Shea butter - the ingredients, the modes of action, the natural power

If you want to find the absolute all-rounder, you don't need a jury nor an audition. A quick look at the best of the skincare world quickly reveals the winner: shea butter. The chocolate-scented mass from the fruit of the African shea tree is the best natural cosmetic against wrinkles, it is the vitamin C care for sensitive skin and it is the face cream for neurodermatitis. We could go on singing its praises for some time. But then we risk that this article might not be read any further. So perhaps first some real information on nature's all-rounder.

Against skin ageing and wrinkles

We members of the editorial team are big fans of the brownish (unrefined) or whitish (refined) mass. We'll explain the information in the parenthesis in a moment, because there is a crucial difference to note here. But basically, "butter" helps prevent skin aging. At any age. If the tissue is already a little more mature, life has drawn wrinkles, then shea provides plenty of moisture, thus causing a cushioning effect. In other words: the crack-like depressions become smaller or disappear again. We hardly need to mention at this point that we have been spreading the butter not only on the face but also on the whole body since we were young: There is simply no disadvantage to using this all-rounder.

The list of the most important ingredients

The contained vitamin E supports the acid mantle of the skin and ensures the removal of harmful substances. The effect: The aging process of the cells is slowed down. Omega-3 fatty acids and allantoin also have an anti-inflammatory effect - the latter is virtually a waste product from uric acid and supports wound healing. But that is still not all. Shea butter is like a belly-load of positive natural substances. For it also contains provitamin A (better known as beta-carotene), a precursor of retinol. The substance has a high antioxidant property, thus preventing early skin aging. At this point we come back to the information in the brackets in the previous paragraph. If you want to benefit from all the effects mentioned, you should make sure that your product is unrefined. This means that the seed-like fruit of the shea tree has been pounded and boiled with great effort - until the fat it contains settles on the surface of the concoction. If it is a refined product, the process is achieved by machine and with the addition of solvents. In the process, some of the valuable fatty acids and vitamins disappear. In other words: if you want to buy pure shea butter, you should look for the packaging label "unrefined".

The list of the most important modes of action

Yes, there is a lot to learn in this blog article. And there is more. Now that we know the ingredients, let's take a look at the incredible effects of this cosmetic all-rounder:

• Has a high anti-ageing effect

• Dryness wrinkles are smoothed out

• Feelings of tension in the skin disappear

• (Acne) scars heal faster, hornification of the skin is prevented

• Slight sun protection (but does not replace a UV blocker)

• Soothes the itching of neurodermatitis

Best shea butter and the DIY effect

We want to inform here - and not advertise 48grams products in the first place. Of course, shea butter is also contained in our cream products - the Day 'n Night, the Skin Repair and the Eye Cream. Even the best you can get on the market. But if you also want to care for yourself with pure shea butter, we recommend this do-it-yourself recipe: unrefined shea butter (available in health food stores) is melted in a water bath and then mixed with vegetable oil (coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba, etc.) in a 1:1 ratio. Depending on the desired fragrance, an essential oil can also be added. Then let the creamy mass cool down and pour it into a clean container (clean is VERY important, otherwise the cream will quickly go rancid). The body butter is ready.

From shea tree to Cleopatra

So, dear readers, that was the end of our lesson for today. Finally, we just want to share a few fun facts. In other words, facts that you can brag about a bit at the next girls' get-together.

1) The word "Shea" is a transfer from the African Bambara language. There, the tree on which the 4-centimetre fruits grow is called "s'i". Internationally, however, we speak of the karité tree. A word originating from French, which is derived from the Senegalese Wolof language.

2) To be honest, however, we find these volume figures more exciting: In 2020 alone, 746,166 tonnes of shea nuts were harvested; 46.3 per cent of this (making 345,708 tonnes) in Nigeria alone. This is an astonishing amount, especially when you know that a seedling only flowers for the first time after 20 years and it takes another decade for the tree to bear fruit.

3) The legendary Egyptian ruler Cleopatra not only swore by baths in donkey milk. Illustrations also prove that she was a big fan of shea butter. When she travelled, she was always accompanied by a caravan carrying large vessels full of chocolate-scented butter. This was no problem even in the desert, because the mass can be kept for up to four years even in the greatest heat.