Even if cocoa butter is the silent partner in the powder-butter duo, it’s far from inactive in the body. Cocoa butter consists mainly of palmitic, stearic, and oleic acids. Palmitic acid, a solid, saturated fat, increases risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cacao is higher in protein, fibre, magnesium and iron. Cocoa powder without added sugar is still high in nutrition and is a more affordable option. Gram per gram cacao is more nutritious. However when you factor in that cocoa is far cheaper it means that per dollar cocoa is the better choice if budget is an issue.

Cocoa butter is safe for use on the skin. Pure cocoa butter does not contain any ingredients that are likely to cause problems in most people. People can eat pure cocoa butter but should not ingest cocoa butter products designed for the skin.

But keep in mind that cocoa contains caffeine and related chemicals. Eating large amounts might cause caffeine-related side effects such as nervousness, increased urination, sleeplessness, and a fast heartbeat. Cocoa can cause allergic skin reactions, constipation, and might trigger migraine headaches.

For issues like scars, acne, and stretch marks, shea butter seems to be the better choice, since cocoa butter tends to clog your skin pores. People with dry skin problems can use unrefined cocoa butter because of the ease of absorption into the skin, and it quickly improves the appearance of the skin.

1. Sky Organics Unrefined Ivory Shea Butter. Sky Organics 100% Organic Unrefined Ivory Shea Butter is made from ingredients that have been extracted using a cold-pressed method that maintains the natural qualities and keeps the butter contaminant-free.

Yes and No, depending on usage. Shea butter can be used for tanning, but it can also be used to lighten the skin. Shea butter has a lot of oils in it, so rubbing it and going out in the sun would definitely tan you, especially if you live in the tropics or you go out in summer time.

shea butter

Yes. The application of ghee on face overnights helps in making the skin moisturized, soft, bright and healthy. This is actually a very simple and an old beauty routine followed by women since ages. Although ghee on face overnight will work wonders for dry skin, people with oily skin should avoid this.

Shea Butter

Pros: Shea butter, which is a fat derived from the seed of the shea tree, has a slightly deeper moisturizing effect compared with coconut oil, says King. Even better, it’s anti-inflammatory, so it does a superior job of calming irritated skin. King also finds that it helps heal abrasions or wounds.

Shea butter has soothing and anti-aging properties that may make skin appear smoother and reduce aging. However, pure shea butter on your face could lead to breakouts. Even using some products that just contain a smaller percentage of shea butter may lead to acne.

But unlike most tree nut products, it’s very low in the proteins that can trigger allergies. In fact, there’s no medical literature documenting an allergy to topical shea butter. Shea butter doesn’t contain chemical irritants known to dry out skin, and it doesn’t clog pores.

The typical shelf life of unrefined shea butter is about 24 months (2 years) from the date of manufacture and packaging. This is an approximate shelf life affected by storage and temperature. The last two are very important to keep in mind!

The most desirable Shea butter is that which is unrefined. Yellow Shea will typically be raw when purchased and will have a potent odor with lots of impurities. Shea butter which is unrefined will usually be white colored which means it has been processed through a filter so the impurities have been removed.

Shea butter can go rancid. The expiration of this type of butter is from 12-24 months. After the 12-24 month period, shea butter deteriorates and loses its vitamin content. While you can still use it to moisturize your skin, the benefit of the vitamin content is lost.

The top shea nut–producing countries are Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Togo. “I have been making good money for my family selling shea butter,” Lucette Ndogo, a well-known shea butter vendor at the Marché Central in Douala, Cameroon, said in an interview with Africa Renewal.

– It should be an off white ivory (if it is bright white it is likely to be processed) or yellowish color. The colors range due to the country of origin. – The texture should not be hard or greasy, as the vitamin E content of pure, unrefined Shea butter provides a firm yet supple quality for this amazing moisturizer.

Even though this Shea Butter is softer, and somewhat more desirable to consumers using the raw form, it is more expensive to attain, due to political instability in those countries. All of these factors can contribute to higher transportation costs of the butter.

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Details. Our unrefined Shea Butter spreads smoothly and easily all over your body leaving your skin, hair, and nails nourished and enriched. Kuza 100% natural, thick and rich Shea Butter is enriched with all the essential vitamins needed to hydrate and rejuvenate all types of skin.

Refined Shea Butter is white and odorless. The refining process removes the color and scent and in the process most of the natural healing properties. Refined Shea Butter has a longer shelf life and is still a good moisturizer but it lacks the natural skin regenerating benefits of Unrefined Shea Butter.

Shea butter is yellow because the Borututu roots are added during production process. This is what gives it its yellow color. Shea butter without the Borututu root added is ivory colored or off white by nature. The borututu is not added to the refined shea butter.

It is safe to consume provided that it is 100% raw and unrefined. Make sure your Shea butter product is at least grade A and comes from a reputable source. In Ghana and other African countries, Shea butter is commonly used in food preparation. Experts recommend consumption of pure, unrefined shea butter.

It is a skin nourishing emollient applied to the skin either in its pure form, or mixed in soaps, lotions, creams or shampoos. Unrefined Shea Butter nourishes the skin and hair with Vitamins A, E, F and K. It can be used daily as a pure moisturizer or be used as a barrier against harsh elements.

A rich source of vitamin E, Shea butter helps tighten the skin around your breasts to give them a firmer look. Similar to olive oil massage, Shea butter massage also prevents cell damage due to the free radicals.