100% Raw Shea Butter - Review

Shea butter comes from the nut of the Karite Shea tree that is indigenous to Africa. Raw, unrefined shea butter contains vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A and E, as well as essential fatty acids. It has a creamy color and a very distinct smell. It has been used for centuries for its moisturizing, ant-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. 

I've heard nothing but good things about 100% raw and unrefined shea butter. I was going to purchase it off of Amazon.com, but I decided to purchase it at the French Market in the city instead cause it was cheaper and I wanted it right away. The natural one without fragrance added is kind of nutty and woodsy smelling, I didn't like that at all so I purchased the scented one which smells like the stuff you would buy in the store but much better. 

In it's natural form, shea butter is hard and has a bit of a grainy feel to it. It can be a little hard to work with, but you can heat it up a bit in the microwave for a few seconds. The way I use it is I apply a little to my hands and rum them together untill it melts and then I quickly apply it to my body. You only need a little bit of this so a tub this size lasts a long time. 




Here are a few beneficial uses for raw African shea butter:

• Daily skin moisturizer (face and body)
• Dry skin relief
• Skin rashes, including diaper rash
• Skin peeling, after tanning
• Blemishes and wrinkles
• Itching skin due to dryness
• Sunburn
• Skin cracks
• Soften tough skin on feet (especially heels)
• Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy
• Minor burns
• Eczema
• Sun and wind protection
• Even skin tone
• Reduce blemishes and scarring
• Eliminate scalp irritation from dryness or chemical processing
• Prevent bumps after shaving
• Reduce acne (especially in combination with African Black Soap)
• Absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue
• Helps restore elasticity to skin
• Restores luster to hair
• Helps heal scars, burns, and stretch marks
• Prevents ashy skin, chapping, and skin rashes
• Protects scalp from sores and rashes and prevents dandruff
• Helps prevent weak hair from breaking, fading, or thinning out
• Fortifies cuticles and nails.
• Helps bruises to heal
• Helps drain toxins from sore muscles: perfect for sports participants
• Helps prevent skin irritation for babies: used for generations to help babies sleep better
• Ideal for dry skin, dermatitis, eczema, sunburn and athlete's foot
• Rejuvenates skin pores and adds elasticity to skin
• Firms up aging skin and helps clear wrinkles
• Helps relieve arthritis, joint pains, or other muscular aches: massage shea butter into affected areas

Left to right: just applied, slightly blended, blended in.

My thoughts: I really enjoy using this stuff, it may not be ideal when you in a hurry though because you have to work with it a bit to get it to melt before applying it. If you have dry skin I would definitely recommend it, just make sure you use a little at a time. If it feels greasy then you've used too much. I've even used this on my face a few times and didn't break out. It's hard to use on the face b/c your going to be tugging on your skin to try and blend it in. What I do is melt it in my hands and just press it in and it works fine. I tested this by just applying it to one hand and the next day that hand looked more even toned than the other. I asked my mom which hand she thought looked better to make sure it just wasn't in my head and she also picked the hand I had used the shea butter on. 

Have any of you tried this product before?