7 Reasons to Add Shea Butter to Your Skin Care Routine

Shea butter from the shea tree

There is a tree called shea that is native to West Africa. Shea butter is an oil extracted from the nuts of this tree. It is solid at room temperature and has a slightly yellowish color.

Unlike liquid vegetable oils, it looks just like butter. By the way, it is listed as "shea butter" in all cosmetic ingredients.

Shea butter has been used as an ingredient in cosmetics for centuries.
It is rich in vitamins and fatty acids and has excellent spreadability, making the skin smooth and protecting it from external irritation and dryness.

In this article, we take a closer look at the benefits of shea butter and why.

Related article: Must-read for those concerned about pores! Recommended oils for each skin type

Shea butter is great for all skin types

Shea butter is extracted from the nuts of the tree.

It is a vegetable oil extracted from nuts, just like almond oil and peanut oil.
All of these are used in cosmetics, but some nut-derived oils may pose the risk of causing allergies.

For example, babies who receive baby massages with peanut oil have been shown to be at increased risk of developing allergies to peanut-containing foods later in life.

Related article: The risk of developing food allergies from cosmetics

You may be wondering if shea butter is the same, but in fact it contains almost no allergenic proteins, so there is currently no medical evidence to suggest that applying it to the skin will induce allergies.

Highly moisturizing shea butter

The main reason shea butter is used in cosmetics is for its moisturizing properties.

Shea butter is rich in fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, stearic acid, and palmitic acid. Stearic acid and oleic acid in particular are known to strengthen the skin's barrier function .

It's perfect for treating dry skin as it protects the skin from external stimuli while retaining moisture.

Shea butter contains essential ceramides

Shea butter also contains a fatty acid called linoleic acid, also known as vitamin F.

Linoleic acid is an essential component of ceramide, which is essential for healthy skin. A lack of linoleic acid can cause acne, so it is an essential fatty acid for beautiful skin.
The linoleic acid in shea butter helps to keep skin plump.

For skin inflammation and eczema

Shea butter has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties , reducing the proliferation of inflammatory cells when applied to the skin.
It may help relieve symptoms like eczema as well as irritation and soreness caused by dry skin.

Shea butter antioxidant properties

Shea butter is also rich in vitamins A and E. Vitamins A and E are said to have strong antioxidant properties, which means they have beneficial effects in anti-aging care .

For example, literature has shown that it protects skin cells from UV rays, which can cause skin aging and dullness.

Approach to fine lines

Shea butter contains natural compounds called triterpenes , which are thought to help protect collagen from breakdown .

As a result, it is expected that fine lines will become less noticeable and skin will become plumper.

Prevents hair damage

In fact, there is very little research showing that shea butter is beneficial for hair.

However, one study discovered that a West African plant that is very similar to shea butter is highly effective in treating damaged hair, and people began to wonder if shea butter, which has a similar structure, could have the same effect.

Finally

I've written in detail about the effects of shea butter, but what do you think? Some of you may be thinking about incorporating it into your daily skin care routine!

However, no matter what cosmetic ingredients are in the product, they will not necessarily suit everyone's skin. Be sure to test it carefully at first to see if it causes any irritation or discomfort.

It is said that 30,000 to 40,000 old cells are removed from the human skin every day. Since the skin is replaced every day, it is important to maintain the moisture balance on the skin surface.

We want to aim for healthy skin by properly incorporating ingredients that support healthy skin.