In the world of natural skin care, Shea Butter has beome a household name. You'll find it in everything from high street lotions to luxury face creams. However not all shea butter is created the same.
Raw unrefined Shea Butter
Extracted using traditional water based methods. It retains all it's natural vitamins (A,E and F) and healing unsaponifiables . It has a characteristic nutty aroma and creamy ivory to yellow hue.
Refined Shea Butter
This is Shea butter that has been treated with high heat to remove the scent and colour. In the process up to 75% of the healing qualities are lost.
Ghana is globally recognised as the gold standard for shea production. In the northern regions of Ghana, the shea nut (Karite) is harvested by women's cooperatives who have passed down the extraction technique for generations,
The traditional Ghanian method involves sundrying, roasting and kneading the nuts by hand. The slow beauty process ensures the fatty acid profile remains intact.
How to identify Raw Shea Butter
The texture: Raw Shea butter should be firm but melt upon contact with skin
The Scent: It should smell earthy and slightly smoky. If it smells like plastic or has no scent at all, it has been refined.
The Colour: Authentic Ghanian shea butter is never pure white. it ranges from a pale ivory to a rich sun kissed yellow depensing on the region and soil.
Pro-tip: When melting your Shea butter do not exceed 70 degrees celcius. Once combined with your fragrance oils place the mixture immediately in the freezer for 20 minutes. Rapid cooling prevents fat molecules from crystalising into grains, leaving you with a silk smooth finish.