressed to produce coconut oil, and there you already have it. Coconut oil is far easier to extract, for which it is more available. You won’t have to search too long for high-quality coconut oil, or neither have to spend too much money on it. Get yourself a large jar, and you’ll be set for months to come. While it’s a stable saturated fat, it does melt at room temperature. Once the coconut oil you keep in your kitchen starts to melt, you genuinely know summer has arrived in a colder climate.

People love to use coconut oil for pretty much anything, as it can be used for literally everything. You can use it for cooking as a healthier fat choice that even helps you lose weight or skincare. Most use coconut oil as it is instead of regular cream you can buy from any shop. Although it is a solid fat, it quickly melts on your skin as soon as you apply it.

Coconut oil has antibacterial, moisturizing, and anti-aging properties. You may make your sunscreen with coconut oil or use it on wounds to speed up healing. Both coconut oil and shea butter act as an excellent moisturizer for your skin, which keeps moisture within your skin. They’re great for dry skin or also dry lips. Moreover, coconut oil and shea butter contain essential vitamins to nurture your skin, such as vitamin A. You can use coconut oil as an anti-aging product since it can reduce wrinkles and remove age spots. What more could one dream of? However, coconut oil tends to clog your pores and is more oily in its consistency than shea butter. Using coconut oil is not a good idea if you suffer from acne and make things only worse.

Cocoa butter

Cocoa butter is more or less a byproduct when cocoa beans are ground into a fine powder for your favorite chocolate. Since it is made from cocoa beans, it retains a gentle chocolaty smell. Similar to shea butter, it’s been used for thousands of years by the Maya and Aztecs – once upon a time. As cocoa typically grows in South and Central America, they even used it as a currency. Cocoa has always been a precious commodity that doesn’t only taste great but is suitable for topical use, too!

A lot of beauty products contain either shea butter or cocoa butter, or even both. You may also use cocoa butter for baking or if you wanted to make your chocolate. It is a substantial kind of fat and doesn’t melt at room temperature like coconut oil. But it does melt on your skin once you apply it, just like coconut oil.

Cocoa butter contains so-called cocoa mass polyphenol that protects your skin from premature damage and provides you with anti-aging properties. Just like shea butter and coconut oil, it’s an excellent moisturizer for your skin. Cocoa butter is favored to avoid stretch marks during pregnancy. As it contains vitamins A and E, cocoa butter is absorbed deep into your skin to improve its appearance. However, also cocoa butter can clog up your pores.

Shea butter

As previously mentioned, shea butter is made from nuts. Shea butter is soft and spreadable and comes with a slightly nutty scent. It contains several saturated fatty acids as well as high levels of vitamin A and E. Some may cook with shea butter, too!

In general, shea butter is a perfect moisturizer that provides you with anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. It’s just perfect for treating sunburns and eczema of all versions. And, of course, it’s excellent for your skin if you’re slowly getting into those years. No one likes those wrinkles, while it can lessen sage spots as well. But it’s not only a fantastic product for your skin. Use it for your hair care, and you’ll prevent breakage while you strengthen your hair with shea butter’s vitamins. If you have an irritated scalp, it will reliably take care of that as well. In comparison to cocoa butter and coconut oil, it’s not as oily and easier absorbed. The best about shea butter, however, is, it does not clog up your pores.

Final Thoughts

While shea butter shares a lot of properties of coconut oil and cocoa butter, its hype is down to these two advantages:

●    Shea butter’s creamy consistency is easier to use in the manufacturing process of any beauty product.

●    Shea butter does not clog up your skin.

These days more and more people turn to plant-based oils as they find themselves allergic to animal-derived fats. Besides, we all know, the more natural, the better. Traditional skincare and hair care products can contain all sorts of problematic ingredients that irritate your sensitive skin or cause an allergic reaction. Neither coconut oil nor cocoa butter or shea butter is typical allergens. There are only very few people who may react to shea butter. The simpler you keep your skin- and hair care products, the better it is for your body.