And, the best part is that the oils produced are known to have full moisturizing as well as healing properties that are not lost or diluted by chemically treating them.

The Hexane Extraction

Still, hexane extraction is commonly used for sheabutter extraction and it is widely used in the more industrialized nations in the world and it is now even finding use in the somewhat under developed countries in the world as well. The advantage of the chemical extraction using hexane as solvent for sheabutter extraction is that hexane does not cost much and is found in abundance since it is an offshoot of gasoline production.

Because shea trees are widely found in Africa and because it has become an important economic crop in that part of the world, the sheabutter extraction is a way of providing good employment opportunities to the local population and that is why traditional Shea Butter extraction are preferred in these parts of the world.

The Traditional Extraction

Rural women and children are engaged in Shea Butter extraction and because the traditional methods are being used, there is little organization that goes into sheabutter extraction. Furthermore, the business is opportunistic due to the fact that no one has ownership rights over the trees and even gathering is a free for all activity.

Thus, the traditional method of using Shea Butter nuts goes through several stages including and beginning with gathering, followed by village processing, after which there is improvements made to the village processing.

Next, the shea fruits require to be treated followed by depulping in which fleshy mesocarp is removed and then the nuts are dried and finally de-husked.

The traditional sheabutter extraction starts with the grinding of baked kernel into powdery material after which it is mixed with lukewarm water and the mixture so derived need to be stirred without stopping and can even is kneaded into paste which is allowed to stand with the oil floating on top and the mixture is periodically decanted to leave behind a solid residue that is brown in color and which does not have any oil in it.

This is how the traditional sheabutter extraction process takes place which requires steps such as drying and smoking the kernels, pounding and grinding, mixing with water and treating, kneading as well as churning followed by floating washing and also filtering.

Give Me an "A"

Shea Butter, in its purest form, without any additives or chemicals, earns a Shea Butter grade of A because of its healing properties. Shea Butter processing and Shea Butter extraction methods are factors affecting quality of Shea Butter.

Shea Butter contains vitamin A and E as well as cinnamic acid, which have some mild protective properties against the sun’s UV rays. Some of the conditions that Shea Butter helps through its restorative properties are dry skin, sunburn, eczema, insect bites, blemishes, poison ivy or oak, flaky skin and more.

It is important to note that in order for Shea Butter to keep the sheabutter grade A rank, it must not be refined nor processed. Only unrefined Shea Butter with nothing added retains its healing properties; unlike the refined Shea Butter which can only tout moisturizing properties.

The American Shea Butter Institute

In addition, a sheabutter grade of A is awarded by the American Shea Butter Institute, which performs tests on the Shea Butter to evaluate its properties.

Some of the things they test include the presence of bacteria and mold as well as some metals like copper, iron, mercury and lead. Having the right balance of various vitamins and minerals to ensure that its healing properties are untouched is the reason for the Shea Butter grade of A.

Refined Shea Butter with no additives is still a fine product but don’t expect to see much improvement for your skin other than moisture. Refined Shea Butter as well as Shea Butter with added essential oils or other ingredients are only good for its moisturizing properties and can be used for adding to cosmetic products.

Options B, C, and F

A sheabutter grade of B, C or F means that while they could be useful for its moisturizing properties, they will not have the healing properties that the unrefined grade A has. However, that is not to say that these lower sheabutter grades are not beneficial in other ways. They are perfect for adding moisturizing properties to other cosmetics such as liquid foundation and face and body lotion.

When purchasing your Shea Butter, look on the label for the seal by the American Shea Butter Institute with its sheabutter grade. This is the only way you will know about whether your product is sheabutter grade A quality with healing properties or another grade that just serves a moisturizing purpose.

Going outside in windy, cold or hot weather tends to dry our lips out causing chapped areas. Stressing over an issue and worrying may cause us to bite or chew on our lips. The solution to retaining a kissable pair of lips is to apply a Shea Butter lip balm.

History Of Lip Protection

Lip balm protection has been around for over a century and while the invention was noble, the product itself was not very beneficial. The reason is that the first lip balm’s main ingredient was petroleum jelly. This petroleum product does not absorb through the skin and at best just serves as a barrier against the outside elements.

Petroleum based lip balm has no restorative properties and long term use of a petroleum jelly based lip balm can actually make lips worse simply because the lips are not getting the healing properties it needs. However, with Shea Butter lip balm, your Karite lips actually absorb the moisturizing properties, which promote healing. You can almost literally feel it working with the first swipe of the balm across the lips.

The Shea Butter Difference

Shea butter lip balm often has other natural ingredients, which help promote the healing of chapped lips like beeswax, olive oil and even vitamin E. The Shea Butter reacts differently from petroleum products in that it allows the skin to breathe whereas petroleum just lies there, forming an impenetrable barrier blocking skin absorption.

Sheabutter lip balm promotes elasticity in your lips and keeps them well hydrated, even if you have lip biting or chewing tendencies. Because Shea Butter has restorative properties, you can use it even on broken skin like a split lip. The skin will absorb the Shea Butter lip balm and it will feel virtually weightless, unlike a petroleum-based product.

Moisturizing And Healing Properties of Shea Butter

Whether you are a lip biter or a lip licker — two habits which can damage your lips — you can trust in the moisturizing, healing properties of Shea Butter. If you used a petroleum-based product on the same lips, you run the risk of trapping bacteria between the petroleum barrier and the affected lip. However, with a Shea Butter lip balm, it is absorbed trapping nothing, only promoting healing.

Ditch your petroleum based lip balms and seek out those with Shea Butter and other natural ingredients. You will enjoy hydrated, healthy lips as well as protection from the sun’s UV rays and not have to deal with the peeling mess that petroleum tends to leave behind as it hardens on your lips when exposed to air. Shea butter lip balm is just a natural, healthy solution

The natural sheaButter cream is best for sensitive skin and people who suffer from allergies. It is 100% natural and does not contain any fragrance or dye. It smoothes evenly on the body and is completely hypoallergenic. Sheabutter cream can be used daily for rejuvenation and moisture protection.

Skin Problems

Many people suffer from skin problems such as psoriasis, athlete’s foot, chapped hands and lips, eczema, dry scalp, itchy skin, sunburn, peeling, dry complexion and much more. SheaButter cream can be applied to the lips to help soften them or can be bought in lip balm form for consistent use.

There are whipped Shea Butter creams for the body and Shea Butter hair care products for the scalp to help reduce itchy dry skin. There are Shea Butter creams made specifically for all of the above skin problems and are very successful.

There are special creams that are made specifically for babies. These sheaButter creams are unscented and used for diaper rash and baby acne.

Shea Butter comes from the shea tree in West and East Africa. For centuries the women in rural villages have been using Shea Butter for many different things. They have used the bark for medicinal purposes. They boil the bark and ground them into creams and have made their own sheaButter creams for scrapes, burns and scars years before Westerners knew the shea tree existed. They use the shells from the shea nuts as mosquito repellant and they crush the nuts and manually take the Shea Butter out of them to make into their creams for their bodies.

Older women from these villages have almost flawless complexions and no wrinkles at all.

When skin care manufacturers discovered the shea tree and its remarkable properties, sheaButter cream exploded onto the Western marketplace. Practically every woman uses sheaButter creams today to fight the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Women who use these creams consistently have extremely soft and healthy skin without any greasy residue. Babies have found a perfect and soothing way to rid themselves of diaper rashes.

It’s remarkable the wonderful health care remedies a little known tree in Africa could produce.

In fact, when you read the label on this Shea Butter hand cream product you will be informed that it is ideal for treating dry as well as irritated hands because the product provides your hands with the necessary moisturizing.

Thus, when you use Shea Butter hand cream you get the advantage of having your natural butters replenished and in addition, it also has been clinically been proven to be effective in soothing your dried out hands and it also gives your hands as also the cuticles a barrier thanks to the moisturizing effect.

Use It Regularly

If you use a Shea Butter hand cream product you can be sure that with prolonged as well as regular use you will find your skin becoming healed because of the natural ingredients that are useful for healing skin, and in this, Shea Butter as well as a few other ingredients are especially effective.

There are certainly some desirable advantages to using Shea Butter hand cream which you can realize thanks to its ingredients that are included in order to work in synergy with the skin’s own abilities to repair itself, and when the dry skin gets the right amount of moisture and it is made supple, you will find that sheabutter hand cream will also help in slowing down signs that your skin is becoming fatigued.

When it is used in a continuous manner, it also results in the reduction of fine lines because it contains ingredients that penetrate into the skin a lot faster than other products and there is also no greasy film left behind.

With all these benefits and thanks to the ingredients that go into making Shea Butter hand cream, you have a product that will do wonders for your dry and chapped hands even when exposed to very harsh conditions and with the perfect blend of Shea Butter and emollients you get a great solution to your problems with dry hands – the reason being that most of the Shea Butter gets absorbed into the skin and will thus prevent your skin from losing its moistness.

Many people are willing to try natural hair growth alternatives to hair loss before they go to specialists about their hair problem.

Shea Butter haircare is also available in shampoo and conditioner forms. Sheabutter hair care is also in a leave on conditioner form and as a treatment for excessively dry brittle hair.

Sheabutter Hair Products

A Sheabutter hair product that is quite popular is the Sheabutter hair conditioner, which is really great for even the coarsest hair. It lends softness and sheen to all kinds of hair types. The Sheabutter hair leave in conditioner actually has the same concept as the conditioner. It moisturizes and reenergizes the hair and scalp to help promote better hair.

The Sheabutter hair shampoo is also great for cleaning and moisturizing but the conditioner is more effective. The Shea Butter shampoo has very little Shea Butter in it since it is supposed to cleanse the hair and then the application of the conditioner does the moisturizing.

Shea Butter hair growth products are actually very effective in moisturizing the hair and scalp. At the same time, they can alleviate the symptoms of dermatitis and psoriasis for those who suffer from these skin disorders. Superficial wounds and scars can also be healed faster when you use all natural 100% Shea Butter on your head.

Shea, Nuts, Butter And Oil

Shea nut butter is a very rich skincare product that is extracted from the Shea nut. The Shea nut comes from the Shea tree or the Karite tree which is native to most parts of Africa.

This is the reason why most Shea Butter originates from Africa. The Karite tree can live to more than two hundred years old. It matures are twenty years and reaches full productions around forty to forty-five years old. This means a single tree can produce a lot of Shea nuts per season.

Shea Butter is one of the best natural beauty products and is highly prized even in Africa. The production of the cream has been ongoing for decade even centuries. Shea Butter is used in so many things. Its uses range from a cooking oil to a skin moisturizer and hair conditioner and also to fade away scars and stretch marks.