Ingredient Spotlight: Shea Butter
Shea Butter
Scientific Name: Butyrospermum parkii
Shea butter is a vegetable fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. It is considered edible and is used in food preparation in some African countries, although most in the west will be more familiar with the myriad hair and skincare uses of shea butter.
Shea butter is a complex fat that is high in oleic acid, stearic acid and linoleic acid. These fatty-acids act as “refatting” agents, restoring lipids and moisturizing the skin. Shea butter is also absorbed quickly by the skin without a greasy residue thanks to the high levels of oleic acid and linoeic acid that effectively cancel each other out.
It is also high in vitamins A, E, and F, with some evidence that chemicals within shea butter may also have anti-inflammatory qualities. It is also high in other antioxidants, specifically omega-6 and omega-9 fatty acids, which help protect skin from free radicals that can lead to premature aging and dull skin. There is even some evidence that it has antibacterial qualities.
Unlike other tree nuts, shea nuts are very low in the types of proteins that cause nut allergies and studies suggest that the human immune system does not recognize shea butter as a nut protein, making it very unlikely to cause a reaction and it is generally considered safe to use for those with nut allergies..
Shea butter also contains triterpenes, naturally occurring compounds that are thought to deactivate collagen fiber destruction, meaning that shea butter may help boost collagen production in skin, minimizing the appearance of fine lines and plumping skin. And, if that wasn’t enough, it also offers light sun protection with a reported approximate SPF anywhere from 3 - 10 SPF.
At Grey Cat Apothecary, we source our pure, unrefined shea butter from Baraka Shea Butter, a Canadian company that works directly with shea butter producers in northern Ghana, providing fair trade wages to the women who use traditional methods passed down through the generations to extract every last bit of goodness from each shea nut.
While we already love using shea butter in our products (our soaps contain between 15% and 20% unrefined shea butter) for all the wonderful qualities they bring to our products, but even more than that we love knowing that our shea butter is made ethically and with love.
