Shea butter is one of the most frequently used ingredients in natural cosmetics and skin care products. 

Shea butter is incredibly moisturizing and nourishing for our skin and bodies. It has a plethora of health benefits, from miraculously treating itchy dry patches on the skin to preventing stretch marks from forming during pregnancy or growth spurts. Shea butter can soothe many skin ailments, and can work its magic on our skin (on all skin types!) in more ways than we may have imagined!

Where does Shea Butter come from?

The Shea tree, Butyrospermum parkii, also called Vitellaria paradoxa is native to central Africa. The tree is praised as a sacred tree, and you’re about to understand why! 

The nuts that grow on the Shea tree are harvested (and have been for centuries!), peeled, crushed, boiled or roasted into butter. Many believe shea butter was used by Cleopatra and the Queen of Sheeba, as their essential beauty product. In some forms, shea butter is even edible and used in cooking.

So what makes Shea Butter so special (besides for, um, Cleopatra loving this butter!)?

Shea butter is rich in stearic and oleic acid, vitamin E and vitamin A and saturated fatty-acids. While this may not sound like much, shea butter in its firm form, which melts to the temperature of our skin, will both moisturize our skin and seal in that needed moisture to have soft and radiant skin. It’s one of those extraordinary ingredients in nature that will both cleanse and hydrate your skin all at once. 

Let’s dive a little deeper and understand exactly how Shea Butter works it’s charm on our skin and bodies.  

More specifically, what exactly are the everyday benefits of Shea Butter? 

1. Anti-inflammatory properties- Shea butter’s antiinflammatory properties, with the presence of vitamin E and cinnamic acid, make it great for treating skin ailments like, sunburns, flare ups, rosacea, and bug bites. It’s even shown to have anti-tumor promoting compounds, wow! Sounds like shea butter just made its way into our essential skin care ingredients’ list, right?
2. Deeply moisturizes the skin- the most obvious benefit of shea butter is it’s deeply moisturizing capabilities. It’s safe to use on the face, as a treatment for eczema, chapped lips, razor burns, diaper rash, and dry heels and elbows. Pure shea butter can be used to safely moisturize and treat your baby’s skincare ailments as well, which makes shea butter that much more lovable. 
3. Antibacterial and antifungal properties- Shea butter is a great solution for those who have dandruff or dry scalp because of its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Shea butter can also be used to treat acne and athlete’s foot. So not only will it hydrate the skin, but it will simultaneously cleanse and purify the skin too.   
4. Anti-Aging properties- most natural ingredients that will deeply and effectively moisturize the skin, will also help get rid of fine lines and wrinkles. The high concentration of antioxidants found in shea butter encourages youthful and glowing skin. It also helps stimulate collagen production, supporting the skin’s elasticity. This means, your skin will feel more supple and soft to touch. 
5. Restores hair and scalp- shea butter can help strengthen the hair follicles, preventing excess hair loss, and protects the hair (and skin) from harmful free radicals. It can be used as a natural conditioner, as it will prevent hair breakage and frizz. It is also great for those of us with curly or coily hair, as it deeply moisturizes the hair without interrupting our curl patterns. Yes please! 

What’s Shea Butter’s role in natural deodorant?

Shea butter is a highly popular ingredient in natural deodorant. 

It’s so popular, that even deodorants which do use chemical ingredients, have also caught onto the trend, and have included it in their recipes as well! Imagine that! 

Shea butter is used in all natural deodorants because it won’t clog up your pores. Instead, it’s antifungal and antibacterial properties will clean the underarms and remove any toxins that need to escape the body. It moisturizes, but also reduces inflammation so that your body can work in a healthy and proficient manner, without disrupting the body’s natural rhythm and cycle. 

Takeaway  

If you were ever wondering why PlayPits uses Shea Butter as one of our first ingredients in our all natural (and by all natural, we really mean all natural!) deodorants, now you understand why! It’s not only safe for adults and children to use, but it also nourishes and balances out our bodies’ natural flow. 

Shea butter, when used as a base for many other nourishing and cleansing essential oils, will help us feel and smell great. Rather than using deodorants that dry out our underarms, and cause irritation, we love products that work with our bodies and support our health. 

How about some Sonshine anyone? We’re sure your son or daughter will love how it feels and how it smells!!