8 Superficial Benefits of Shea Butter on the Skin

Next time you go shopping for some skin-care products, make sure you add shea butter to your list! Shea butter, increasingly used in cosmetics and skin-care routines, has a number of benefits for your skin and your face that you do not want to miss out on.

Shea butter actually comes from the nuts of karité trees that grow in the Sahel region across West to East Africa. Shea butter has been referred to as the women’s gold due to its rich golden colour, in most cases, and due to the gains that African women have yielded when extracting the shea butter. Shea butter is natural and non-toxic. It is also edible and can be used for cooking. However, what you really should be using shea butter for is your skin!

Topical use of shea butter has been shown to have benefits for the skin. The benefits of shea butter include:

1- Moisturizing

Shea butter has emollient properties that moisturize the skin. It is usually incorporated in bath products as well as a shampoo to provide the skin, scalp, and hair with needed moisture.

Given that shea butter melts at body temperature, it contains water-binding properties, which allow its absorption rapidly into the skin which makes it useful for skincare. Shea butter has also shown significant results at preventing transepidermal water loss, which is the water passively evaporating from the skin.

2 - Softening the skin

Shea butter contains UV anti-erythemic activity, which assists in the regeneration of the tissue cell and in softening the skin.

Essentially, the tree-nut oils found in shea butter soak the skin, creating a soft barrier that seals in moisture for several hours. Your skin is bound to look and feel soft!

3 - Fighting ageing

Shea butter keeps the skin hydrated and soft because it is rich in Vitamin F. Shea butter also boosts the production of collagen. Therefore, hydration and softness of the skin promote and maintains elasticity while collagen positively impacts the skin’s firmness. In addition, shea butter is an antioxidant, anti-ageing agent, with high levels of Vitamin A and E. Antioxidants protect the skin from free radicals.

The combination of these ingredients fights early ageing and wrinkles.

4 - Reducing swelling

Shea butter acts as an anti-inflammatory and contains ingredients that reduce swelling. It might also be useful in the treating of skin-associated conditions, such as eczema. Moreover, anecdotal evidence on shea butter suggests that it might reduce swelling caused by bites and stings.

5 - Anti-inflammatory

Shea butter is traditionally known for its anti-inflammatory properties, particularly in its plant esters. Therefore, not only does shea butter reduce swelling, but it also reduces redness on the face. Shea butter’s extensive anti-inflammatory ingredients can also calm the face and the skin.

6 - Protecting your skin against the sun

As part of its anti-inflammatory properties, shea butter can be infused as part of your sunscreen and you’re after sun routine.

Use shea butter as an added layer over your sunscreen. It helps in protecting your skin against the sun’s UV rays. You can also use shea butter after sun exposure as it helps soothe the skin.

7 - May help in preventing acne

Shea butter contains a number of fatty acids that would relieve your skin from extra oil. This oil balance on your skin coupled with shea butter’s benefit in moisturizing and softening the skin may prevent acne formation.

8 - Exfoliating your skin

Given its number of benefits, it would come as no surprise to include shea butter as part of your exfoliating scrub. A shea butter-infused scrub would be rich in Vitamins A, E, and F as well as oxidants and collagen-promoting properties. All combined, Shea butter scrubs would promote the listed benefits while calmly and seamlessly exfoliating your skin.

Finally, shea butter’s benefits to your skin are invaluable as it soothes, calms, and tones your skin and your face. Its natural and non-toxic properties make shea butter the to-go-to ingredient when shopping for your skin-care products.

If you are looking for a product that helps with long-lasting moisturization that is infused with the goodness of Shea Butter, Check out Johnson's® Vita-Rich Rejuvenating Oil-In-Body Wash or JOHNSON'S® Vita-Rich Nourishing Body Lotion which are two of our best sellers!