4 Best Benefits of Shea Butter for Skin

It can be scary to read the labels of your lotions, toners, acne creams, and other cosmetic products. Seriously, what even are half of the ingredients listed?

Harmful chemicals like sodium laureth sulfate and formaldehyde show up, causing some pretty valid concerns in consumers across the globe.

Many people are making the transition to more natural based skin care options in the hopes of bypassing preservatives and man made additives.

Skin health benefiting options like witch hazel for toning and olive oil for deep moisturization are common choices right now due to their powerful acne fighting abilities.

Benefits of Shea Butter for Skin

What Is Shea Butter?

Shea butter is a seed fat that is derived from the shea tree. It is an absolutely incredible moisturizer that is wonderful for sensitive skin types that can be found fairly easily in most major retailers.

It is also a common ingredient in many pricey lotions and creams on the market today, as larger companies have begun to notice just how amazing shea butter is in cosmetic care purposes.

It is emollient, antibacterial, and sinks into the skin easily, among a host of other benefits, making it absolutely perfect for usage all over your body, including on your face and neck.

Shea Butter and Acne

One of the most common, and infuriating, skin issues is acne. At one point or another, almost everyone will experience the occasional pimple; up to eighty five percent of people will experience acne at some point in their lives, as well.

Despite being prevalent in most of the population, acne can still be incredibly tricky to treat. Many people are turning to natural alternatives in the hopes of avoiding intensive treatment plans like Accutane or chemical peels.

Shea butter is renowned for its healing properties. It is rich in fatty acids and plant sterols, including oleic, palmitic, stearic, and linolenic acids.

These compounds work to create an immune response in the body and help decrease the amount of time it takes to heal breakouts and rashes.

Due to this powerful healing ability, shea butter is often used in helping successfully heal tattoos and other minor wounds. When you receive a tattoo, you are creating a small, controlled wound on your body.

Like any other wound, it must heal properly; if it does not, the design may be disfigured or the ink may be rejected by your body and fade, making the tattoo appear patchy.

Moisturizing Benefits

The same is true if the scabs of the tattoo are disturbed.

It is important to keep a tattoo well moisturized to prevent cracking, scraping, and other damages to the area that could impact the healing and final appearance of the tattoo.

The fatty acid and sterol content in shea butter makes it perfect for enriching freshly tattooed skin and its natural sourcing helps prevent the accidental introduction of alcohol or other common commercial lotion ingredients that could irritate or dry out the tattooed area.

The same is true for other minor wounds, as well.

Sunburns can be a real pain to treat. Aloe gel can take the sting out for a while but you will still have to deal with the peeling and tenderness until the burn subsides.

The best medicine is prevention; using suncare products is key in keeping your skin healthy and avoiding burns and the associated potential cancer and general health risks.

Wearing SPF is a great idea! If you do find yourself with a sunburn, shea butter is a fantastic way to help reduce the sensitivity and dryness associated with the injury.

Just apply raw shea butter to the area and let it soak in and deeply moisturize the sore burn.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Shea butter is amazing for reducing inflammation and irritation. The shea extract contains several derivatives of cinnamic acid which is a naturally occurring anti-inflammatory agent.

The presence of this acid can help to reduce general inflammation caused by a host of issues ranging from eczema to rosacea to athletes foot.

Seriously, if your skin has a space of minor damage, shea butter can probably help it! It can even help prevent scarring due to its deep penetrating moisturization abilities!

For those with aging skin or anti-aging concerns, shea butter provides a perfect blend of natural vitamins. Applying it regularly can help boost collagen production, which improves the skin’s elasticity and helps prevent the formation of wrinkles and fine lines.

Compounds like oleic, stearic, palmitic, and linolenic acids help to nourish the skin from the inside out, as well. Strong skin is healthy skin; regularly exposing your face to these free radical protection agents will give you a beautiful, glowing foundation for your overall skin health.

Anti-Aging Properties

Many people report seeing less wrinkles and slowed wrinkle formation while using shea butter and also note that the dryness associated with aging also became less prevalent due to the fatty acids in shea butter.

Shea butter is a fantastic ingredient to add to any do it yourself exfoliant recipes. Exfoliating is key in removing dead skin cells and keeping your skin glowy, youthful, and healthy.

Many people use a general recipe involving a skin friendly oil mixed with sugar, salt, or ground coffee to scrub their bodies and face.

Swapping out your oil for shea butter is a fantastic way to give your body an extra drink of fatty acids and moisture, which has been proven to aid in wrinkle prevention and help keep your skin looking soft and smooth.

You can find recipes all over the internet with a basic form being one part scrub particle of choice to one part oil of choice.

Final Thoughts

Shea butter is a highly underrated, amazing skin friend to have on hand. Moisturizing, anti-inflammatory, and acne fighting, you seriously cannot beat the natural benefits packed in this rich cream.

In fact, there are actually even more uses that those we discussed here. Shea butter is incredibly diverse and has an infinite amount of beauty applications.

Do your research and figure out what is the best method for incorporating this beauty powerhouse into your routine!