Shea Butter Nutrients

Natural, unrefined and unprocessed Shea Butter contains all the essential nutrients needed for balance, elasticity and skin tone. Shea Butter is unique because of its high content of non-saponifiable fats. Non-saponifiable fats act as a natural skin moisturizers and are crucial to rejuvenating the skin. The rich amounts of non-saponifiable fats occurring in this amazing,natural plant butter set it apart from refined Shea Butter and other moisturizers. Natural Shea Butter is also rich in antioxidants such as

• Tocopherols (vitamin E),
• Carotenoids (precursors to vitamin A) Vitamin A and E are among the antioxidants that are most important in the fight against skin aging and have the ability to renew and regenerate skin.
• Flavonoids, including catechins): Flavonoids are most commonly known for their antioxidant activity. However, it is now known that the health benefits they provide against cancer and heart disease are the result of other mechanisms.
• Cinnamic acid: Cinnamic acid is believed to greatly contribute to the healing capacities of this remarkable butter/oil. It also a certain limited capacity to absorb ultraviolet rays (UV)
• Allantoin: Allantoin is used as an active ingredient in over-the-counter cosmetics. It is cited as a moisterizing agent with a keratolytic effect, increasing the water content of the extracellular matrix and enhancing the desquamation of upper layers of dead skin cells, increasing the smoothness of the skin; promoting cell proliferation and wound healing; and a soothing, anti-irritant, and having a skin protectant effect by forming complexes with irritant and sensitizing agents.
• Stigmasterol: Stigmasterol has been proven to relieve stiffness in aching muscles and is also known to reduce inflammation.
• Vegetable fats:  Dry shea kernels contain 50% oil or fat of which 36-47%is stearin and 33-50% is olein. An unsaponifiable fraction (2-11 %) includes a range of chemicals with known bioactive properties:
• Triterpenes with anti-inflammatory and protease inhibition properties (a-amyrin, lupeol, butyrospermol, parkeol-often esterified to cinnamic acid)
•  Phytosterols include campesterol, stigmasterol, 13sitosterol,  a-pinasterol, delta-7-avenasterol. Polyisoprenic hydrocarbon karitene (up to 2%)
• Vegetable fats promote cell regeneration and circulation, making it a wonderful healer and rejuvenator for troubled or aging skin. Dry skin, dermatitis, wrinkles, eczema, sun burn, and burns are all helped by Shea Butter.

Pharmaceutical products based on Shea butter ingredients are being developed with clinical trials underway for the treatment of eczema, arthritis, high cholesterol, etc.

The shelf life of Shea Butter

The shelf life of Shea Butter is 18-24 months when kept in a cool, dry place. After that time the healing properties of Shea Butter are less pronounced, but it still remains a good moisturizer.