For the Love of Shea

On the journey to find the best plant-based recipes for topical skin care, shea butter stood out as an all-star ingredient based on the many benefits it has to offer skin. Shea butter is a fat extracted from the African shea tree that is ivory in color when raw. Some of the benefits of raw shea butter include:

Not an allergen:

Though it comes from a tree nut, it has not been found to be an allergen. They don’t have the same level of proteins as nuts with allergens.

Anti-aging properties:

Collagen booster, great emollient and moisturizer, helps to regenerate thinning skin, lessen wrinkles from sun damage, improve complexion, promote healing that can help fight aging.

Ant-inflammatory:

Helps treat skin inflammation and reduce reactions to skin irritants, treats eczema and psoriasis.

Natural SPF:

Although low, raw shea butter contains a natural SPF at a level of roughly…

Protection & Prevention

Prevents trans epidermal water loss (TEWL). IN a test where participants arms were being washed in water containing ethanol, researchers found that shea butter was able to help the skin totally recover from EWL within two hours. Improved skin barrier protection. In one study, a cream containing just 5% shea had moisturizing effects that peaked at one hour, but continued for eight hours.

Nutrients

Naturally includes vitamin E and plant-based 0megas 3,6, and 9

Different Types of Shea

  • Authentic, Raw Shea

    Made from the shea tree nut, without fillers yields a light, ivory color that can sometimes appear gray when it has been oxidized. If it is oxidized for too long, it can turn a dark gray in color and become rancid. It is usually sold in bulk blocks or by retailers in small jars or plastic tubs. Authentic raw shea is never subjected to heat or melting of any kind.

  • Yellow or Orange Shea butter

    Shea butter is commonly dyed yellow with palm oil which acts like a natural filler to stretch the product. Palm oil and palm kernel oil can also be bad for skin if you are prone to blocked pores. This is because these oils are high in oleic fatty acids which are believed to block pores which can lead to acne outbreaks.

Know Your Shea

Just because it’s raw doesn’t mean it’s good. Knowing where it comes from, how old it is, and if colorless additives are present makes all the difference. With so many different types of shea on the market it’s important to know that your shea is pure and free from additives or fillers, even natural ones, that won’t add benefit to skin. At Mo’Shea, we use the purest blend of oxidized and non-oxidized raw shea from Ghana and we filter it through organic cotton to ensure the shea is clean before absorption into skin. When infusing our products with shea, we carefully select natural ingredients that compliment the shea, making it easier to absorb without leaving a film on the skin.