Shea Butter Benefits: Skin, Face & Pregnancy Safe
If you suffer from extremely dry skin, it's critical to choose skincare products that are rich and nourishing. If you're hunting for good moisturising products for your dry skin, it's critical to find a moisturiser appropriate for your skin.
The best moisturisers for severely dry skin contain occlusives, emollients, and humectant ingredients. These three ingredients will work together to draw moisture into the skin, prevent trans-epidermal water loss, and keep the skin feeling smooth and supple.
If you suffer from dry skin, we highly suggest looking for formulas that contain shea butter. This luxurious and rich nut butter is incredibly nourishing, and you can find it in many skin care and personal care products due to its natural occlusive and emollient properties.
Keep reading to understand why shea butter is one of the most highly regarded ingredients in the skincare market!
Where Does Shea Butter Come From?
Shea butter is solidified fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. I’s created by separating the kernel from the seed. The grains are ground into a fine powder and boiled in water where the extracted fat rises to the water's surface.
When it solidifies, it becomes a thick butter with an off-white or ivory colour - this raw shea butter can be used directly, but it also makes for an amazing skincare ingredient! Unrefined shea butter is packed with nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants. It's a versatile product used for cooking and topical body care.
Murad Hydro-Dynamic Ultimate MoistureWhat Can Shea Butter Do For My Skin?
Shea butter is widely used in cosmetics and skin care products as a moisturiser due to its plethora of skin benefits! While it's the most valuable to individuals who suffer from dry skin, it can still benefit various skin types.
Seal In Moisture
Keeping the skin hydrated is an essential step in maintaining balance. However, if your skin cannot withhold moisture, you may find that your skin feels dry no matter what you do!
This is where ingredients with occlusive properties become key! Components with occlusive benefits form a protective seal over the skin's surface. As a result, it reinforces the skin's integrity by preventing transepidermal water loss and keeping other harmful particles from entering the skin.
Shea butter is one of the best occlusive ingredients on the market. So if you find that your skin feels dry no matter what you do, it may be time to look for products that contain a higher amount of shea butter and other occlusive ingredients.
Anne Semonin Extreme Comfort CreamShield Your Skin With Antioxidants
Shea butter naturally contains high levels of antioxidant-rich vitamins A and E. Antioxidants are crucial to maintaining the integrity of the skin over time. Unprotected exposure to the sun opens up your skin to free radicals. Free radicals are atoms that are missing an electron.
When they interact with your skin, they "steal" an electron causing significant damage on a deep cellular level. Unfortunately, this cumulative damage will not become visibly evident until years down the road, and by then, it may be too late to reverse.
Antioxidants act as a shield of armour for the skin. They protect the skin by providing the roaming atom with an electron that neutralizes the agent before it can damage your skin.
Shea butter's high levels of antioxidant activity will protect your skin, so it stays happy and healthy for years to come.
Omorovicza Intensive Hydra-Lifting CreamReduce Inflammation
Inflammation is the body's natural way of helping your body fight infection and repair damaged tissues. However, chronic inflammation can quickly become a problem if it's not alleviated.
If you have inflamed or sensitive skin, using products with shea butter is excellent for soothing the skin and reducing inflammation. Pure shea butter contains a high amount of cinnamic acid, a naturally occurring compound with potent anti-inflammatory properties. When applied topically, it can reduce inflammation and restore the skin to a balanced state.
Murad Intense Recovery CreamReduce Visible Signs of Ageing
Shea butter is an excellent way to keep the skin moisturised, and it also has anti-ageing benefits!
Pure shea butter contains a high level of vitamin A, a form of retinol, which the skin converts into retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is vital to healthy functioning skin and supports the production and growth of healthy skin cells. Shea butter also contains triterpenes, a naturally occurring chemical that slows down the degradation of the skin's collagen stores.
Although it is not as potent as concentrated retinol, shea butter can improve visible signs of ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles over time.
Don't Be Afraid of Shea Butter
Some people tend to stay away from shea butter for fear that it will clog their pores or be too heavy. While a rich cream may not be best for everyone, there are still ways to incorporate shea butter into your skincare without it being too rich. Several cream-gel hybrids are available on the market to deeply nourish the skin without feeling too heavy.
Individuals who suffer from acne can also benefit from using shea butter if the formula is not too heavy and has ingredients that will treat inflammation and breakouts!
REN ClearCalm 3 Replenishing Gel CreamKeep Your Skin Soft and Supple with Shea Butter!
Shea butter's plethora of skin benefits make it one of the most remarkable ingredients on the skincare market. It’s perfect for deeply moisturising skin, banishing skin flakes and making your skin glow.
Or, if you just want a pre-made skincare routine that will help you reach your skin goals, try our skin analysis. You’ll get the best tips for your skin type plus a custom routine that’s just for you!
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