Shea butter for skin and hair has numerous benefits. This goodness has alleviated problems associated with skin and hair.

Shea butter in its pure raw form is a blessing. and most of us have used it either by topically or orally.

Benefits of Shea butter

Shea butter for skin and hair is very healthy.  It may surprise you to know it treats acne, fades scars, rashes, stretch marks, and skin hyperpigmentation when used in the right way.

Unrefined shea butter contains anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which are the best go-to.

Shea butter

Many people complained a lot about shea butter darkening their skin after use.

The truth is that shea butter doesn’t darken nor lightens the skin. It an emollient that moisturizes  the skin irrespective of your skin type.

Shea butter for skin and hair helps rejuvenates, Nourishes, heals, replenishes the skin.

This is an excellent moisturizer for skin concerns like dry skin, mature skin, skin discoloration, and every type of skin that wants to benefits from this nature’s gift.

A friend said to me, shea butter for skin and hair is super hyped abeg, it doesn’t seem the way it been hyped. I used it on my skin and suddenly I went dark. It’s as if they off a light on my skin.

The African Skin

Your skin is loaded with pigment called Melanin. It the color pigment responsible for your dark skin.

If your skin sustains an injury, it is the melanin that is secreted on the skin that build a form of healing mechanism to compliment the skin losses by healing itself.

We say black skin doesn’t crack because black skin has a bit of protection against the sun. right!

Most moisturizers available in the market maybe toxic for your skin.

Shea butter for skin and hair is one of the safest moisturizer for the most sensitive skin even for children.

Shea butter a natural moisturizer 

This is naturally sourced, like zinc oxide is a natural ingredient too. Most organic creams that aren’t fast action products also contain natural ingredients that will seek to heal your skin.

A natural emollient known as a healing balm for all skin types.

Shea butter for skin

The truth is topical use of organic products  will first darken you then begins to glow you.

This explains why a person who is naturally dark skin uses shea butter for a certain duration, say 6 months and starts glowing.

When asked the secret of their glowing skin, they tell you shea butter, you think they are lying to you.

This is because the skin has an undertone, the healing process and detoxing of the skin before it starts to glow and blossom but for the rest of us, it feels as if one day of our skin darkening feels like forever.

Glowing butter

Shea butter for skin and hair need onsistency and patience is key! It will surely pay off in the long run. You will be like Sirius (the dog star) in the night that shines brightest among other stars.

Sun tan

Shea butter for skin and hair has a lot of oils in it, but rubbing it and going out in the sun without a suncsreen would definitely tan you, especially if you live in the tropics or sunny areas.

Does shea butter make the skin darker?

Shea butter shouldn’t darken your skin in real sense but if you are exposed to the sun in any way without sunscreen, you will get darker.

It could also be the lighting that makes you think that you are getting darker. One may also ask, does cocoa butter darken the skin?

It protect the surface layer of your skin from UV rays that can damage and darken the skin.

However, while cocoa butter might help diminish the appearance of darkened areas over time, it is not a major skin-lightening substance.

Healing balm

Shea butter for skin and hair has been shown to have a relaxing effect on irritated and flaky skin. If you’ve got acne, shea butter minimizes the inflammation and soreness, and even out skin tone.

How long does it take for shea butter to lighten dark spots?

In fact, you may notice a difference in the coloration of dark spots while using shea butter for skin lightening – but it won’t’ be anytime between 4 and 6 months or longer depending on the severity of the skin discoloration.

It’s not a secret that natural solutions are often very slow at providing results.

Best way to use shea butter

1. Apply overnight: yea, you heard me use only at night on a clean face before bedtime.
2. Wear sunscreen during the day: a sunblock is a must if you want to benefit immensely from shea butter and don’t want to go dark after use.
3. Wear a sunblock to protect your skin from suntan and UV damage so your skin doesn’t get fried. Abi roasted. Lolz!

How shea butter whitens skin?

We present a few selected homemade recipes to use Shea Butter for skin lightening.

Mix half a cup of shea butter and half a cup of cocoa butter with 10 drops of Almond oil.

Use this balm on a daily basis to balance your skin tone and revitalize skin cells.

Is shea butter or coconut oil better for the skin?

One can easily conclude that Shea butter is a better oil for the skin than coconut oil, after all, it contains more important nutrients for the skin.

While Shea butter is a suitable moisturizer for all skin types, Coconut oil is not suitable for oily skin.

How long does it take shea butter to clear skin?

It is also recommended that you leave the shea butter on your skin overnight, as it should be on your skin for at least 8 hours. Shea butter works by absorbing into the skin, providing moisture without clogging the skin further.

How to identify pure Shea butter

Here are some ways to identify pure shea butter:

Colour: Most times, this is the first thing you see before buying the shea butter.

Pure Shea butter is either yellow or off white color.

Smell: Unrefined shea butter has a nutty smoky smell.

Texture: Just in case, you are still in doubt about the shea butter you are about to buy, you can still check the texture.

Can I use shea butter on my face during the day?

Shea butter can be applied directly to your face before you go to sleep.

Applying a cream with shea butter as part of your skincare routine in the morning might take some getting used to.

The fatty acids and oils in shea butter may make applying makeup on top of it difficult.

Shea butter for dark under eyes

Using shea butter along with pure honey, natural oils is safe and effective, because it helps to moisturize your skin.

Even areas around your eyes, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles, including those pesky crow’s feet.

Will shea butter fade dark spots?

Shea butter for skin and hair is great for correcting skin discoloration and even out skin tone.

Shea butter can be more effective than store-bought moisturizers for lightening acne scars on your cheeks, forehead, and chin.

Its healing properties help repair the pink, purple, and black discolorations of acne scars.

Moisturizing and hydrating for dry skin

Shea butter for skin and hair provides hydration. It a great moisturizer to give your skin a healthy glow.

It’s great for all seasons, from soothing sunburns in the summer to relieve dry, itchy winter skin.

Shea butter good for hyperpigmentation

Skin lightener or fade cream to reduce the hyperpigmentation.

Shea butter is a natural alternative to hydroquinone, which is a chemically used in creams.

How To Make Shea Butter Cream

In a glass bowl, add in shea butter and beeswax and place over a saucepan filled with a few inches of water to create a double boiler (or melt in the microwave).

Once melted, take off of the heat, add in oils, vitamin e, and essential oils. Add in aloe vera gel and whip up using a whisk.

Does shea butter have SPF?

Shea butter has a natural SPF of about 6-10, so combined with other oils containing natural sun protection like coconut oil or carrot seed oil, you can make your own natural sunscreen.

Shea Butter for Skin Lightening: Does It Really Work?

There are dozens of known benefits of shea butter on the face, but many Nigerian ladies are wondering whether it’s possible to use shea butter for skin lightening.

 Does Shea Butter Darken Skin?

Shea butter for skin and hair have amazing benefits. Shea butter is surrounded by several persistent myths, and the most famous one is that shea butter can actually make your skin darker when you’re looking for an opposite effect.

Of course, no one wants to see darker skin in the mirror when you’re expecting a lighter complexion.

The truth is that applying shea butter for the face doesn’t darken your complexion even after months or years of use.

Can Shea Butter Lighten Skin?

Shea butter for skin and hair has been named among the best skin lightening products by thousands of beauty addicts who are dreaming of a lighter complexion.

According to most reviews, shea butter does make your skin lighter but don’t expect an immediate effect.

To deliver the best results, shea butter needs to be used regularly.

It can take up to 3-4 months for shea butter to noticeably lighten your skin and give you an even skin tone.

How To Use Shea Butter To Lighten Skin?

Here are some tips that will help you get the most from shea butter skin treatment:

Use both pure shea butter and shea butter-based skincare products like Jergens, who have an entire shea butter skincare line.

Does Jergens shea butter lighten skin? Yes, like any other shea butter skincare product.

Don’t apply the shea butter before going out! This is the one case where shea butter can actually darken your skin – if you apply it right after leaving home and don’t use any UV protection, your skin tone can become darker from the sun.

For those afraid of using shea butter on their skin, you can also benefit from it by investing in moisturizers made with shea butter.

Shea butter for skin and hair is also found in creams and lotions from renowned brands.

Uses of Shea butter

Shea Butter Uses For Skin:

Whether you use pure shea butter, A body butter or a Shea related products, you can take advantage of the numerous benefits of shea butter on the face and body.

Stretch Marks:

If you’re pregnant or recently gave birth, experienced rapid weight loss or weight gain, shea butter for stretch marks is your most effective solution.

Shea butter not only makes stretch marks on the stomach, thighs, and breasts gradually disappear but also prevents new ones from appearing.

Acne:

Acne is a common skin problem not only for teenagers, but also for many adults, and using shea butter for acne delivers amazing results.

Thanks to the high natural content of vitamin, A, or retinol, an anti-acne shea butter face cream can be an effective remedy.

One of the most important benefits of shea butter on the face comes from the butter’s natural ability to make the acne scars fade, even if those scars are a decade old.

This include a retinol-reach shea butter soap into your beauty routine and watch the condition of your skin become better!

Dry Skin: 

Although shea butter can be great for all skin types, it has proven to be especially effective for treating dry and irritated skin.

Anti-aging: 

If you’re worried about spotting premature fine lines and wrinkles, take advantage of an essential benefit of shea butter for the face.

The use shea butter on the face at night to stimulate the production of collagen, reduce existing wrinkles, and prevent the formation of new ones.

Skin Lightening: 

There are many beauty benefits of shea butter, but not many ladies know that you can also use shea butter for skin lightening.

The truth is that while shea butter can’t fight severe pigmentation and discoloration, it can give your skin an overall glowing look thanks to its moisturizing properties and ability to smooth out the skin.

Lips: 

This butter for lips can be better than the most effective lip balm.

Simply apply a thick layer of butter overnight to get rid off chapped and flaky lips.

Use it during the day to create a moisturizing barrier for your lips.

Skin Imperfections: 

Every woman is familiar with occasional razor burns and bumps, scratches, rashes, and scars, but not everyone knows that shea butter benefits for scars, and other skin imperfections are super powerful.

Apply pure shea butter or shea body butter cream directly to the problem areas.

Shea butter for hair

Traditionally. most women use shea butter and palm kernel oil as their hair cream.

This has proven to be healthy for hair and boost hair growth and volume. But wait until you see all of the amazing shea butter for hair.

Conditioning: 

One of the top shea butter benefits for hair is its ability to serve as the most natural and effective hair conditioner. Use pure shea butter for co-washing or apply it to the hair after a wash to take advantage of the rich vitamin A and E.

Hair Loss: 

There are many reasons for hair loss, but not nearly as many effective solutions. Using shea butter for natural hair allows you to treat hair loss by reducing scalp inflammation and soothing irritated scalp skin, which are some of the most common reasons for unexpected weight loss.

Split Ends:

Split ends and hair breakage is a very common hair concern, and shea butter can be very beneficial in the treatment of this condition.

Use it as a hair mask, applying after a wash to the ends of the hair and leave for 30 minutes.

Hair Growth: 

Want to look in the mirror and see long, luscious beautiful hair strands? Then use shea butter for hair growth! Warm-up a little shea butter on a water bath, apply to the full hair length, including the roots, and leave for 30 minutes before washing off with warm water.

Shea butter for babies

Babies have famously sensitive skin that can develop rashes, irritations, and severe dryness, but not every skin product can be used on baby skin due to the risk of more irritations.

Luckily, you and your little one can experience the benefits of shea butter for babies with no side effects!

The main effect of shea butter on baby skin is its ability to gently moisturize and nourish the skin without causing any allergic reactions.

Apply shea butter to the skin after a bath or use it directly on irritated areas or diaper rash for quick relief.

Shea butter for skin concerns

This Shea can be useful for treating a wide variety of skin conditions like:

Dry skin, Skin rash, Skin peeling (after sun exposure).

Blemishes and wrinkles, Itching, Sunburn, Minor skin wounds, Skin cracks, Rough skin, Stretch marks, Insect bites.

Cold and flu, Eczema, Dermatitis, Heat damage, Allergic reactions, Razor irritation and bumps

Shea butter for massage

This can also be used to relieve muscle tension and aches, such as those experienced after strenuous exercise.

It’s ideal for moisturizing and smoothing your skin, as well as reducing inflammation.

Additionally, shea butter can be used as a cuticle cream or added to store-bought lotions.

You can put it in homemade deodorant or homemade lip balms. Shea butter can improve skin elasticity, be used as an eyelid primer before makeup, or massaged into the scalp to relieve dryness and flakes.

The Anti-Inflammatory Properties:

It contains Vitamin E and other healthy fatty acids that act as strong anti-inflammatory elements.

These elements help reduce inflammation around scars and absorb moisture into them—effectively weakening the appearance of acne scars.

The Antioxidant Properties: 

Shea butter contains Vitamin E, which is widely known as a skin-healing and protecting agent.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects your skin against free radicals that make your skin appear dull.

The Cell Regenerating Properties: 

Stearic fatty acid and allantoin are two amazing nutrients in shea butter.

These nutrients are both effective cell regenerators, making them very useful for healing acne scars naturally.

These two nutrients also increase the healing rate of minor skin injuries and blemishes. That makes shea butter perfect for quickly healing small wounds from popped pimples, which can cause unsightly scarring.

Raw shea butter for skin and hair is rich in healing nutrients that haven’t been decreased or removed by heating or refining processes.

Refined shea butter goes through a number of commercial processing steps to remove impurities (like those bits of shea nut) and to neutralize its odor.

These steps cause the shea butter to lose valuable nutrients, making it less potent and effective than the raw form.

How to use Shea Butter for Acne Scars: 

The easiest way of using shea butter for acne scars is as a moisturizer. After you wash your face, pat it dry with a soft, clean towel. Then, scoop a small amount of shea butter out of your jar and rub it between the palms of your hands.

Gently massage your face, making sure to target the areas with acne scars. Alternatively, you can use shea butter as a spot treatment for acne scars. It might be better to use this method if you have one large acne scar or a number of small acne scars on your face.

Simply dab a bit of shea butter on your acne scars with a Q-tip or your clean finger. Your skin heals itself and regenerates overnight as you sleep. Therefore, it’s best to apply the shea butter before bed.

Dark spot removal:

 A more potent method of acne scar treatment involves making your own shea butter concoction. This method is a bit more time consuming, but very effective at reducing the appearance of acne scars. To make the treatment mixture, you’ll need to combine shea butter with other natural scar-lightening ingredients. Here’s how to try this treatment yourself:

Ingredients:

Tablespoon of raw shea butter, Drops of lavender essential oil, Drops of lemon essential oil

Directions: Drop one tablespoon of raw shea butter into a medium-sized bowl. Using a whisk, stir the shea butter vigorously until it becomes creamy.

Then next, add the essential oils and continue stirring until the ingredients are blended together. Scoop the mixture into a clean jar or other small container and apply it to your acne scars every night.

If you’re a shea butter lover, you might want to make the mixture in a small blender if you intend to use it frequently.

This will save you some time and energy! Make sure the blender is specifically designated for making the shea butter mixture.

Massage oil

You can also make a massage oil by melting shea butter and olive oil together to make a massage oil. Firmly massage scar areas to break down old, hardened scar tissue and promote blood circulation.

Mix shea butter with any number of essential oils that help erase scars and stretch marks, such as lavender, frankincense, or helichrysum. Apply to affected areas.

To get the maximum result, you will need to exfoliate affected areas with a natural exfoliant—like oatmeal or baking soda—to remove dead skin cells before using any shea butter recipes. Apply shea butter or shea butter mixtures to scars three times per day, including bedtime, for optimal results.

Natural Oils to Mix with Shea Butter for Scar Removal:

Rosehip oil

Rosehip is a light, healing oil is extracted from dry rosehips. It is rich in a number of antioxidants that help treat skin problems, such as acne and acne scars.

This is easily absorbed into the skin. Mix it with shea butter to create a potent scar lightening solution.

Sea Buckthorn oil:

This oil is well known for its healing and restorative properties. It is a natural exfoliant and cleanser that revitalizes skin cells, heals blemishes, and eradicates stretch marks and acne scars. You can also make a massage lotion for acne scars by combining shea butter with Sea Buckthorn oil and rose water.

Vitamin E oil:

 Most store-bought scar creams contain Vitamin E oil. Vitamin E protects skin and can help heal and lighten different types of scars.

Using Vitamin E on minor wounds as they’re healing can greatly speed up the growth of new skin cells and reduce the appearance of the scars that follow.

Other Health Benefits of Shea Butter:

Rheumatism

This is a condition characterized by joint pain, stiffness, and inflammation. It often comes with pain and swelling in the muscles.

Shea butter can be used topically to relieve this inflammation and pain.

ARITHRITIS: 

Arthritis is a joint disorder often associated with elderly or overweight people. It is a chronic condition that can be incredibly painful.

The pain hinders basic movements and decreases one’s quality of life. Shea butter is composed largely of triterpenes—compounds with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant powers.

Some arthritis sufferers have experienced pain relief by using shea butter to alleviate inflammation. Shea butter can be used to reduce nasal congestion. By applying a small amount to the inside of your nostrils, you can reduce nasal inflammation in the inner lining of your nasal passages. This helps clear your nostrils, sometimes in as little as ninety seconds.

CONSUMPTION: 

Shea butter is edible and is used frequently for food preparation on the continent of Africa. Adding shea butter to your diet can help lower your cholesterol level.

That’s because shea butter is high in stearic acid, a fatty acid that can assist in reducing cholesterol levels. An upset stomach is a symptom of many different ailments. It can also occur by itself, without being indicative of a larger issue.

For annoying and painful intestinal issues, shea butter can be added to your diet as a natural remedy. Shea butter truly has numerous applications. From skincare to hair repair to alternative medicine, shea butter can do it all!

Interestingly, Shea butter is plant-based emollient and vegan-friendly too.