Any Shea butter fans?

Emuchops

skypie123 wrote: »

Oh dear...I can see another new addition to my bathroom soon now I've read this!
Can it be used as a moisturiser on the face? Would it aggravate acne? I use mineral makeup so could I use SB as a base or would it be too greasy? I also have the worst feet at the moment and would kill to find something to make them soft again
xx

I think SB it would sort your feet out no problem. I would have thought that it would be too greasy for day wear under make up but would be fine as a bed time moisturiser. A little rubbed on your lips is better than any lipbalm Ive tried.

joyfull

Just read this thread & just bought some 'ebay' shea butter.

How did that happen??? I'm never usually impulsive, but I just LOVE stuff like this & have been using natural oils etc on my body & hair for years.

Nice thread & thanks to all who have shared. Look forward to buttering myself up.

Edit -What is EVO Please?

terra_ferma

Just got shea butter (and also cocoa butter mixed to sweet almond oil).

I was using the Body Shop shea butter and was very happy with it, until I realised that it contains silicone! YUK!

I got my delivery today, and both products are lovely except.... the smell! OMG!
It will be good to use to get rid of my OH when I want to watch telly on my own, with the whole sofa for myself!

Does anyone know versions with something that make it smell nice without any nasties in it?

cattkitt

Oddly enough, I actually like the smell, and had the opposite problem to you. Lol.
I got a small sample of unrefined, and liked it.

Took the plunge and got a cheaper 1 kilo lot from another seller, and it was purportedly unrefined, but it was a paler yellow, and smelt less nutty, and oddly enough smelt faintly of ginger and lavender(I think she'd refined it and she also sold lots of essential oils and ready made mixtures). Gave it to a friend who has a lots of female relatives and also suffers from split skin in her feet, so she had a use for that much shea butter anyhow.

Got another kilo for about £12-£13 from the original supplier(sadly now not trading - presumably because their customers only come back every three years, lol), and it was lovely and dark yellow, and smelt right.

cattkitt

Oops. So I suppose I meant to say that maybe the refined version is what you're after?

terra_ferma

This is what I got:
http://www.akamuti.co.uk/category/virgin-shea-butter/
you can see that the colour is rather pale, but the smell strong.
I'm going to add some essential oil to make it smell better.

drc

I use the Body Shop shea butter and its really nice. I got it when it was half price and loaded up on it. Would recommend it.

terra_ferma

drc wrote: »

I use the Body Shop shea butter and its really nice. I got it when it was half price and loaded up on it. Would recommend it.

That's what I was using until a few days ago, fantastic results and really loved it... until I found out about the ingredients:

Water (Solvent/Diluent), Shea Butter (Butyrospermum Parkii) (Emollient), Cocoa (Theobroma Cacao) Butter (Emollient), Cyclomethicone (Emollient), Glycerin (Humectant), Glyceryl Stearate (Emulsifier), PEG-100 Stearate (Surfactant), Cetearyl Alcohol (Emulsifier), Babassu (Orbignya Oleifera) Oil (Emollient), Beeswax (Emulsifier/Emollient), Lanolin Alcohol (Stabiliser/Emollient), Phenoxyethanol (Preservative), Fragrance (Fragrance), Methylparaben (Preservative), Propylparaben (Preservative), Xanthan Gum (Viscosity Modifier), Benzyl Alcohol (Preservative), Disodium EDTA (Chelating Agent), Sodium Hydroxide (pH Adjuster), Caramel (Colour), F D & C Yellow No 5 (Colour).

What it does
Cyclomethicone is a lightweight spreading agent. It helps carry dimethicone, fragrance and essential oils into the skin and hair and evaporates quickly after application.
Its molecules are too big to enter the skin cells. It stays on the surface, making skin feel silky and creating a film on the skin that locks in moisture.
http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2009/01/31/know-your-ingredients-cyclomethicone/

Why are they used in cosmetics and personal care products?
Silicones create a film on the skin, locking moisture in and keeping skin moisturized, but not allowing it to breathe. They also fill in skin imperfections (such as fine lines and acne scars) giving the illusion of a flawless skin. In haircare products, they are used to coat the hair, leaving it soft, smooth and shiny. In addition, they also add slip to a product.
http://beautifulwithbrains.com/2009/05/17/are-silicones-bad-for-skin/

I have a problem with a seemingly 'natural' product bing so full of chemicals, including preservatives that are said to be bad for your.
But silicone is the worst for me, a chemical that stays on my skin! YUK!

terra_ferma

1)
I found a lot of 'how to' videos on youtube.
Many are from african-american women who have been using this product for a looooooooooooong time.

I like this simple way of adding your favourite essential oil:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q-ywuUMbBo

There are a lot of recipes for whipping as well, most add other ingredients such as coconut oil, vegetable glicerine, olive oil, almond oil, aloe vera gel. I would not use a microwave, personally though.


2)
These are videos of Malian women making the butter. Very interesting. It also explains why some shea butter has a stronger smell.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrUGMFnfKaU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7ktkxQuCjI


3)
Finally the question YELLOW OR WHITE?
Well I found out that the yellow shea butter may not be shea butter at all!
What I found really really strange is that I was not able to fine ONE seller of golden/yellow shea butter that listed the ingredients!
http://www.agbangakarite.com/info_goldenshea.php

I think the best thing to do would be to find out what plant the 'shea butter' comes from, when purchasing!

shandyclover

terra_ferma wrote: »

I got my delivery today, and both products are lovely except.... the smell! OMG!
It will be good to use to get rid of my OH when I want to watch telly on my own, with the whole sofa for myself!

Does anyone know versions with something that make it smell nice without any nasties in it?

UH OH!!!

I was just about to order some for my Granma. She has terrible problems with very dry skin and I thought shea butter would be perfect for her but if it is a bit stinky thats going to be a problem as shes very, very particular and doesn't like anything that, in her words..."smells like food", she only likes toiletries that smell like flowers. I did find one on this site thats fragranced with lavender and frankincese...

http://akuawood.x-shops.com/product.php?productid=504&cat=34&page=1

Has anyone tried this one?

On the flip side I once had a tub of BS Cocoa Butter and my then 7 year old daughter used to sneak into my room just to smell it - she called it 'Cake Cream' saying it smelt like chocolate cake.