Natural Shea Butter: cosmetic properties and benefits
Shea Butter : Moisturising, nourishing, emollient and elasticising, it is a product that offers the best of itself in purity.
NATURAL SHEA BUTTER: PROPERTIES
With a yellowish color and characterized by a pleasant sweet aroma, 100% pure Shea butter is an ally to always have on hand: hypoallergenic and paraben-free, it contains no preservatives or added fragrances.
But what makes it so active on the skin and irreplaceable? Its secret lies in what cosmetics experts call the "unsaponifiable fraction".
Taking the transformation of oil into soap as a reference, in fact, a significant surplus remains which, although subsequently combined with highly alkaline substances, continues not to react.
The higher its concentration, the more valuable the preparation is, as this component is rich in fatty acids and vitamin E it is extremely effective and similar to the characteristics of the skin: as such, it manages to penetrate deeply.
WHAT IS WHERE IT COMES FROM
Natural Shea butter is a phyto-cosmetic preparation originating from Central Africa, of which Burkina Faso and Benin are the main producers. The plant from which the stones are extracted has dimensions comparable to those of an oak: it is the Vitellaria Paradoxa, also called the "tree of life" or "butter" and grows in the savannahs.
The product is so important that it is a key element of the economy of these countries: its very high level makes it one of the jewels of the fair trade market. This allows for greater employment of human resources, with consequent promotion of cooperatives dedicated to women's work .
PROCESSING FOR COSMETICS
The manufacturing procedure of Shea butter is strictly manual: after harvesting, the best kernels are chosen (intact and without bruises), washed and subjected to a long boil, for about two hours. This step softens the zest, which must be removed at the end of cooking: no special tools are needed to remove it, because you just need to squeeze it in your hands or, at most, hit it lightly with sharp stones.
They are then reduced to a very fine powder and the preparation thus obtained is placed in large dishes for roasting, by which roasting is carried out and very high temperatures are gradually reached. At this point, the granulate is mixed with water for about fifteen minutes: it must become almost liquid.
More fluid is added and the contents that float to the surface are collected, ready for a second cooking of about half an hour to three quarters of an hour, mixing it with a wooden pole. The result is a boiling caramel-coloured liquid with a viscous consistency, Shea oil, which is left to cool at room temperature for about twenty minutes.
SHEA BUTTER: WHICH COSMETIC PRODUCTS IS IT FOUND
In addition to being found in small quantities in many face and body creams, the Shea butter it serves as the main ingredient of cleansers and hair masks, body lotions, scrubs to make the skin smooth and velvety. Doctor Reynaldi's natural cosmetics laboratory boasts a vast assortment of cosmetics .
In addition, Shea butter has healing properties , therefore it is not uncommon to find its presence in natural preparations with a regenerating and repairing action, indicated in case of abrasions, light burns and even bed sores. To use it best and apply it easily, just warm it in your hands for a few seconds.
BENEFITS FOR THE FACIAL
But what uses is Shea butter suitable for?
Condensing all the methods of use in a few lines is impossible, therefore reference will be made to the most important ones.
It gives relief to the redness of children's cheeks and to abrasions from rubbing the handkerchief on the sides of the nose, in the winter period; always in bad weather, a small jar to keep in your bag replaces the cocoa butter.
It is also able to soothe the skin of the face, in the form of creams and masks. Don't forget the nourishing compresses on your hair, which eliminate frizz.
BENEFITS FOR THE BODY
But the advantages of Shea Butter they also extend to the rest of the body, becoming an ingredient of choice, starting with the hands: it improves the condition of chapped ones and softens the cuticles.
Lovers of multi-tasking products can purchase this prodigious cream .
Its consistency makes it effective against dry skin, even in critical points such as elbows, heels and knees; finally, its usefulness after shaving, as after-sun and in stretch mark prevention programs should be remembered.
