Shea Tree (Vitellaria paradoxa)

Native to West Africa, the Shea tree offers its renowned “butter” from the large, oil-rich seeds of its fruit. The seeds are dried, roasted and ground into a fine powder which is then mixed with water and kneaded to separate the fat. Finally, this mixture is boiled, allowing the fat to rise to the surface where it is collected and solidified into shea butter at room temperature. Shea butter contains five different types of fatty acids (palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and arachidic), which account for its wide-ranging benefits for the skin, helping to moisturize and support the skin’s moisture barrier along with the benefits gained from antioxidants such as Vitamin A and E. Beyond its cosmetic benefits, shea butter is also commonly used in Africa as a cooking oil, waterproofing wax, in hairdressing, candle-making and percussion instruments. When selecting shea butter for cosmetic uses it is best to use the raw or unrefined versions to reap its benefits as higher levels of processing can affect the amount of vitamins remaining in the finished product.