Shea butter: the 4 misconceptions on this essential natural product

Shea butter : the 4 preconceived ideas about this essential natural product

It is a must-have product : the benefits of this oil are well known. Used in masks and treatments, it is an excellent ingredient for hair, skin, and face. But there are many misconceptions surrounding this product. : in this article we undertake to dissect the truth from the falsehoods about this popular product.

1. Shea butter has an unpleasant odor

This information is not always true : in reality, the smell it gives off will depend on its manufacturing process. If its manufacturing steps are not correctly followed, it may smell bad or give off a strong odor. Indeed, as is the case with fruits or vegetables, for example, if they are rotten, they will have a nauseating odor, and this also applies to this product. Strong odors will therefore depend both on the manufacturing of the product and its maturity. A quality product will have a nutty odor. : in these cases it will be useless to mask its smell with chemical solvents, a process that is frequently used for shampoos or creams based on this product, as you can find in stores.

2.   It promotes acne

Here again, this is a rumor. : Raw shea butter is non-comedogenic, meaning it does not clog pores. On the other hand, shea butter Refined products that have undergone chemical modifications will lose their benefits and will therefore be potentially comedogenic. Hence the importance of checking the ingredients in treatments based on this product, and of reading the labels carefully. But again, don't rely entirely on the product information, because the shea butter refined may sometimes present claims like “ pure shea butter » while the latter is refined. If you buy this pure product, the latter having a comedogenicity index of 0 on a scale of 0 to 5, you can apply it as a facial treatment without the risk of unsightly pimples appearing.

This pure product is a friend to acne-prone skin as it benefits from anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties. : it will help reduce redness and imperfections while nourishing your skin.

3.   Organic shea butter = raw

Beware of preconceived notions once again. Organic doesn't necessarily mean quality. To be sure you're buying authentic raw shea butter, you'll need to check the color of the product, which should be more yellow for raw butter and whiter for refined butter. Then, you can smell your product. : if it smells strong, it's not a good sign. Raw shea butter will have a mild, nutty scent.

4.   It does not apply easily

This information is both true and false. There are two types:

• THE shea butter produced in West Africa : this classic and most widespread product. The variety of this product is nicknamed " Vitellaria paradoxa ". It is this variety that is more granular and is more difficult to spread on the skin.
• THE shea butter produced in East Africa : the latter is less popular. The variety of this product is nicknamed " Vitellaria nilotica ".Vitellaria nilotica is a product that has a much smoother texture than Vitellaria paradoxa and will therefore be more pleasant to apply.

Whatever variety of product you choose, the main thing is to prioritize its quality. : nothing beats raw shea butter to benefit from all its benefits, whether for hair, skin or face.

To best guide you towards products based on raw shea butter, we offer you the Cosmos Organic Resilience hand and body cream from TerreDeMars. This cream, enriched with raw shea butter, chamomile, and coffee extracts, helps fragile skin regain its former elasticity and shine.