Shea butter: you've spotted it on conditioner ingredients, smelled it in your daily lotion, or even have heard of it as a means to help with nasal congestion! Regardless of where you have caught word of shea butter floating around, it's crucial that before purchase and prior to usage, you hold a strong grasp of where the butter originates from, its attainment process, as well as its universality.

CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S NOT SHEA BUTTER!

Understanding the ins and outs of what shea butter is will be of great help when it comes time for purchase and further use.

Shea butter is initially removed from nuts that grow from the shea tree, or more scientifically recognized as Vitellaria paradoxa or parkii tree. These shea nuts contain seeds filled with tiny kernels that are extracted and pound out by those seeking the eventual butter inside. Once the kernels are smashed up, they are boiled and ground up to an oily paste. This oil is mixed with water and then purified numerous times until the fatty portion of the oil has risen to the top of the paste while the desired oil remains at the bottom. Finally, the fat is scraped from the top of the mixture to reveal the hardened shea butter!

So what ACTUALLY are these components that establish shea butter as such an enticing product? The acids that comprise the health and beauty commodity are a plethora of acids including: oleic, linoleic, and stearic acid. It also is filled with essential vitamins like vitamin A and E.

Coupling this newfound knowledge of how this good is created as well as learning the specifics of the ingredients make shea butter the perfect new addition to your life.

WHERE WAS SHEA BUTTER BORN?

So where was this butter born? The shea tree, also known as the Vitellaria paradoxa or parkii tree, is indigenous to the dry savannah area located in West Africa. The shea tree is found from western Senegal and spans far in the east in Sudan, and are often located at the foothills of Ethiopian highlands. Its usage is widely prevalent in African history, for the transport of jars of this lush butter has been recorded as being used for hair and skin benefits during the time of Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheba! Who wouldn't want to invest in a product that's fit for queens? As far as its full and entire practicality, the extracted shea butter was not the only part being capitalized on; the actual shea tree was even used as a foundation for coffins built for early African Kings.

Most of our shea butter today still comes from these special parts of Africa, making it a product with a rich history that only increases its enticing nature when it comes time for purchase.

SKIN, HAIR, AND HEALTH. OH MY!

The healthful perks of shea butter prove to be endless. Its versatility is evident through the butter's wide range of value and benefits.

            SKIN: She butter is most commonly recognized for its inclusion in a plethora of skin products like lotions, face creams, and overall moisturizers. As stated before, its ingredients like oleic, linoleic, and stearic acid as well as vitamin A and E establish it as a safe and natural means of keeping skin looking dewy and feeling bouncy. These components have been shown to hold antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and damage-reducing properties. These extra health-filled rewards are coupled with shea butter's sun protection element, overall serving as an improvement to dry, glowless skin while also promoting a fabulous anti-agent quality being that it benefits skin elasticity and overall safety.

If you're extra conscious about what you use on your skin and are in the market for finding shea butter but are on the hunt for a specific shea butter product that has been refined naturally and extracted ethically, it's impertinent to make yourself aware of some popular brands that are process-conscious. Shea Terra Organics is one of those companies making it their mission to produce the highest-quality shea butter in an effort to satisfy and benefit their customers. Their use of Shea Nilotik's shea butter demonstrates the value that lies in certified organic shea butter. Their cold pressed shea butters are never boiled, demonstrating what an example of unrefined butter does to preserve the skin and includes the skin-helping qualities stated above.

            HAIR: Repair repair repair! Shea butter offers its services as a restorative agent when in the process of giving hair that loses moisture that is constantly stripped due to the hard heat that individuals often use on their luscious locks. On top of its restorative agent, shea butter also offers a protective factor when hair is exposed to harsh conditions such as tricky weather settings, constant damaging chemical treatments, and unavoidable sun exposure. This defensive tactic is carried out due to the shea butter fully coating one's hair shaft, further guarding your hair against unhealthy exposure.

Not only is the butter ideal in the hair healing process, but it also works as a daily conditioner. Its moisturizing qualities are wildly effective in keeping hair bouncy and filled with moisture, but without the appearance of shiny grease. The natural oils present in shea butter are an overall plus for hair growth and texture, leaving its users with a soft feeling and a fully moisturized scalp.

            HEALTH: The possibilities are not limited to external beautifying and protecting one's skin and hair, for shea butter actually can be utilized to treat a variety of broad health matters as well if ingested. The addition of shea butter in your diet has actually been proven to lower your cholesterol. Because of its containment of stearic acid, a fatty acid, lipoprotein and plasma cholesterol levels can actually be lowered due to its high volume in shea butter. If you're curious as to how one can incorporate the butter into their diet in a healthy and regulated way, it's more simple than you think; all you have to do is replace your common kitchen ingredients like coconut and olive oil or even regular butter with shea butter. This decision to opt out requires that you purchase the unrefined version of shea butter, for this is the most pure form and the least processed, further ensuring that you're fueling your body with the most natural and health conscious choice.