Shea Butter: The Secret to Glowing Skin

STILL WORRYING ABOUT ROUGH AND PALE SKIN? SHEA BUTTER TO THE RESCUE!!

  

In my previous skin care post, I talked about the wonders of fresh tomatoes
http://zaraifedi.blogspot.com/2018/07/wonders-of-fresh-tomatoes.html, today we are going to discuss another powerful natural skin care tool called Shea Butter.

Shea butter popularly known as 'Okwoma' among the Igbo race has been proven to be a very active home ingredient for both skin care and other health benefits, the processed form normally comes in yellow or cream colours.

According to Wikipedia "Shea butter is a fat extracted from the nut of the African shea tree. It is usually yellow in color when raw, with more processed versions being ivory or white in color. Shea butter is a triglyceride derived mainly from stearic acid and oleic acid."

Shea butter is very thick and solid at room temperature but has a buttery rich consistency that makes it ideal for use as a natural eye cream, lip balm, or body butter. Many studies show that it is especially good at penetrating the skin and contains 60% fat, making it highly emollient.Thanks to some other special properties, shea butter does more than moisturize … it delivers key anti-inflammatory and anti-aging components right into the skin. Some benefits of Shea butter to the skin include:

• Moisturizing: The concentration of natural vitamins and fatty acids in Shea butter makes it incredibly nourishing and moisturizing for skin. It is often used to remedy dry skin and to help protect the skin’s natural oils.
• Reduces Inflammation: A 2010 study found that due to its cinnamic acid and other natural properties, shea butter was anti-inflammatory. One compound in particular, lupeol cinnamate, was found to reduce skin inflammation and even potentially help avoid skin mutations. This also makes it beneficial for some people with acne.
• Skin Smoothing: Shea butter aids in the skin’s natural collagen production and contains oleic, stearic, palmitic, and linolenic acids that protect and nourish the skin to prevent drying. With long-term use, many people report skin softening and strengthening as well as wrinkle reduction. wellnessmama.com 

Shea butter can also be very useful for hair growth as it reduces hair breakage and hair loss, it has a very high healing fraction ranging from 5% to 17%. Apart from moisturizing the skin, it can also serve as solution to many skin problems like: wrinkles, blemishes, itches, sunburn, small skin wounds, skin allergies, eczema, acne, insect bites and other skin conditions. Personally I apply Shea butter to my scars as it helps to clear scars from bruises and minor injuries.

I know sometimes the smell can be a cause for concern but not to worry, original Shea butter should not have a foul smell. follow up on my next post about this topic where I will lay more emphasis on how to know an original Shea butter and a fake!

Finally, this powerful skin care ingredient is a must have in every home as it will go a long way in giving you that gleaming and smooth skin you desire! Trust me, a trial will convince you.