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Shea Butter INCI Name: Butyrosperum parkii, Shea or Shea nut, (syn. Vitellaria paradoxa, B. paradoxa) Shea butter has been used for centuries in parts of Africa for its skin care and healing properties. Shea Butter absorbs quickly into the skin without the harsh effects of chemicals. Shea Butter is great for stretch marks, dry skin, cracked heels and more. Shea Butter has also been clinically proven to have anti-aging properties, preventive properties for stretch mark prevention and minimization, protection against inflammations, and rapid healing for burns (minimizes scarring). Shea butter comes from the nuts of the Shea tree [also known as the karite tree] which grows wild in Central and Western Africa. This nut fat is high vitamins A and E and minerals. Shea butter is used as a skin soother, cuticle softener, makeup remover and hair conditioner. If you have a small cut or burn, immediately apply soothing Shea butter to it. Shea butter also helps alleviate the pain from sunburns. For those of you with dry skin, Shea butter may be the most naturally moisturizing product you will ever use. Unscented and uncolored Shea butter is recommended for those of you who have sensitive skin. Also, this cold-processed [meaning it has not been solvent extracted] Shea butter is about as natural as a refined Shea butter gets. You'll notice this when you apply it as it's nongreasy. It has an anti-elastase characteristic which makes it a good active ingredient against stretch marks. Shea butter can also be used to treat rheumatism and aching muscles, and to ease colds because it decongests nasal mucous tissues. It is very well tolerated by the skin for it does not normally trigger any allergic reaction and can even be used on very sensitive skin areas such as mucous tissues and around the eyes. Shea butter is therefore an outstanding recipe for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes, even incorporated in high proportions. It is easy to work into all kinds of emulsions and makes a very good excipient (carrier) as it prevents allergenic reactions without altering the active principles.

• Full of ester resins, Shea Butter is recommended for damaged skin repair and sun protection. • Shea Butter has mild UV blocker properties but not recommended as your only cream for sun protection • Rich in Vitamins A, E, and F (Vitamin F assists in wound healing and is effective on eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, and dermatosis). • The best choice for dry, cracked, rough skin on hands, feet, elbows and your face.

Shea Butter nourishes the skin with Vitamins A, E and F. Vitamins A and E help maintain the skin and keep it clear and healthy. They are particularly helpful for sun damaged skin. They help prevent premature wrinkles and facial lines. Vitamin F acts as a skin protector and rejuvenator. It soothes rough, dry or chapped skin and helps soften dry or damaged hair. Shea Butter is high in unsaponifiables (a type of fat). Shea Butter has between 7-12% unsaponifiables. For comparison, avocado oil, a well known skin conditioner, has between 2-6%. This high level of unsaponifiables is one of the properties that make Shea Butter so invaluable in treating the conditions listed above. Also, Shea Butter easily penetrates the skin allowing the skin to breathe and not clogging pores. Shea Butter has a high level of cinnamic acid, a natural sun screen. So, it provides some degree of protection from the sun. Shea Butter is also anti-inflammatory making it useful in treating rheumatism.

Shea Butter provides moisture to dry or damaged hair from the roots to the very tips, repairing and protecting against weather damage, dryness and brittleness. It also absorbs quickly and completely into the scalp to rehydrate without clogging pores. It is particularly beneficial for processed and heat-treated hair. It is an excellent treatment for dry scalp. It restores luster to damaged hair.

Shea Butter can provide relief from everything from just dry skin to many minor dermatological diseases (if you have a serious skin condition, you should see a doctor). It has been clinically shown to provide benefits. Here are some of the benefits of Shea Butter for the skin: • Absorbs quickly without leaving a greasy residue • Daily skin moisturizer (face and body) • Soften tough skin on feet (especially heels) • Skin cracks relief • Dry skin relief • Itching skin due to dryness • Eczema • Even skin tone • Blemishes and wrinkles • Reduce blemishes and scarring • Stretch mark prevention during pregnancy • Helps restore elasticity to skin • Reducing acne (especially in combination with African Black Soap) • Shaving cream to reduce razor irritation • Preventing bumps after shaving • Sunburn relief • Sun and wind protection • Skin peeling, after tanning • Skin rash- including diaper rash relief • Dry scalp relief • Eliminates scalp irritation from dryness or chemical processing • Restores luster to hair • Natural lip balm • Small skin wounds healing/relief • Minor burns healing/relief

Shea Butter does not need to be refrigerated. Store Shea Butter in a cool (not necessarily cold) place. If you're going to use it within a couple of years, you should have no problems. However, over a period of two or three years, the Shea Butter will begin to lose some of its effectiveness. As the natural ingredients begin to break down, some of the healing benefits will be reduced, but the Shea Butter will continue to be an effective moisturizer. My Shea Butter melted! One of the great things about Shea Butter is its low melting point. When you apply it to your skin, it literally liquefies. However, one of the bad things about Shea Butter is its low melting point. It's quite possible it will melt in a hot room. It may even be melted when it's delivered to you in the summer months. If this happens, don't worry. The Shea Butter is good. Just take the lid off of the container and set it in the refrigerator until it gets hard again. As it begins to cool, you might want to give it a stir to bring the olein (liquid parts) back into contact with the stearin (solid parts) so that the Shea Butter is uniform throughout.